Best cables for RP 260F?

[AlexSami]

Hello everyone,

 

I am a new proud owner of a pair of RP 260F's.

 

I was looking at the Klipsch wires and noticed they are 17Gauge.

 

What are the best cables for these speakers? Other than Klipsch. And what are the best banana plugs?

 

 

[willland]

AlexSami,

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

You can't go wrong here.  I think they are 14 gauge but call to confirm.

 

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ethempswp4/ethereal-em-series-speaker-wire-terminated-with-banana-plugs-pair-13-ft/1.html

 

 

 

 

Bill

 

 

 

 

[mesch]

I plan on buying a pair of RP-160Ms. I will use Audioquest Type 4 cables. Often come up on E-bay for discount, or could be bought new from Audio Advisor.  

[Islander]

It's hard to go wrong with Karma Kable from Knukonceptz.  It's very fine-stranded copper, tin-coated for corrosion resistance, in a twisted-pair configuration that rejects interference, wrapped in an outer sheath for extra protection.  And it's not expensive.  This model is called SS for its colour:  Smoke and Silver.  It used to come in Blue and Silver.

 

I recommend 12 gauge as a minimum for speaker cable.  Along with lower resistance, the larger cables also minimize the drop in amplifier damping factor, allowing the amp to better control the speakers' drivers.

 

http://www.knukonceptz.com/home-theater/speaker-wire/karma-ss-speaker-kable/

 

[wvu80]

The one spec you should look for is OFC, meaning Oxygen Free Copper.  Do not buy the cheaper CCA, or Copper Clad Aluminum.

http://knowledge.sonicelectronix.com/car-audio-and-video/accessories-and-installation/oxygen-free-copper-wiring-advantages/

 

If it doesn't brag in the ad that it is OFC, then assume it is not.

 

Other than that, everybody else above ^^^ gave good specific suggestions.  The Knu wire is a solid "can't go wrong" choice.

 

The last wire I bought was 100 feet  of 12 AWG, OFC, lots of little strands from Monoprice.  Most of the hard core guys here use 12, the smallest I would go is 16, and 14 AWG is plenty.

 

Are you going to use banana plugs?  If so, get some recommendations from the guys here, as well.

[Islander]

5 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

The one spec you should look for is OFC, meaning Oxygen Free Copper.  Do not buy the cheaper CCA, or Copper Clad Aluminum.

http://knowledge.sonicelectronix.com/car-audio-and-video/accessories-and-installation/oxygen-free-copper-wiring-advantages/

 

If it doesn't brag in the ad that it is OFC, then assume it is not.

 

Other than that, everybody else above ^^^ gave good specific suggestions.  The Knu wire is a solid "can't go wrong" choice.

 

The last wire I bought was 100 feet  of 12 AWG, OFC, lots of little strands from Monoprice.  Most of the hard core guys here use 12, the smallest I would go is 16, and 14 AWG is plenty.

 

Are you going to use banana plugs?  If so, get some recommendations from the guys here, as well.

 

If you're using 16 gauge speaker wire, I'd suggest you give 12 gauge wire a try.  Going up or down a couple of sizes usually produces a change that anyone can hear, especially on loud transient sounds like drumbeats or handclaps.  For the little extra it costs, the larger wire lets you sit and listen happily while knowing you didn't overlook even minor parts of your system in your quest for great sound.

 

The Karma Kable is made of oxygen free copper.

[wvu80]

1 hour ago, Islander said:

If you're using 16 gauge speaker wire, I'd suggest you give 12 gauge wire a try. 

 

Mr. Islander is correct of course.  Good suggestion.

 

I think I was being a bit too wishy-washy. 

[derrickdj1]

12 g is a good wire to use.  I've be converting over to 12 g  this past year.  14 is OK for surrounds  as long as the distace is less than 25 ft.

[Islander]

For banana plugs, I prefer BFA (British Federation of Audio) style.  These are the split-cylinder style.  Their main advantage over the traditionally-shaped banana plugs is their larger contact surface, since the old-style plugs make contact only at the middle of the fattest section.  The BFA bananas have no spring action, but still stay plugged in very well.

 

I've used two brands in my system:  Knukonceptz and Audioquest.  The Knukonceptz BFA bananas are cheaper, but are more cheaply made and sometimes are difficult to work with.  The Audioquest bananas seem to be around $39 for a set of four, but there may be lower prices out there.  They're easy to work with and claim to have a better type of plating.  Beware of very low-priced banana plugs or cables from the Far East at very low prices, as they may be counterfeits and not actual Audioquest merchandise.

 

Here's one source for Audioquest:  https://www.musicdirect.com/store/audioquest-suregrip-connectors-set-of-4

 

 

The newest Knukonceptz BFA bananas look a bit different from the ones I was working with yesterday, and the price is certainly hard to beat:

 

http://www.knukonceptz.com/home-theater/connectors/sp/eks-bfa-banana-plugs-set-of-4/

 

[AlexSami]

Thank-you all for your input