Klipsch "K"ornerhorns; speaker wire and amp match up

[RodneyakaFlash]

My house/living room is nearing completion. I recently purchased some 16-guage wire to put in place while the wall studs are still open.

My question has to do with using this (rather inexpensive) kind of wire which is just a tad thicker than standard 18-guage. Or should I spend big bucks for (Absolute Sound) high-end type speaker cables? In your experiences, are there real world audible differences?

I am also looking to purchase Van Alstine (hybrid pre) and (solid-state) power amps to power these corner horns. Any other tips regarding the purchase, installation-set up of these K-horns will be appreciated. My email address: williams172166@bellsouth.net.

Thanks,

Rodney Williams

[Coytee]

I personally used some 12-g wire for prewiring inside my walls. I (myself) would not go for that expensive stuff....however, I HAVE wondered if I might also run some empty conduit "just in case" (my walls are still open)

I also ran some XLR wire through the walls so I have the ability to have an XLR plugged amp near the speakers if I ever want to.

[Islander]

Since the runs may be long, 12 gauge should be a minimum size. As well, in-wall wiring has to meet certain code requirements for fire safety. Proper in-wall wire is not expensive, but having to open the wall or run the right wire later sure would be.

CL-rated wire is usually used. More info here: http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/understanding-in-wall-speaker-video-and-audio-cable-ratings

Here's some in-wall wire in various sizes: http://www.knukonceptz.com/productMaster.cfm?category=KL3%20Kable

[twistedcrankcammer]

My house/living room is nearing completion. I recently purchased some 16-guage wire to put in place while the wall studs are still open.

My question has to do with using this (rather inexpensive) kind of wire which is just a tad thicker than standard 18-guage. Or should I spend big bucks for (Absolute Sound) high-end type speaker cables? In your experiences, are there real world audible differences?

I am also looking to purchase Van Alstine (hybrid pre) and (solid-state) power amps to power these corner horns. Any other tips regarding the purchase, installation-set up of these K-horns will be appreciated. My email address: williams172166@bellsouth.net.

Thanks,

Rodney Williams

Rodney,

AS for expensive speaker wire, I have 10 gauge wire, with half strads copper and half strands silver, my brother in law ran all stranded virgin copper 8 gauge wires in his walls when he built his addition, and I can difinitively state that there is no sound improvement, only bragging rights!!

I like to use 14 Gauge stranded copper minimum, it is not nessesary, but I would just because you are doing in wall, and a little extra wire never hurt anything as the wire gets older.

Also considder conduit, so you can pull fresh wire easily in the future.

Also; leave a couple of extra feet inside the wall boxes, over time the wires will oxidize on the ends and a little ways into the insulation. This way, you will have plenty of extra wire to cut off and restrip if the wire becomes corroded and affects sound over time. (especially a problem if you have well water, a major headache if you have sulfer!!).

If you are running 16 inch stud placement, considder doubling or even trippling that in the corners out to as far as if the Cornerhorns had atached rear wings that came even with the front of the speaker. We did this in my brother in laws addition and it is nice to have the extra bracing.

Finally; While your at it, considder if your budget will allow you to buy some veneer finshed plywood, to nail in the corners and a triangle for under the speakers. You can in this way complete the bass horn, finish it to match your speakers, and sheet rock, and carpet right up to the corner enclosers. It will improve the looks, as well as improve the performance of your speakers.

Roger

[Coytee]

if the wire becomes corroded and affects sound over time. (especially a problem if you have well water, a major headache if you have sulfer!!).

I'm intrigued why you specifically mention "if you have well water" (because I do)

Any elaboration?

Just for the record, I have some wire in basement that has been there for maybe 8 years.... and interestingly enough, the ends of it are oxidized. now I'm left to wonder is that just life or is the well water somehow affecting that? (though I'd wonder how)

[twistedcrankcammer]

if the wire becomes corroded and affects sound over time. (especially a problem if you have well water, a major headache if you have sulfer!!).

I'm intrigued why you specifically mention "if you have well water" (because I do)

Any elaboration?

Just for the record, I have some wire in basement that has been there for maybe 8 years.... and interestingly enough, the ends of it are oxidized. now I'm left to wonder is that just life or is the well water somehow affecting that? (though I'd wonder how)

Coytee,

I have always lived in the country, on farms most of my life. I think most all well water has some extent of sulfer, even if we cannot smell it, plus hear in the midwest (Ohio) there are l

imestone quarries everywhere, this used to be the bottom of a huge ocean and the limestone shows that in it's fossils. Even if you filter the water, or buy it filtered from the store to put it

into your fish tank, you will get lime scale over time from evaporation. Lime interacts with metals as well. A car parked directly over concrete long term without a vapor barrier will

corrode, it plays hell on my billet motorcycle rims, and that is a show bike, never seen a cloudy day ever. Well water picks up minerals in the fishers it flows through. Other minerals

as well. If you have a cement block basement, consider the noxious water proof paint on the blocks to seal it, as even a little dampness in these can react on metals in you basement, but

realize this, if it is corroding your speaker wire, fear for what it is doing inside your electronics, especially high end stuff.

I also hand load and vibrate polish my brass, how fast the brass tarnishes will tell you alot about if you have problems in different parts of your house. How quickly the brass tarnishes where you can see it, will tell you what is happening where you don't notice it, like inside your electronics. Black tarnish on brass means Sulfer... I have a $5,000 plus Kinetico sulfer removal system.

Roger