how to run speaker wire

[LesHalles]

I have read it is better to use ceramic electrical insulators (isolators)and keep speaker wire something like 4" away from any material, to avoid electical effects.

To do that, I have to send the wire up to the ceiling, across the room, and down to the speaker. It's pretty easy to do and keeps the wire off the floor, although it will look strange. This is a 6 speaker HT system.

However, it adds 50% more length to the cables, some of which are already long (9 meters).

The question is whether the extra length will degrade the signal more than just laying the cable on the wood floor.

thanks,

LesHalles

[mike stehr]

Are far as audible degrading of the wire?

I don't think that you would even notice signal

differences being on the floor or wall.

As long as you keep the wires from other sources

of electrical interference.

I would be more concerned of the added length

of the cables than electrical interference.

THANX!

[WMcD]

I've never heard of this four inch stand off theory. Maybe it comes out of the use of open wire transmission line for radio transmission. Here, it makes no sense technically for audio frequencies at speaker levels.

To my way of thinking, you and Mike S. have identified a bigger potential problem. That is getting to be a long run. May I suggest 16 gauge zip cord from Home Depot. That should do well. For my taste, white works better in the living room than black. Your choice of course.

Even if feel compelled to try the super wire deal, please try the zip cord first. The price is right, particularly if you buy a small reel which is even cheaper than by the foot.

Gil

[Malcolm]

Those ceramic insulators aren't going to help at all.

I'd use 12 gauge wire for a long run. Should be good for at least 50 feet.

[Ray Garrison]

For dissenting points of view, check out:

http://www.audionut.com/pk4/store.pl?section=6

and

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/tweaks/doublehelixcable_manual.html

the mapleshade site in particular is interesting, as they sell cables, but not the little widgets to keep the cables up off the floor, which they recommend.

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Music is art

Audio is engineering

Ray's Music System

[LesHalles]

OK, thanks for the advice. I am giving up on the ceramic isolator idea. It would make my apartment look like a telephone pole anyway.

A related question is that I have an extra decent stereo amp lying around. I have one set of speakers in a second room. Is it better to send the line-level signal over decent interconnects to other room and use the amp with very short speaker cables, or use long speaker cables and use the main receiver's B speaker outputs?

These speakers have subwoofers with power amps built in, so I could also split the line-level signal at the amp into those subwoofers. (I also don't know if the subwoofers have a low-pass filter built in. I could also pipe the main receiver subwoofer line out to the other room, which is already filtered, but that would add 50% to the interconnect cost.)

[RossVTaylor]

One of the sources for the ceramic stand-offs that Ray linked to (audionut) is here in town. I went in there and the owner was and *extremely* pleasant and knowledgable fellow. All of his system's speaker wires were on these ceramic supports that looked like something off of an old telephone pole. Meanwhile, all of the source components were on little metal cup-and-ball-bearing low-friction glides, and they each had a thick slab of marble butcher block on top. Some also had a bag of lead shot, inside a black dress sock, sitting (well laying actually - I'm not sure a bag of shot can really "sit") on top for extra mass.

They recommended that I not run my in-wall wiring by just drilling holes through the studs and running the wire through. They suggested that I drill a larger hole, like maybe and inch and a half, and that I suspend the speaker wire in the middle of the hole by a couple of nylon wire ties with their tails stapled to the stud. Like the ceramic supports, this is supposed to eliminate or reduce the effects nearby surfaces have on the signal in the wire.

Now, whether any of this would be at all audible in my system I guess I'll never know, because that's all a bit too far out there for me. Of course, maybe when I'm spending more time at home and have the time to tinker...

Ross

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My System's Stuff