Speaker wire

[chadgreen]

I watched Yamaha's video and they talk about using the fattest and shortest speaker wire possible when running from the amp to the speaker. We have a backup PA system that someone made speaker wire from 16ga zip cord. I was wondering if this is wrong and what everybody else uses for speaker wire. Thanks.

[cmchamp]

I never use anything less than 12AWG unless it's 2 pair, then 13AWG.
C.

[kbob]

well, there's a lot of theory about that....

but in general I'd say it depends. Most likely, that's too light to do a good sustained job over time. It's a function of distance and wattage, as well as the size/weight of the speakers involved.

For example, a 2000 watt amp running a pair of 18" woofers from 125 feet away needs a heavier gauge wire than say a single channel of an amp running 200 watts to a speaker having only a 5" horn and 1" tweeter from 50 feet.

I'll let someone get into the actual specifics with you on it, but in general I use the heaviest gauge I can afford to put in line for the subs, and something reasonable for the wattage and distance for everything else.

[cmchamp]

damping factor, resistance, voltage loss, etc. doesn't matter what you're driving. There is even an audible difference between 10' of 16AWG and 10' or 10AWG and a more prominent difference between solid core and multi-strand.
If the amp is really close - at the foot of a live stack - then I can warrant 14AWG, but generally my mobile live situations are 50' or more where 10AWG comes in handy at keeping the amps running efficient and cool as well as the fidelity of the system as high as possible.
Now the oxygen-free and other 'stuff' I can't give first hand knowledge of.
C.

[tedanderson]

We have a backup PA system that someone made speaker wire from 16ga zip cord. I was wondering if this is wrong and what everybody else uses for speaker wire.

One thing that you don't want to do is "starve" your speakers for power. Over time it causes the internal coil on the cone to overheat and it makes your amp work harder.

The 16 awg zip cord might be sufficient for your particular backup system if it was designed for that size. I have a 100-watt system that uses 1/4" plugs on 18 awg wire that is only 8 feet long. If I wanted to extend the length of the cable I think that I would have to go with something heavier. But as long as I am using according to factory specs I think I'm fine.. and this might be the case for you where it was originally used with a wire thinner than 16.

[Brad Weber]

Most people use unshielded, twisted pair cable with stranded, bare copper conductors. In general, larger conductors are indeed better but the "recommended minimum" gage depends upon the actual application involved including the cable length, voltage and current, load impedance and desired result. What is acceptable for a long cable run to ceiling paging speakers may not be acceptable for a short run in a critical listening application. So there are both objective (line loss and damping factor) and subjective components.

Speaker cable selection can get even more subjective in regards to 'sound quality', I believe this is greatly due to the fact that the load at the end of the cable, the speaker, while treated like a simple resistance in many equations is actually a very complex load, resulting in complex interactions with the cabling and amplifier. My perspective is that in most large scale sound systems the reality is that the environment and other considerations make many of these subjective 'sound quality' issues moot.

[FBCaudio]

as a sparky I'd like to Know where Cory gets 13 Awg wire
The reason for stranded wire is that at higher frequencies an AC (Freq=AC) signal's electrons are forced (essentially magnetically ) to travel down the surface of the conductor higher frequency= higher impedance. A multi-strand conductor has more surface area so the problem is mitigated

#12 stranded Cu should work fine for anything under a few hundred ft
but hey, if you have the $$$ go for it

Oxygen free usually refers to the individual conductor insulators (not the outer jacket)
if they say copper I say BS: the actual wire is made (pulled actually) in the same handful of factories worldwide

Our local music store uses #6 cab-tire (SJOW(300V) probably as 600V cable cost more)
Its a nearly half kM length he uses for the airshow & Canada Day etc
but that's very long outdoor runs

go to your electrical wholesaler or a hardware store for a #12 stranded cable. They are usually manufactured twisted.
And if you need shielding you may still get a better deal at an electrical wholesaler

My 2c

[waynehoskins]

The folks who make "speaker snake" cable (Whirlwind, Horizon/Rapco/VTG) et al often use No. 13 in their 4 and 8 conductor speaker cables. I don't know why; perhaps it's to reduce size and weight from No. 12 without dramatically impacting current-carrying capability.

[FBCaudio]

Originally Posted by waynehoskins

The folks who make "speaker snake" cable (Whirlwind, Horizon/Rapco/VTG) et al often use No. 13 in their 4 and 8 conductor speaker cables. I don't know why; perhaps it's to reduce size and weight from No. 12 without dramatically impacting current-carrying capability.

neat, I guess they use enough for the cost to not be outrageous

(odd size wire is not something I see very often in the smaller sizes)

[cmchamp]

I get mine from Rapco/Horizon/VTG. Good thing I'm a dealer ;=) (oops, did that come out of my fingers?)
C.

[tedanderson]

the actual wire is made (pulled actually) in the same handful of factories worldwide

One thing that I notice when comparing one brand/type of stranded #12AWG to another, sometimes one will seem to be softer and a bit more flexable as a result of more strands that are smaller in diameter. So is it safe to assume that having more strands makes for a better wire for speakers opposed to stranded electrical wire that is conventionally pulled through conduit in commercial buildings?

[FBCaudio]

Originally Posted by tedanderson

One thing that I notice when comparing one brand/type of stranded #12AWG to another, sometimes one will seem to be softer and a bit more flexable as a result of more strands that are smaller in diameter. So is it safe to assume that having more strands makes for a better wire for speakers opposed to stranded electrical wire that is conventionally pulled through conduit in commercial buildings?

Short answer is Yes: More strands=more surface area=better performance at Higher frequencies

If the price is the same or very close go for it (higher strand count)
you will have a cable that will likely last longer if moved around a lot


in most church settings I'm not sure that the difference would be quantifiable given attached equipment (and especially the room) in a permanent install


(but If you want to do some long math or scope the cables out be my guest

as for the kind I would pull through conduit, it has a fairly low strand count
(one you could count without going crazy) for pull strength/installation
The zip cord/lamp cord that was first mentioned will have a (much) higher strand count than it.