Difference in speaker wire


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Old 01-06-08, 01:58 PM
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Difference in speaker wire

Is there a difference in "sound" depending on the speaker wire guage? I currently run 24ga to the speakers to my home theater unit. Would 18ga or 16ga make a difference? The maximum distance for the run is about 22ft.
 
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Old 01-06-08, 03:22 PM
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Might want to check out this page.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#oxygenfree
 
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Old 01-07-08, 04:10 AM
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24 is a bit thin. We normally run 14 gauge on runs up to 50 feet. In high power systems the cables get progressively thicker.

Arguably the biggest reason for using thick wire is to provide low resistance in order to maintain the amplifier's damping factor, which is its ability to stop a speaker from continuing to resonate after it's received its signal. 24 gauge has a relatively high resistance. The noticeable difference in sound with a high damping factor is in the tighter-sounding bass. (This doesn't apply if you're using a powered sub, but it still applies to the woofers in the main speakers.)

Also, don't be taken in by the claims of "premium" cable manufacturers. The claims of better sound have been debunked by several studies that show little or no discernable difference in the audio spectrum of frequencies.
 
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Old 01-08-08, 11:18 AM
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Don't waste you money on Monster Cable, etc. I used to manage a stereo store & we had all the rooms wired with 16 gauge wire, period. Nothing fancy. (Dont use thinner than 16 gauge though......no 18 gauge, etc)
 
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Old 01-08-08, 08:08 PM
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Monster Cable is just fine as long as you can buy it from a surplus or "outlet" store for a minimum of 60% (80% is better) off the list price.
 
 

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