AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Audio theory, Setup and Chat › tweeter speaker wire
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

tweeter speaker wire

post #1 of 170
12/11/12 at 10:29am
Thread Starter 
I have Infinity Intermmezzo 2.6.
They have a built-in a/b amp below @2800.
The manual recomends an amp 15 to 150---why ?????
Can I use rg6 coax or do you think it is designed to need more current?
Thanks for any help
bill
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 170
12/11/12 at 11:09am
Does the internal amp power the tweeter as well?
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 170
12/11/12 at 10:58pm
Thread Starter 
The internal amp does not power the tweeter.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 170
12/11/12 at 11:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by billnln View Post

Can I use rg6 coax or do you think it is designed to need more current?
Why wouldn't you just use speaker cable. They don't have line level inputs.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 170
12/12/12 at 12:01am
Thread Starter 
May I add some more info.
Infinity has a matching powered sub and the preferred wiring is running speaker wire ( no size suggestion) to the sub and then speaker wire from the sub to the small two ways.
I can just barely hear 18,000hz and the speakers are 8 ohms average --- I am not sure what ohm average that makes the tweeter.
I have the Oppo 95 and a Music Fidelity A25 and I need to extend my speaker wires from @ 6ft to @ 10ft.
Thanks for the interest.
bill
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 170
12/12/12 at 12:13am
Thread Starter 
Colm
Yes, I could use speaker wire but I thought if maybe I didn't need the current
that it would improve the sound to use a single smaller gauge OF copper wire with the benefit of a shield.
What do you think?
Thanks
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 170
12/12/12 at 9:23am
Why do you think smaller wire will 'sound better'?
The shield is not going to do anything in such a low impedance sircuit.
Quote:
The manual recomends an amp 15 to 150---why ?????

Because the internal power amp doesn't drive the tweeter.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 170
12/12/12 at 1:11pm
Thicker wires are better when connecting speakers: there's less attenuation to the signal by the wiring. For your short runs, 16 gauge would be more than adequate, 22 gauge "zip cord" (as used for lamps) might be good enough. Don't waste your money on "boutique" cables.

The wattage range recommendation is only a suggestion. Usually, however, you shouldn't drive speakers continuously at the higher level since they could be damaged by overheating and would be deafening. Listening to music at normal sound levels usually sends very little power to the speakers.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 170
12/12/12 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
What I have heard about speaker wire is that heavy gauge wire carries current better but small, solid, pure copper ( or silver) does a better job with other aspects. And since I am only driving a tweeter that doesn't need much current
I thought I'd ask about it.
My question on the power of the amp was why it was so high ---150 is an awful lot for a tweeter. Why would they want so much for a 250 watt powered bass/mid and a passive tweeter.
On the shield issue----I thought it might protect the signal from some AC hum if the wires come near and maybe some FM noise?

I have some pretty good quality cables now and can hear a differance between them and lamp cord, but I need longer cables and want to do as good of a job
as I can afford.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 170
12/12/12 at 2:52pm
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire.htm#wiretable

No AC hum or FM interference with "speaker level" wire/interconnects.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 170
12/12/12 at 8:45pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Ratman, but I have already drank the kool-aid on the differences with cables. Thanks for the link--Those are (were) great men.
Do you know of any links about the FM and AC hum----most boutique cables braid the wire to prevent some of the problem.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 170
12/13/12 at 3:21am
^^^

in all likelihood, you will get the answers you "want" (vs. answers grounded in science and reality) at other forums...

here is one for you that will give you the answers you "want"...

http://www.audioasylum.com/index.htm
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 170
12/13/12 at 5:27am
Solid wires, not multistranded. The thicker the more problem you'll have with them. Mostly feelgood-effect in going thicker than "telephone wire".
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 170
12/13/12 at 5:50am
Quote:
What I have heard about speaker wire is that heavy gauge wire carries current better but small, solid, pure copper ( or silver) does a better job with other aspects.

You heard a non scientific myth, it's not true.
Quote:
I thought it might protect the signal from some AC hum if the wires come near and maybe some FM noise?]

In a low impedance circuit? how is that possible? How can a wire demodulate FM?
Quote:
Do you know of any links about the FM and AC hum----most boutique cables braid the wire to prevent some of the problem.

Another myth.
Quote:
No AC hum or FM interference with "speaker level" wire/interconnects.

It has nothing to do with signal level and everything to do with impedance.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 170
12/13/12 at 10:39am
Thread Starter 
Thank you ccotenj for the link.
I can only afford a little myth, so I appreciate you guys.

Nightload how small can I go, if I have up to 50 watt peaks going 15ft to a normal tweeter?

Sam64 if I wanted to take some traffic out of the core of rg6 coax, is there anything I could do with the foil or braided cover?
Thanks bill
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 170
12/13/12 at 12:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by billnln View Post

Nightload how small can I go, if I have up to 50 watt peaks going 15ft to a normal tweeter?

Gauge 18 should be just fine, methinks.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 170
12/13/12 at 12:38pm
Quote:
Sam64 if I wanted to take some traffic out of the core of rg6 coax, is there anything I could do with the foil or braided cover?

That's the return for the circuit, you can't do anything with it except use it as it's intended.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 170
12/13/12 at 6:05pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Nightlord----RG6 is 18.
SAM64---- I was going to use two runs of coax and just use the two 18 awgs cores as the speaker wire and am asking if there is something I can do with the braid and foil to reduce spurious and unknown traffic in the core (I don't know the proper term for all the antenna possibilities) Thanks
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 170
12/14/12 at 4:05am
^^^

my local home depot is practically giving away their remaining spools of 14/2 cl3 (half price!)... go look and see what yours has... buy the biggest spool they have, and you'll be set for a very long time...

i bought a 500 foot spool for 79 bucks, and have almost completed turning it in to a "poor man's" 250 feet of 11/2 for some long runs... smile.gif less than 32 cents a foot (and a couple hours of work) for 11/2 ain't bad at all... smile.gif

why are you trying so hard to use coax for this?
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 170
12/14/12 at 4:13am
Quote:
I was going to use two runs of coax and just use the two 18 awgs cores as the speaker wire and am asking if there is something I can do with the braid and foil to reduce spurious and unknown traffic in the core

Why?
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 170
12/14/12 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 
I have a pretty good hi-fi that I have improved on over the years and have heard the improvement that wires can make.
I was hoping to find out from those who know more about the subject than I, what some of the factors are that I might be able to afford.
I was looking for fellow travelers who are smarter than me.
Thank you
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 170
12/14/12 at 12:38pm
Quote:
I have a pretty good hi-fi that I have improved on over the years and have heard the improvement that wires can make.
I was hoping to find out from those who know more about the subject than I, what some of the factors are that I might be able to afford.
I was looking for fellow travelers who are smarter than me.
No, your fellow travelers are not smarter than you. wink.gif
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 170
12/14/12 at 12:51pm
Quote:
and have heard the improvement that wires can make.

OK, why are you hell bent on using coax, in a low impedance speaker circuit?
Wht and why do you think this will be an improvement over twisted pair?
many here, who clearly know more about this then you do, have already answered your questions. I suspect you don' t like their answers though.
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 170
12/14/12 at 2:17pm
Readily available coax is almost the worst possible cable you can use for connecting an amp to a speaker. It's resistance is too high because its center conductor is too thin. That will cause distortions to the audio. You could connect a half-dozen or more of them together in parallel to get the resistance down low enough, I suppose. But why bother? Just get some 12 or 14 gauge speaker cables.
Reply
Reply
post #25 of 170
12/14/12 at 2:30pm
It's amazing what drinking Kool-Aid can do. Ask Jimmy Jones and his fellow travelers.... biggrin.gif
Reply
Reply
post #26 of 170
12/14/12 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by billnln View Post

...
Nightload how small can I go, if I have up to 50 watt peaks going 15ft to a normal tweeter?
...

Are you sure you are putting in that much power in the tweeter? Many have failed under orders less.wink.gif

Quote:
Originally Posted by billnln View Post

I have a pretty good hi-fi that I have improved on over the years and have heard the improvement that wires can make.
...u
Sure, if you are going from a 24 ga wire to 14 ga.wink.gifbiggrin.gif
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratman View Post

It's amazing what drinking Kool-Aid can do. Ask Jimmy Jones and his fellow travelers.... biggrin.gif[
Oh, you are killing me. biggrin.gif
Reply
Reply
post #27 of 170
12/14/12 at 5:39pm
Thread Starter 
mcnarus---Thank you, but I'm sure they know more about this than I do.
They may not be fellow travelers on my journey to better sound through better wires. My "smart" is sometimes people will help if you ask.

SAM64--- I am just considering coax and asking questions about it's possibilities.
Stranded wire is only used because it is more flexible, I don't know of any
high end cables that are not solid.
I think there may be possibilities with the shielding as I've mentioned.
Wires act like antennas. Ratman had a link that talked about all the wire in the
speaker windings and now I see that some of the new great speakers are being shielded.

Selden Ball--I am only driving a tweeter and coax is 18 gauge--Nightlord thought that would be OK.

CharlesJ--- I know that sounds high and at the beginning of the thread I mentioned that I didn't understand why Infinity recommended a amp of 15 to 150 watts with a powered bass/mid. I have a 25 watt
class A that probably peaks at 50.
I know the next two statements are jokes, but I have heard some 24 gauge
silver wire that sounded pretty impressive and I would not be asking these questions if I could afford them.
Thanks all
Reply
Reply
post #28 of 170
12/14/12 at 10:01pm
Quote:
Stranded wire is only used because it is more flexible,

...and is electrically no different from solid wire.
Quote:
I don't know of any
high end cables that are not solid.

meaningless and irrelevant.
Quote:
I think there may be possibilities with the shielding as I've mentioned.

You'd be surprised.
Quote:
Wires act like antennas.

Not all of them.
Quote:
Ratman had a link that talked about all the wire in the
speaker windings and now I see that some of the new great speakers are being shielded.

The wire in the voice coil isn't shielded. Sometimes a bucking magnet is used to eliminate an external magnetic field.
Neither of these things relate to coax.

If you're actually interested in learning about coax, google "coaxial transmission line', "characteristic impedance" and go from there.
Reply
Reply
post #29 of 170
12/15/12 at 10:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SAM64 View Post

The wire in the voice coil isn't shielded. Sometimes a bucking magnet is used to eliminate an external magnetic field.

And shielded speakers are quickly becoming obsolete. One must remember what the shielding was for in the first place. Close proximity to a CRT TV. LCD and Plasma don't have any issues with stray magnetic fields.

Although I have no doubt some cable hack shop will come out with a Plasma or LCD screen demagnetizer for Best Buy to push.
Reply
Reply
post #30 of 170
12/15/12 at 1:04pm
Thread Starter 
I didn't mean those home theater speakers, but something like the new
Magico Q7. Here the speaker is protected , not the TV
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Audio theory, Setup and Chat

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Audio theory, Setup and Chat › tweeter speaker wire