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Does speaker wire really matter ?


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RF-83....RC-64....RS-62.....Servo 15......Room is 23 X 13.....System is 85% used for theatre....15% music.... I am currently using Pro Link (Pro Series) copper wire...12 Guage up front and 14 in the rear ( Rear will have to stay, it was ran in the wall during a renovation ).........My question is...... What size should be used......Braided or solid.....Are there better brands than others ?.........I am using a Power Link (Digital Coax ?) cable on my sub......Is all this OK or are there some improvements that good benefit my system.

Thanks

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seperating the subject of speaker wire that is designed to sound different thru the manipulation of inductance, capacitance, and resistance, from regular lamp cord wire, the guages you are references are good for some pretty long lenths...and there after...some minute resistance changes occurs...measured in the thousandths of an ohm.

as far as the designer wires...they come in all flavors...all technologies...various conductor schemes....insulator schemes...mini telephone wire stands to keep them the right height off the  off the floor...speacial  curving formers to prevent them from bending to sharply around corners, etc....it never ends.

 

 

 

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YES IT DOES, I USE MONSTER CABLE Z1 ON ALL SPEAKERS INCLUDING 3 50 FT RUNS TO THE 3 RF7 REAR SPEAKERS I HAVE. I USED REGULAR WIRE WHEN I FIRST HOOKED UP MY RF7S AND BASS WAS HEAVY AND HIGH WERE CRISP WITH Z SERIES WIRE THEY SOUND AWESOME. YOUR HOME THEATER IS AS GOOD AS YOUR WEAKEST LINK SO DO NOT MAKE YOUR WIRING THE WEAK LINK ESPECIALLY IF YOUR USING KLIPSCH.

FRONT,REAR,AND REAR CENTER SPEAKERS RF7

CENTER SPEAKER RC7

SUB RSW12

MONSTER POWER 5100,MONSTER CABLE Z1 SPEAKER WIRE ( SPEAKERS),MONSTER THX AUDIO/VIDEO CABLES

HITACHI 51 IN REAR PROJECTION---MITSUBISHI DVD PLAYER--XBOX

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I guess I have tin ears but I have never heard much of any difference in wire. I use a good quality 14 gauge wire, copper, for all of my runs. The longest run in my HT is 25' and all is well. I think you will hear more of a difference with speaker placement than you will EVER hear with any wire changes. I do NOT believe in "magic wire". This is just my two cents and I do not choose to spend money on things that will only make a difference in my imagination. YMMV.

PS. I went from 25 year old 16 gauge zip cord to 10 gauge O2 free, super flex, micro strand wire in my 2ch setup and heard NO difference. Again, YMMV.

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Speaker wire certainly DOES matter....

Any of you poo-poo'ers ever try to listen to your speakers WITHOUT it? [:$]

HUH?

Well, have ya tough guy?!!!

HUH? [:o]

That said, I use Home Depot spool of 12-g myself. I'd put more crediblity in putting that money into better speakers themselves than the wire. I however, have never done any side by side tests... no reason to in my household.

[:D]

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CLUELESS

Don't get personal & abrasive here, dude. While several people on here might disagree with each other on a variety of things - you will notice that they do so nicely and they discuss like human beings and not start lashing out.

That being said - please a take a moment to read the very extensive article in the 2nd post in this thread.

Coytee> FUNNY POST! :D

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I see big differences in the speaker wire termination...and differences in speaker wire jackets (insert response from fini or jacksonbart here...OB, you need to wait [;)] )...I have used the cheapest stuff from Home Depot and the low mid priced stuff...no real difference that I could tell...as for interconnects...I have been lent some of the more expensive (but not nearly as expensive as some buy) flat stuff from Nordost...about $100 or so the pair...I felt it choked some of the bass and sounded flat...perhaps there really IS a difference in wire...(NOW OB...!)

Bill

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Currently (pun intended...[;)] ) using extension cord in the garage (nice but heavy)...Home Depot 14GA lamp cord in the Home Theater...Nice Mon$ter with the NOSValves VRDs and Klipschorns (it was as cheap as lamp cord on closeout through Radio Shack)...and some Signet Wire I got when I bought my first pair of Klipsch Speakers (kg2s) in 1989 with the Quartets and EICO HF-81 upstairs...speakers all sound different but the wire...not so much (read: Not at all)

Bill

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There is this little thing called ohms law...... no but wait the more expensive the wire, the better it will sound, right?

This all reminds me of what an old electrician, I used to know once said. " Electricty don't know or care what color the wire is"

Myself I run all 8guage solid gold, with a braided silver wrap, does'nt sound any better but why chance it...

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I don't think it makes a big difference. However, if you have nice equipment and great speakers why not have some cool looking wire. I don't pay full price I buy it used off of friends or Audiogon. The wire looks cool and I like it. In the past I have had problems with wire developing shorts and causing all sorts of problems. For god sake don't break the bank on wire : )

IMG_0025.jpg

Here is a shot of my fancy speaker wire doesn't it look better than that lamp cord : ) I have replaced crossovers and will be rewiring the cabinet so it looks better but it won't break the bank. I also think the dirt dobber nest on the mid horn makes them sound better.

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I don't think it makes a big difference. However, if you have nice equipment and great speakers why not have some cool looking wire. I don't pay full price I buy it used off of friends or Audiogon. The wire looks cool and I like it. In the past I have had problems with wire developing shorts and causing all sorts of problems. For god sake don't break the bank on wire : )

IMG_0025.jpg

Here is a shot of my fancy speaker wire doesn't it look better than that lamp cord : ) I have replaced crossovers and will be rewiring the cabinet so it looks better but it won't break the bank. I also think the dirt dobber nest on the mid horn makes them sound better.

seti

you may want to spend a few more pennies on dusting your very nice speakers and wires however.

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I don't think it makes a big difference. However, if you have nice equipment and great speakers why not have some cool looking wire. I don't pay full price I buy it used off of friends or Audiogon. The wire looks cool and I like it. In the past I have had problems with wire developing shorts and causing all sorts of problems. For god sake don't break the bank on wire : )

IMG_0025.jpg

Here is a shot of my fancy speaker wire doesn't it look better than that lamp cord : ) I have replaced crossovers and will be rewiring the cabinet so it looks better but it won't break the bank.  I also think the dirt dobber nest on the mid horn makes them sound better.

seti

you may want to spend a few more pennies on dusting your very nice speakers and wires however.

 

I find that dust on the horn helps with dampening : ) I have only had the KHorns for about a month but they are cleaned up now. I am going to be selling my NOS dust from the bass bin. 

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