Speaker wire for HT system

[mbr311]

Just wanted your guys' advice since you have all been so helpful. Right now I am using 16 guage wire to run to all my speakers. I know speaker wire does make a bit of a difference so I was thinking about changing the wire I have to my mains and center channel to this:

http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KAR10SS

This wire if $1.09 a foot and since my speakers are so close to my receiver it shouuldn't cost too much money. The only thiing I'm confused about is that it doesn't say taht it's a "bi-wire speaker wire" like this one:

http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KAR124SS

So do I need a "bi-speaker wire" or is the first one okay? Then another few questions.

Subwoofer cable: http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=eKs-SW2

Is that worth it, or is there not a big differene in subwoofer cables?

Also last but not least, since I'll need 100 feet at least of speaker wire for my surrounds I am just going to go to Radio Shack and get this:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049736

So if you guys could give me any feedback about my wiring choices I would as always be indebeted. thanks!

Mark

[jrod]

Good quality, inexpensive cable.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10239

You don't need bi-wiring cables. I run 12 guage all around, but I've heard anything from 12-16 is just fine.

[Youthman]

Jrod is correct Mark. You do not need to spend tons of money on speaker wire.

I personally would get either 12 or 14 gauge speaker wire from Monoprice. Get a 100ft of 12 gauge wire for $2.00 more than you are paying at Radio Shack but getting a lot thicker wire. The main purpose for thick wire is for long runs. The longer the run, the thicker the wire you need so by going thinner for your surrounds is not the best thing to do. It's just the opposite.

There are several gauge charts out there that will give you advice on max lengths for each gauge wire. Here is one I found. Link

Subwoofer cable, I'd buy from Monoprice as well. Does a 15ft sub cable for $5.00 fit in the budget? Here are the rest of their selection of sub cables.

[Cal Blacksmith]

My advice for speaker wire is to go to the local big box store and buy 14 gauge zip cord or speaker wire. Others say they hear a difference but I sure can't and I have tried lots of different wires. If you don't hear the difference, why pay $$$$$$$$$$$$$ for wire?

Monoprice.com is a great source and I have bought from them many times.

I also don't beleive in biwire, there is no point to it.I sure can't hear any difference and electricaly it makes no logic. If you run an active crossover before the amps and biamp then run a seprate wire from each amp, you MAY hear a difference but to just run two sets of wires from the same amp, to me is hokeum but if you hear a difference, well go right ahead, and more power to you.

[InVeNtOr]

let me put your mind at ease. first off, wire is not wire. there are differences out there. some of those differences you can hear, some you can't. now if you are partly deaf, then buy anything. if, however you can actually still hear the birds chirping in the morning, i strongly suggest Monoprice 12awg wire. the reason is simple, they use 4N copper (99.99%). i like knukonceptz a lot, i used it to redo my crossovers in my KSF 10.5's. they now use 4N copper, so the price difference is all in the name. now they do offer more strands, which means better flexibility. if you need something very flexible, then go with them. also their SS cables are very hard to terminate, the outer jacket is very thick in some areas and thin in others. if you are not very very very careful, you will cut down to the center conductors.

the only odd ball suggestion i would say is, if you go with Monoprice, i would take the outer jacket off. maybe even put a few more twists in the speaker cable too.

if you can find anyone selling 5N copper, and it's under $2 a foot, let me know. it gets exponentially expensive as you increase the purity. the stuff at home depot/ lowes, is all 3N (THHN solid core). yes i am a wire freak and contacted them.

[smokarz]

i just bought a 100ft roll 12 gauge wire from monoprice to run the the speakers in my "future" movie room down in the basement.

i haven't hook them up yet, but i can tell they are thick and heavy. really good quality. i would pay a penny more for anything else.

[Guest davidness]

Also last but not least, since I'll need 100 feet at least of speaker wire for my surrounds I am just going to go to Radio Shack and get this

I recently ran cable for my rears/surrounds. I went up through the wall, over the ceiling, and down inside the back wall. I termininated into an 8-post banana jack wall plate. By using 4-conductor, I ran 2 runs, one for my rears, one for my surrounds.

I didn't know exactly what length I'd need, so I ordered the 250 foot roll. I used about half, and will soon be looking to sell the remaining half. Check this out here:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=4038

I like the quality, and now I know I'm 'up-to-code' for my in-wall/ceiling cabling.

[Cal Blacksmith]

let me put your mind at ease. first off, wire is not wire. there are differences out there. some of those differences you can hear, some you can't. now if you are partly deaf, then buy anything. if, however you can actually still hear the birds chirping in the morning, i strongly suggest Monoprice 12awg wire. the reason is simple, they use 4N copper (99.99%). i like knukonceptz a lot, i used it to redo my crossovers in my KSF 10.5's. they now use 4N copper, so the price difference is all in the name. now they do offer more strands, which means better flexibility. if you need something very flexible, then go with them. also their SS cables are very hard to terminate, the outer jacket is very thick in some areas and thin in others. if you are not very very very careful, you will cut down to the center conductors.

the only odd ball suggestion i would say is, if you go with Monoprice, i would take the outer jacket off. maybe even put a few more twists in the speaker cable too.

if you can find anyone selling 5N copper, and it's under $2 a foot, let me know. it gets exponentially expensive as you increase the purity. the stuff at home depot/ lowes, is all 3N (THHN solid core). yes i am a wire freak and contacted them.

Well I guess I am totaly deaf as I have had O2 free wire, regular wire, High Tek wire, all in sizes from 16 to 8 gauge and honestly, I can't tell the difference. So chalk one up for tin ears I guess.

As to ALL the wire at BB stores being THHN solid core, BULL PUCKIES They sell wire with many insulations, flex and solid (I never said to use solid wire did I, I said to use ZIP CORD or SPEAKER WIRE, both of which are NOT THHN solid core wire.

As to purity, again I say bull puckies, electrons are electrons and they don't know the difference between Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zink, Wood, Glass or Plastic, an electron is an electron. Some materials conduct electrons better than other materials and over a very long distance you MAY get some different kind of sound using ultra pure copper vs lead wire (how many here would say that the lead wire would have a "heavier sound" ? I wonder) but in the short runs we see in our HTs, typicaly under 40 feet, you may (but I have never EVER ) hear a difference.... but I doubt it.

Chalk one up for lead ears, they let you buy reasonable priced items and enjoy them. Yes I can tell the difference between the amp in my HT and the amp in my 2ch rig, but that is due to the coloration that each amp imparts to the sound through the design of the circuits, wire causing a difference..... I don't hear it.

[Coytee]

Please disregard Mr. Lead Ears above! I'll tell you what I did.

I yanked out some Monster cable that had "rotted" (for lack of better term) down the length of it. I replaced it with some 12g Carol Cable low voltage outdoor wire.

hmm.... wait up for me Cal.... looks like I get to join you in the Lead Ears club!! [H] Can I be vice president?

Even if you can find wires that are resistive or capacitive..... why would you seek them out to alter your sound over a simple equalizer where you can at least, have some consistent control over the sound changes?

I know for some, they simply enjoy the process of tinkering, tweeking, replacing.... I guess I'm more of a plug & play type. Once I set things up, I'd generally prefer to leave them alone.

I DO have an idea for a new invention....

We've all seen the uber expensive power cords that might go from the wall to your equipment. Not only does this ignore the feet (miles?) of pedestrian wire from the power company to your outlet....but.... what about the circuit breaker?

Here's my idea.... we should come up with an audiophile grade circuit breaker. It could be gold plated...it could be cryo'ed. I would have to wonder, if the last 4 feet of power cord is that important, wouldn't the contacts between the power company and your home wiring be just as important??

[mbr311]

Just went to Monoprice.com using the link you gave me and got 12AWG CL2 Rated 2-Conductor Loud Speaker Cable - 100ft in white for $33.35. Why did you say it was $100 Youthman?

Link:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=2817&seq=1&format=2

Thanks and let me know if I messed up, I went straight to the link you gave me and it was only $33.55 with shipping for 100 feet, don't know where you saw the $100 from. Maybe it was a typo and you meant 100 ft? Edit: Yea got 250 feet, that way I can also use the extra for my mains and center and I would feel like an idiot if I ended up short on the surrounds and had to re-order. $74 total not bad for 250 feet. Thanks guys!

[Rich_Guy]

Maybe it was a typo and you meant 100 ft?

I believe that what what he meant 100 ft.

[Cal Blacksmith]

No Mark, you did not mess up. It is hard indeed to go wrong with Monoprice.com. As they are just around the corner for me, only about 30 miles, I have been there several times and anything I have ever bought from them has been high quality and reasonably priced.

The point I was trying to make was that, at least to me, the 14 ga wire at HD, L etc for $0.39 / ft sounds as good to me as any of the expensive wire I have heard, there is really no point in my mind to spend tons of money on something that won't make much IF ANY difference Just my two cents for what they are worth.

[Cal Blacksmith]

Please disregard Mr. Lead Ears above! I'll tell you what I did.

I yanked out some Monster cable that had "rotted" (for lack of better term) down the length of it. I replaced it with some 12g Carol Cable low voltage outdoor wire.

hmm.... wait up for me Cal.... looks like I get to join you in the Lead Ears club!! Can I be vice president?

Even if you can find wires that are resistive or capacitive..... why would you seek them out to alter your sound over a simple equalizer where you can at least, have some consistent control over the sound changes?

I know for some, they simply enjoy the process of tinkering, tweeking, replacing.... I guess I'm more of a plug & play type. Once I set things up, I'd generally prefer to leave them alone.

I DO have an idea for a new invention....

We've all seen the uber expensive power cords that might go from the wall to your equipment. Not only does this ignore the feet (miles?) of pedestrian wire from the power company to your outlet....but.... what about the circuit breaker?

Here's my idea.... we should come up with an audiophile grade circuit breaker. It could be gold plated...it could be cryo'ed. I would have to wonder, if the last 4 feet of power cord is that important, wouldn't the contacts between the power company and your home wiring be just as important??

LOL, we are two of a kind. I indeed like to just set it up, get it right and leave it alone!

There is an opening for President in the lead ears club as I have been there so long, I feel it is time for someone else to see if they can do a better job than I did, I will supply OJT for any interested parties[]

EDIT:

You work on the UBERBREAKER and I will see if I can get a
deal from China on a large run of Audiophool wire to connect your house
to the power pole, why stop at the breaker when improving the quality
of the power? We could make a filter and surge protector to mount on the
power pole to purify the feed. However that still leaves all that
garbage wire between the power pole and the generation station, their
breakers, insulators, conduits, generators....... I see a BIG market
here, I wonder why no one else has filled this need?[6]

[Rich_Guy]

If you are not using Nordost Odin cables you simply are not hearing your system as it should sound! []

http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ultimate-gear/nordost_odin_cables

[mbr311]

Well I'm definitely going to go with Monoprice, it's good to know that 14 guage is perfectly acceptable that should help with the pricing as well. The problem I'm running into is how many feet do I need lol. I can measure obviously, but I don't know if we're going to try to drill through the wall to hide the wires which would necessite me needing more wire. I dunno darnit I guess I'll get 100 feet and hope it works and if it doesn't, just re-order another 100 ft. The price difference between 100ft and 250ft is pretty substantial.

[mbr311]

Do people seriously spend that much money on speaker wires and cables (Nordost Odin)? Those things are as much as an f'ing car!!!!! Holy sh*t never seen anything like that before. lol

[smokarz]

Do people seriously spend that much money on speaker wires and cables (Nordost Odin)? Those things are as much as an f'ing car!!!!! Holy sh*t never seen anything like that before. lol

unless my gears worth millions of dollars, they are as good as my $15 monoprice cable.lol

[Zaskar]

if the last 4 feet of power cord is that important, wouldn't the contacts between the power company and your home wiring be just as important??

Good point...lol

[Zaskar]

Do people seriously spend that much money on speaker wires and cables (Nordost Odin)? Those things are as much as an f'ing car!!!!! Holy sh*t never seen anything like that before. lol

Yes, this guy says he spent 500 bucks on "speaker cable" SMH !! http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/133526.aspx

[Youthman]

Why did you say it was $100 Youthman?

Simple typo. I corrected my original post. []

You will be pleased with the quality of cables from Monoprice. I have a 40ft HDMI cable that was probably $60.00. Absolutely incredible value for that length of HDMI cable.