NEEDING ADVICE ON OPTIMAL SPEAKER WIRE TO BUY FOR HOME THEATER HOOK-UP

[FMI]

I'm currently hooking up my home theater and need advise on the best speaker wire to optimize my system. Listed below is what I'm using-

Receiver = OnkyoTX-SR 606

2 Towers = Klipsch WF-35

Center Channel = Klipsch WC-24

2 Surround Speakers = Klipsch B-2

Center Rear Surround = Klipsch VC-25

Sub = Klipsch Sub-10

I am using all Monster -QuickLock Gold Banana Connector. I have about a half of a spool of Monster XP NW Compact Precision Standard High Resolution Speaker Cable with Magnetic Flux Tube & LPE Dialectric. I am not sure what AWG it is. Is this sufficient or should I invest in a different speaker wire? Please advise!

Respect~

[Coytee]

What kind of length?

You're not going to like my predisposition so rather than try to specifically answer your question, I'll simply tell you what I did.

I went to Home Depot, bought a 100' roll of their outdoor low voltage 12g wiring made by Carol Cable.

I had previously strung some monster crap through my walls and recently discovered the monster wire had turned VERY gummy/sticky on the outer sheathing and the wire itself, looked like it was rotting in different splotches down its length.

In other words, out of the 45 foot length, I might have 3 feet of green/gummy looking wire, 10' of clean wire....another foot of gummy wire, 5 feet of good wire 4 feet of gummy/green wire.... all the same strand of wire with these different areas looking terrible.

I happily cut it out and simply tossed it into the trash.

[Groomlakearea51]

"Compact Precision Standard High Resolution Speaker Cable with Magnetic Flux Tube & LPE Dialectric" could be scary....

And another emi-annual speaker wire thread!!! LOLOL!!!

Before buying wire, one should know what the wire does (or does not) do... Here's Roger Russell's take. Russell was the former chief engineer for.... McIntosh Labs.....

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

As for me? I use Dayton Pro-Audio commercial 12 or 13 guage wire for speakers, and for internal wiring between drivers and crossovers when I rebuild a pair for someone. Good price, excellent quality, designed for long run pro applications, heavy duty flexible outer cover, etc., etc. If bought in a 30M (100 feet) roll it's about $0.61 a foot.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=100-481

[FMI]

First, thank you for responding so quickly. To give you a brief overview of how it is going to be set up are the two towers on opposite ends of my BDI entertainment system (ruffly 10' appart {5' from the receiver}, the center channel is 2' from receive, and the sub is in the corner approximately 6' from receiver. The problem area is the surround speakers, like you I am trying to sleathly conceal the wires in the wall/ ceiling. The total length for each cable from receiver to each surround speaker taking into consideration the added length from running throught the walls/ ceiling is 15'-20' of cable from receiver to each surround speaker. I was concerned the added length would require a heavier duty cable/ larger gauge. Are you happy with the cable you purchased from Home Depot. Do you notice any distortion, or sense a loss of quality in the sound? I have purchased my system a piece at a time and I don't want to go the cheaper route and get the wrong cable that will not allow my system to perform at its optimum level. I am actually considering purchasing an Onkyo TX_SR 608 and using my 606 in another room. Do you feel that is a smart purchase or will I even notice the difference? Again, thank you in advance for you all of your insight!

Much Respect~

[FMI]

Thanks for the informative links; It appears that I will have to do a little more research. Thank you for taking the time to reply and sharing your knowledge!

Respect~

[jamesV]

Since you are talking about running the wire inside the wall take a look at MonoPrice, would be worth it to pick up the CL2 rated wire and for $25 for 100 feet that is a great price. I have MonoPrice 12awg wire running three of my systems and I haven't had any problems with it, now the one I have is the regular one.

As for the receiver choices, is there something missing in the 606 that you want to upgrade to the 608? I looked and neither has pre-outs for an external amp down the road if you wanted to go that route.

James

[garyrc]

For very long runs you want low resistance and low capacitance. You also want durable wire and wire insulation and dry interior of the walls. Beyond that, much of the talk about wire may be of the naked Emperor soaked in snake oil variety.

The Russell (McIntosh) article cited in another post is pretty good.

There was a classic study (was it by someone with a name like Greenhill or Greenberg?) that compared "open" listening (listening while knowing what wire was being used) to "blind" listening (not knowing), Several famous speaker wires, all fairly low resistance and capacitance, plus some very thin, presumably higher resistance and cheap Radio Shack "speaker wire" meant to pass easily through walls, were used. People could "hear" differences, and had all kinds of preferences when they knew which wires were being used, but this almost all disappeared when they were blind to which wire was playing. I said "almost all" because some people could still tell when the thin Radio Shack wire was playing, but they didn't invariably prefer other wires over it!

[InVeNtOr]

Go with Monoprice wire CL2 rated. Just bought a bunch, good stuff. Go all 12awg. Just for your knowledge Monoprice is 4N (99.99%) purity. Hard to beat that at. 25 a ft. It was independently tested without their knowledge.

[bigrfish]

I use the MonoPrice wire referenced....got 100 ft of the #12 for what 20 ft of a thinner wire NOT Oxygen-free would have cost at Radio Shack. For years I used simple lamp cord, but the last spool of it I got (about 10 years ago) has developed some corroded (obviously oxidized, can see little green patches through the clear insulation) places and the insulation has become dry and brittle. I cannot imagine that happening with the MP 12ga...it appears to be industrial-grade goods, and the feel of the insulation is as if it has something like silastic (silicone and plastic mixed) material for insulation. The wire is also clearly marked as to polarity..good show. Thanks to somebody on this forum for teaching me about MonoPrice cables. What a blessing....great stuff at even better prices. With this hobby we need all the help we can get...but I'm not complaining...as the benefits are outstanding...

[bigrfish]

Let me follow that by saying that I have read after several of what I would term "wire snobs" who seem to be really out there with their opinions about wires, to the extent that some will even spend over $100 for a power cord for a headphone amplifier. THAT I do not understand, as we have not yet entered any state of alternative reality that I am aware of and the laws of physics have not been changed. We're moving electrons, people.

If you are going to spend money, spend it on speakers...to very loosely paraphrase Mr.Dr. Klipsch.

[garyrc]

Let me follow that by saying that I have read after several of what I would term "wire snobs" who seem to be really out there with their opinions about wires, to the extent that some will even spend over $100 for a power cord for a headphone amplifier. THAT I do not understand, as we have not yet entered any state of alternative reality that I am aware of and the laws of physics have not been changed. We're moving electrons, people.

If you are going to spend money, spend it on speakers...to very loosely paraphrase Mr.Dr. Klipsch.

Agreed. Does anyone seriously doubt that wire is the least important component in a sound system? IMO, speakers are the most critical, then phono pickups & arms (if you use them), then CDs/SACDs themselves, then CD/SACD players, then amps/pre-amps/receivers, etc. Also much more important than wire are: the listening room, its proportions, the position of the listeners, the diffusion/absorbtion, etc. .

[InVeNtOr]

i wouldn't agree with that last statement. i don't know where "wire" fits in, but it is important. you also have to take into account what system do you have. in a HT system, yeah, it's not as critical. in a 2 ch system, I'd say it's very important. it also helps jell the synergy in your entire system. speaker wire can change the color of the final sound, and depending the color of your equipment, it can make it sound great or bad. i have changed out different types of wire and have hear a difference in my HT system running as a 2 ch. do i think you need to spend hundreds on it, no, you can get the same effect for much lower. you have to look at the conductor quality, if it's plated or tinned, type of insulation, how much insulation, and what type of terminating ends, or if it even has any terminated ends. of of the cables out there are very close to each other. it takes a well set up 2ch to hear the difference.

right now i like the monoprice CL speaker wire. the reason is simple. it's 4N, i take the extra jacket off (to eliminate any extra dampening), and the insulation is really nice. it doesn't leave a residue on the copper wire, and doesn't promote corrosion. the monster wire in the Reference series (RF-7's and below) has they type of insulation. i just pulled all mine out. all of it was either green, black, or gummy. i used the monoprice wire in my new power cables, speaker cables, and all internal wire for my front 3 speakers (part of the crossover mod i am doing).

again i don't know what "optimal" speaker wire would be, but i know i can afford monoprice.

[garyrc]

i wouldn't agree with that last statement. i don't know where "wire" fits in, but it is important.

It's possible that it is both important
and, comparatively speaking, the least important
component, particularly when compared to the importance of the
listening room. []

I have no doubt (well, very little
doubt) that we can hear the difference between the "good" wires as a
group, and the ultra thin gauge "speaker wire" that Radio Shack used to
sell (still sells?) to run through walls and attics, particularly with
long runs. I think there may be an audible difference
between the three varieties of "good" speaker wire I have used in my
set-ups. But, the best sound I ever had was in a large
and acoustically wonderful room with a 2 channel tube set up fed by
about 30 feet (per channel) of non-descript thick cable -- not "speaker
cable" -- retrieved from a dumpster about 32 years ago. Its stranded
copper was probably about 12 gauge. It may have been of much higher
capacitance than the "good" speaker wire of today.

I engage in
what seems like cautious behavior (but it may be partly superstitious)
by
using wire with a good reputation (but moderately priced) making sure
that the length of the wires feeding the speakers are equal, not running
the wire in areas where it will be subject to environmental or
electromagnetic abuse, etc., but I have no evidence that any or this
makes an audible difference. A seemingly universal question that needs
to be asked in "What operations would I have to perform to validly and reliably establish
that there is an audible difference (to my ears, or the ears of
family or guests)? To me the answer would be double blind studies (in
my listening room, with my equipment) done both of the preferred ways:
a) Instantaneous comparisons (which may suffer because our perceptual
apparatus may behave differently when in "Judgement Mode." &
long term, but blind, listening under each condition, in a normal
(relaxed) state, with the music washing over me. Neither of these is
about to happen, so I make the guesses and bets described above. When
there are huge differences between components and
their strengths and weaknesses, as there are with speakers, rooms,
listening chair locations, and the like, I can say with confidence that,
for me, the differences are real and substantial, although they may
show up more with some program material. When the differences are as
subtle as they are with wire, and the set up is not blind, and I know
the reputation of the wire, and I know what I paid for it, I can't be
sure it is the wire itself that is making the difference.

[BigCliff]

Go with Monoprice, can not beat their price and it works just fine. I would go with the 12AWG wire.

[Mallette]

100% copper. Accept no substitutes.

Dave

[Boxx]

Oxygen Free Copper w/silver soldered tinned leads

[tinpan]

I am using Monoprice 12 GA wire for my HT set up. I used to be of the opinion that any decent wire would work, however, recently I have changed my mind. I have a couple low power tube amps and I did notice a huge difference when I went with Anti Cable speaker wires and interconnects.

This observation has me re-thinking a few things

Tinpan