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What size power cord for SpeakerCraft BB1265

3K views 21 replies 5 participants last post by  orcrone 
#1 ·
I purchased the SpeakerCraft BB1265 amp used. It came with an 18 AWG power cord. Since it draws up to 1600 watts I'm sure that is very much undersized and not the OEM cord. Does anyone who has this model know what gauge wire is used for this amp?
 
#3 ·
Thanks. I figured that would be fine also. But when I called SpeakerCraft they said the unit comes with a 12 AWG cord from the factory. Since the unit draws 1600 watts max, has a 15 amp fuse and the power cord's connectors are only rated for 15 amps I couldn't understand why I would need 12 gauge wire.
 
#5 ·
Nice converter. When I put in 1600 watts and 110 volts it comes out to 14.5 amps

It could be that SpeakerCrafts wants to keep the current draw under 75% of the maximum, which is a common practice. For example 14 gauge carries a maximum of 15 amps. However, you would want to keep the the total current draw at less than 15 amps X 0.75 = 12 amps. Using the same 75% factor a 12 gauge wire should be able to carry 16 amps maximum continuously.

In my case I'm only using 9 of the 12 channels, and rarely do I use more than 3 or 4 at once.
 
#7 ·
I definitely don't want to open the "do power cables make a difference" debate. Suffice it to say that I paid $250 for the amp on eBay including shipping and I'm using it for background music in my office and on the patio and to drive the height speakers on my home theater. So they're definitely not in any critical path and I'd have trouble justifying $500 for a power cord. So I think I'll go with your initial suggestion of a decent 14 AWG cord.:)
 
#9 ·
The SpeakerCraft BB1265 amplifier was supplied with a 14 gauge (3 conductor) AC power cord, IEC type.
1 thing to look out for is that some universal replacement AC cords are very stiff and hard to bend/route behind the component stack...
The 1265 is a great amplifier and actually has superior electrical performance specs to many amplifier circuits within certain AVRs...

Just my $0.02... ;)
 
#13 ·
For the price I paid I figured I'd take a chance. So far I've been very happy with it.

All 3 people that posted reviews at amazon claim
speakercraft amps are almost impossible to repair.
I saw those reviews. Once again I got a good deal. Hopefully it will last, but if not it's not too much of a loss. 2 of the three had problems with auto sensing, but I'm using a 12 volt trigger. I do wonder about an amp that only came with a 2 year warranty. On the other hand mine is 8 years old and has performed flawlessly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge

Although 14 AWG will work fine, I would use 12 AWG if you are replacing because it was the stock size, the cost difference is small, and it provides a little extra margin.
I was thinking along those lines but it's difficult finding 12 gauge wire with the c13 connector required by the amp. Generally they come with C19 (square) connectors. I'm even having trouble finding 12 gauge cords if I want to build my own. I've seen some inexpensive 10 AWG cables on eBay but call me overcautious. I like to see the UL on things carrying house current and coming from China I doubt these do.
 
#15 ·
All 3 people that posted reviews at amazon claim
speakercraft amps are almost impossible to repair.

I saw those reviews. Once again I got a good deal. Hopefully it will last, but if not it's not too much of a loss. 2 of the three had problems with auto sensing, but I'm using a 12 volt trigger. I do wonder about an amp that only came with a 2 year warranty. On the other hand mine is 8 years old and has performed flawlessly.
If the amplifier was purchased through Amazon...
SpeakerCraft will NOT honor any warranty claims, as Amazon is not an authorized SpeakerCraft dealer. SpeakerCraft sells only through legitimate audio/video installer distribution channels...

Just my $0.02...;)
 
#16 ·
I'm not expecting any warranty claims. Regardless of where this was originally purchased I'm six years past the warranty expiration.

It's a good point though. For some electronics Amazon is an authorized dealer and for some they're not. Caveat Emptor
 
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