cleandan Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I am going to install wire in the wall of my movie room, ok, ok, it's my living room...but I watch movies there too. Anyway, I have been searching around and have found in-wall grade speaker wire to be quite expensive. I want to use code rated wire just incase I ever sell this house. I am wondering how 12 gauge romex would work as speaker wire. It is rated for in wall use and will certianly carry the load. I am not sure how it will work for good sound though. Let me know what you think. Also, if you have a name brand of rated wire let me know, I am open to suggestions. Thanks and have a great weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruinsrme Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Not being a cable expert I don't think Romex will be able to handle the higher frequencies ranges associated with audio. you can pick up a roll of 500ft in-wall grade monster 16 guage speaker on ebay, check out this auction; edited: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3007985716&category=14966 I look forward to hearing from other members. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 12 guage Romex should be fine for in wall speakers. As a matter of fact some audiophiles insist that solid wire (as would be foundin Romex cable) is preferable to stranded - Not suprisingly others say solid wire is horrible. Round and Round she Goes! Where she stops nobody knows (Well except for the guy running the booth ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEC Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I think romex would be fine. If you have any doubts. Hook up the required length of it between your amp and speakers and listen to it before you put it in the walls. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 bruinsrme I think you missed something in that e-bay listing: Convenient for home theatre systems and other out-of-wall hookups. That wire would not meet code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I'm not big on the high-end specialty cables craze. On the other hand Romex is just jive ol' solid copper wire with plenty of inpurities in it intended for non-critical higher current applications as you find in electric service in homes & other buildings. It's intended for building construction applications (I'm, an architect & quite frankly I would rather not spec Romex in my projects even for regular electric service, in some places/applications it doesn't even meet local building codes), & I certainly would not use it for audio. But hey, try it (before it goes in the wall)...you like it, so be it! Let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruinsrme Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 You are absolutely correct. Sorry about that..... Check out this auction http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3007985716&category=14966 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I believe solid wire will work quite well. I'm member of the "wire is wire" crowd. I can't speak to "code". Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 IMHO 12 gauge Romex would work just fine as a speaker cable. Solid and stranded wire with the same geometry pretty much work the same unless we are talking about Litz wire. I would not use Romex for in wall wiring because of the possibility of somebody confusing it with your household electrical wiring someday. PartsExpress has Carol 12 gauge architectural speaker cable for about $.18 a foot. It has the appropriate ratings to meet code. It is what I have in my walls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted February 15, 2003 Share Posted February 15, 2003 I don't see why it would not work. I personally would not do it, but that is me. One other thing to consider is that the copper in Romex is pretty hard, it work hardens and breaks fairly easy if bent over and over again. Might make it hard to re use or if you move your speakers. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triode Pete Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 My brother-in-law, who's a nut, used 14 gauge Romex on his Cornwalls. Sounded good. He's tried thermocouple wire & a bunch of other types of electronics wiring for speaker cable with so-so results. As long as you can work with the stiff Romex, it's not too malliable to work with. Audios, Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 romex? c'mon, romex? the onlt thing romex is good for is cheap house wiring. no shielding, no physical protection, does not meet code requirements. romex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 i am an electrician, and i know romex is as low as you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Marksdad, Is there an upgrade to Romex for regular house wiring? Kind of an "electrophile" alternative, something to use on a dedicated audio cicuit (with the hospital-grade receptacles)? It might invotve braided wires in conduit? I'm sure if you practiced your trade in Marin County, CA you'd be getting requests (I worked there as a carpenter). fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 While I disagree with some of the comments here about Romex I have to change my opinion about its suitabilty for in-wall use with speakers based on the comment above that it could be easily confused as an electrical circuit and the speakers would be seriously at risk - not to mention the potential shock or fire risk should that happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 well for good clean power, oversize your wire. for a 20 amp circuit run # 10 wire, make sure you have both waterpipe ground and earth ground, and if your panel is capable use gfci breakers, these are better than gfci receptacles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian deutsch Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I love romex! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Nobody's mentioned that fishing 12ga solid core copper is a straight-up PITA. [:@] Especially when you start wiring up a standard size gang box. Stranded wire is used for patch cables and interconnects for good reason, it won't take a set, even at large diameters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Taco Bell makes a mean Taco, but fishing them through the wall does work out so well, especially on a 8 year old thread. Seriously don't buy Romex, Italians are bad people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I Iooked for a reason to use ROMEX. The solid vs stranded argument was subjective. The cooper % content was inconclusive. The difficulty of using solid verses easy of using stranded was conceptually plausible. Then suddenly, a glimmer of hope for using ROMEX. ROMEX 4 conductor was suggested for very long runs (a couple hundred feet). But this would be for round ROMEX. I have seen flat ROMEX. So basically, you could use smaller gauge round ROMEX since when you pair them you double the effective gauge area, and the pairing approach reduces noise over long runs. The article is http://www.hps4000.com/pages/spksamps/speaker_wire.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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