Jump to content

Speaker Cable Guage & Material


Bubo

Recommended Posts

Like the golden Capacitor, the Golden Speaker Cable

Searched Speed of Light vs Speed of Electricity in Copper Cables

 

These are Coax discussions, but you can extrapolate to speaker wire

 

Q

If I arranged an experiment where light raced electricity what would be the results? Let's say a red laser is fired at the same time a switch is closed that applies 110 volts to a 12 gauge loop of copper wire with a meter at a distance of ten meters. Also, does the speed of the electricity depend on the voltage applied or the resistance of the conductor? For this test let's say the distance is ten meters through air. I'm not looking for an exact answer. An approximation is fine.

electricity speed-of-light electric-current speed conductors

 

A1

A standard demonstration is sending an electrical pulse into a cable a few hundred meters long. The incident and reflected pulses can be visualized on an oscilloscope, separated by about a microsecond, strongly dependent upon cable length, allowing one to determine the speed of signal propagation in the cable. – Smartybartfast

 

A2

The speed of electricity is conceptually the speed of the electromagnetic signal in the wire, which is somewhat similar to the concept of the speed of light in a transparent medium.

 

So it is normally lower, but not too much lower than the speed of light in the vacuum. The speed also depends on the cable construction. The cable geometry and the insulation both reduce the speed.

Good cables achieve 80% of the speed of light; excellent cables achieve 90%. The speed does not directly depend on the voltage or resistance. However, different frequencies have different attenuation. In your example, the very moment of switching on represents a high frequency front that will be attenuated. While at the input the voltage would increase very fast, at the output it would increase gradually, as if with a delay. It is not really a delay per se, because the initial low level signal would get there almost with the speed of light, but its amplitude would only gradually increase and reach the full voltage with a substantial delay that would depend on the cable and circuit impedance (mostly on the cable inductance). If you use a high speed coaxial cable (like a 3GHz satellite TV cable) instead of a wire, the delay would be much shorter (80-90% of the speed of light to the full voltage). Hope this helps.

 

https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/358894/speed-of-light-vs-speed-of-electricity

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0986/4308/files/Cable-Delay-FAQ.pdf

creative-push.jpg

 

What Is The Speed Of Electron In A Current Carrying Conductor?

The electron cannot win the race in vacuum, let alone inside a conductor. The electron cannot travel at the same speed as light for the simple reason that it has mass. Light is the fastest thing in the Universe because it’s massless; it carries with it no baggage and exhibits absolutely no inertia that hinders its motion.

https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/what-is-the-speed-of-electricity.html

electromegnetic-wave.jpg

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was happy with 16GA Lamp cord for 35 years

 

Then I discovered O free 12 GA speaker cables

and have to had some, pricey the one that I purchased.

 

Then for everything else, and there is a lot of other gear

I use my lamp cords, which still  sound  fine to me

 

For in wall or out of wall the Belden in wall twisted pair is

probably superior, but not sexy laying all over the floor.

 

I understand Coax, and can understand the advantages

I have run lots of RG6 for my FM Radio project

I wonder if they have banana plug terminators for RG6 ?

 

I am also happy with the old style wire clamp connectors

that were standard on all the high end gear in the 70s and 80s

How often do you unplug the speakers from the wires ?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I lied a little. I do use lamp cord with banana plugs with my budget system. My other two systems I use Sewell Silverback 12ga cables with bananas.

 My only experiment with semi-exotic speaker cable was years ago. I got some Tara Labs "Space and Time Phase II" cables. They use solid core Australian copper, the negative lead or "return" as they call it has an extra conductor in it and you're supposed to make sure you install them in the direction indicated by the arrows on the insulation jacket. I believe that have a patent on the design however they were discontinued years ago.

While they sounded good I couldn't hear a nickel's worth of difference between them and 16ga lamp wire. Good thing I got them at a steep discount. I still have them. I should put them up on eBay. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd love to use banana plugs with my 16ga. wire but the banana plugs I've found accommodate up to mondo-sized wire. Therefore not only does it look silly, that skinny cable entering that large hole, it doesn't feel that secure once I strip the wire and tighten the screws. I'd love to find banana plugs made to fit 16ga. wire at the largest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/17/2021 at 6:26 AM, Peter P. said:

I'd love to use banana plugs with my 16ga. wire but the banana plugs I've found accommodate up to mondo-sized wire. Therefore not only does it look silly, that skinny cable entering that large hole, it doesn't feel that secure once I strip the wire and tighten the screws. I'd love to find banana plugs made to fit 16ga. wire at the largest.

 

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=9436

 

nointerconnect.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

71H9JOjuXSL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

That's why I like these...they have 2 set screws.  You just have to have a small enough screwdriver to fit the opening so you can tighten them all the way down.  I have had these for years and never had an issue with one loosening up.... even on the set I use to test speakers... they are constantly plugged and un-plugged.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2021 at 12:14 AM, fmalloy said:

Can someone explain how to use these banana plugs? Everyone I've ever tried - I jam the wire in, tighten the screws, and the wire still falls out far too easily. Is there some trick?

Instructions start at the two minute mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdyJHm0mDSw&lc=Ugi4zSZWZEKBZ3gCoAEC&ab_channel=Monoprice

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, wetowne said:

This doesn't explain how to use the kind I have - with the two side screws, offset from each other. I jam in the wire, tighten the screws, and the wire falls back out way too easily. The screws don't have a good grip just smashing the wires against the wall. Pretty bad design.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...