Wire for inside the cabinet

[mowntnbkr]

I am looking at finally making some cornscala's and was wondering what wire and where you purchase it for the internals?

[juniper8]

I am looking at finally making some cornscala's and was wondering what wire and where you purchase it for the internals?

I would use Vampire wire that is continuous cast copper wire that was devoloped for the Japanese superconductor program. It is inexpensive and I have heard that many high end speaker lines use it. Michael Percy audio caries it.

[colterphoto1]

I use wire, the electrons don't really care that much. Klipsch has used 18 gauge for most of their internals for years. Heritage speakers used a pretty common lamp-cord type.

[Brac]

But Michael, Vampire Wire sounds really Cool and Hip. (the name anyway, I've never listened to a piece of wire)

[RagingBullWinkle]

I listened to a coat hanger once.[8-|]

[ZAKO]

I use razer wire,,It gives a sharper sound..

[juniper8]

Kinda cool like your dog! Bet you have a big truck too! Wait are you hanging out in your "man cave"

[moray james]

mowntnbkr

why not try some heavier gage wire it can't do anything but good.

Different people different opinions. That's normal so why scoff at ideas which don't match yours. lt's a mild form of bully behaviour and it does not make the recepient feel very good (that's the intention). Nothing wrong with different opinions but lets not resort to mean spirited stuff. This is a special site it's one of the good places on the net with great members lets keep it that way. If I have over reacted then I appologize but this kind of stuff happens slowly and often under the guise of "just having a little fun". People should be free to express their ideas and not be afraid they will be singled out for doing so.Thank you, best regards Moray James.

[ZAKO]

Its the moral police,,Hang him with his own wire...

[moray james]

It's always easier to see something like this as insignificant when you are not on the receiving end of the negative comments. But if you respect people you don't treat them in a way that makes them feel bad or small, that is just good manners.

Colter made a comment and stated his opinion which differed but he did not have to belittle anyone in doing so. It's not a lot to ask and it opens the door for discussion rather than someone feeling defensive and snapping back which opens the door to escalation. I don't like being treated the way the poster here was and I doubt that he does either and I expect you don't either. So people need to tell others when they feel they have been steped upon and you and I have to do the same when we see it. It's not nice and this is a nice place. Who else is there to keep it that way if we don't? Best regards Moray James.

[WMcD]

M.J. has made a good point. People make some entertaining remarks, but the remarks don't help the fellow asking the question.

I'm with Michael. PWK used 18 AWG or so. PWK pointed out (words to effect of) that people who think heavier gauge (lower AWG number) is better will be diappointed to learn that much if not all wire in the circuit is much thinner (higher AWG number). The voice coils in particular are wound with very thin wire and the winding are make of -- I'll guess -- 100 feet -- lengths or more of the given thin wire. The same is generally true of the inductors in the crossover.

I'll add that all connections within an amp are generally using something of a size like 18 gauge. If you have output transformers it is the same story as voice coils.

The place were thick wire can make sense is if you have very long runs between the amp and the speaker. But the one or two feet or so of wire making internal connections are not going to make a difference.

There is a downside. I once started using 12 gauge stranded for internal connections. The thought was that it couldn't hurt. But in a way it did. Soldering is difficult and the stuff is heavy and inflexible. I feared mechanical damage to the terminals on the drivers.

I can appreciate that everyone here wants to make their brain child as perfect as possible. But like I always say, "You are not making things better by solving a problem which does not exist." There is no problem with 18 gauge.

Therefore, just use 18 AWG.

Now, maybe the issue is something which will keep you up at night, worrying. If so, 16 AWG is okay too. If you have nightmares, maybe 14 gauge will stop them. (Now I am kidding you. Smile.)

Wm McD

[bigrfish]

I looked at lots of alternatives (not the truth, I just used what I had in the closet) and chose carol cable lamp cord from Home Depot with oxidation spots showing through the clear but yellowed insulation for the guts of my CornScala's. I eventually ordered a roll of 12 ga special insulated wires just for speakers from MonoPrice. I have not rewired the inside of the cabinets yet, but did make a heck of a set of leads for my Tannoy C6 nearfield monitors. 100ft of 12ga at MonoPrice was cheaper than 20 ft of 18ga at Radio Shack....but in fairness to the shack I had to get this inferior kind of wire with no oxygen in it...hope it does not degrade the performance conductance of the speaker wires if and when I hook them up between two somethings. The Tannoys sound great, but they sounded great with the rusted wires too.

[mowntnbkr]

Thanks for the input,

J.M. I appreciate what you said, I feel the same way. That being said, I am the youngest of 11 so am pretty thick skinned. I could make some comments, but feel it serves no purpose. BigrFish, I have two pair of Tannoy's, DMT 15's and DMT 12's and absolutely love them, the imaging I feel is second to none. I go back and forth between them my CW's and RF 83's. As it is right now I prefer the Tannoys over the CW's,but that could be because the CW's are 38 years old and still running stock crossovers.

[ZAKO]

The last 20 inch,s of lamp coard guage wire will not make any audible difference it would take several yards,,,The toungue in cheek jokes should give you a hint of OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE BEHAVIER, to those lacking humor,,,And JM Pontificating is a good example,,,

[moray james]

Joking and bad behaviour are different. This would only be an issue for those with oppositional defiant disorder. The sermon is over. Best regards Moray James.

[Guest " "]

16 gauge is about as tight of a fit that you could get into the terminal spades that screw into the crossover board screws. slip on terminal spades instead of soldering. tie wraps as stress reliefs for fragile connections such as k-77 tweets. btw, a drop of super glue into the cardboard terminal insulator of tweeters does a real good job of preventing the connections from moving. watch the polarity and color coding. double btw, klipsch used 300 strand heavy gauge monster wire looking stuff in their AK-2 and AK-3 xovers wires probably 12 or 10 gauge and even used platinum coated wires and wire hardware in the 60th anniversary klipschorns. SO if you got what it takes to show some bling, go for it. In the picture below, the red wires is 16 gauge, the copper with clear insulation is 12 gauge.

[Brac]

OK, I'll be the bigger man, Vampire wire, I'm sorry you have a funny name.