speaker wire questions? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

jusolson00 · 02-07-2006, 10:00 PM

Hello.. I just purchased a home theather in a box.. and am in the process of setting it up. My problem comes with the speaker wire. I picked up a spool of monster xp wire from best buy after the recommendations from the sales clerk. I know monster cable is probally over hyped and over priced, but this cost me 30 bucks for 50 feet.. not the most expensive they had.. but nothign really much cheaper that they had.. anyways after opening the box at home I can clearly see that this is probally alot better wire than what came with the box.. Well anyways after looking at the setup instructions.. it says to connect the wire the correct polarity slots.. ie.."+" and "-".. well this monster cable isnt labled as +, or -.. so i am wondering if I need to be concerned with this. I would think as long as i hook up the same wires at each end it should work right?.. thanks for any heads up I may need..

cyrnel · 02-07-2006, 10:43 PM

Correct. The two wires should be colored or one will have a marking or rib. Use that as your key for positive or negative. Just be consistent for sanity.

Anything 14 Gauge or better will be fine at 25ft. If you're splitting the 50ft among 4-6 speakers and the front speakers are close - say 5-10ft, 18 gauge would be fine. If you have long runs with high power (generally front speakers) then you need heavier gauge wire like that Monster, otherwise it's just profit dressing for the dealer.

Edit: I might be assuming too much about the "home theatre system". If it's a big system my ballpark gauges wouldn't be adequate. We really need the amplifier output specs and wire lengths to each speaker before giving accurate advice.

Oh, and wire left/right pairs with the same lengths, even if it means coiling extra on the floor.

jusolson00 · 02-08-2006, 07:32 AM

Thanks cyrnel for the advice.. sorry I guess i should have mentioned the specs on the system.. its a 1000 watt, 6.1 system for a couple of hundred bucks.. the far speakers will be about a 25 -30ft run... Thanks again!

ubertuber · 02-08-2006, 08:17 AM

Unless you need flat wire or some other special variation, radio shack speaker wire should be fine. Like the Monster Cable, it will be marked with a stripe or rib. Just make sure you hook positive (usually red) to positive. If you mess this up, don't worry - you won't hurt anything, the sound just won't be as good (due to phase inversion).

What you need to watch out for is bare wire ends. When you strip the wire to fit into the receiver and speaker, don't strip more than is necessary. Bare wire ends touching with current going through them can quickly (instantaneously) short an amplifier out. That really sucks.

j8ear · 03-08-2006, 09:14 PM

We had this chat several years ago....you, ubertuber were also involved.

Check out this thread.

I referred people to this "speaker wire history" article written by a fella named Roger Russell. He is a speaker inventor and designer retired from McIntosh Sound Labs (arguably one of the finest makers of audio appliances ever). He maintains a pretty interesting web site, with lots of various audio and speaker information as well as a number of other things.

Anyway, the bottom line is impedence. You'd be hard pressed to create the kinds of impedence which will make any discernable difference, with just about any old guage of copper...BUT when dissimilar metals contact each other....as they do when you crimp the copper wire into your stereo, corrosion happens and this will introduce the unwanted impedance.

Hope these links are helpful.

-bear

02-07-2006, 10:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
jusolson00 Tilted	speaker wire questions? Hello.. I just purchased a home theather in a box.. and am in the process of setting it up. My problem comes with the speaker wire. I picked up a spool of monster xp wire from best buy after the recommendations from the sales clerk. I know monster cable is probally over hyped and over priced, but this cost me 30 bucks for 50 feet.. not the most expensive they had.. but nothign really much cheaper that they had.. anyways after opening the box at home I can clearly see that this is probally alot better wire than what came with the box.. Well anyways after looking at the setup instructions.. it says to connect the wire the correct polarity slots.. ie.."+" and "-".. well this monster cable isnt labled as +, or -.. so i am wondering if I need to be concerned with this. I would think as long as i hook up the same wires at each end it should work right?.. thanks for any heads up I may need..

02-07-2006, 10:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	Correct. The two wires should be colored or one will have a marking or rib. Use that as your key for positive or negative. Just be consistent for sanity. Anything 14 Gauge or better will be fine at 25ft. If you're splitting the 50ft among 4-6 speakers and the front speakers are close - say 5-10ft, 18 gauge would be fine. If you have long runs with high power (generally front speakers) then you need heavier gauge wire like that Monster, otherwise it's just profit dressing for the dealer. Edit: I might be assuming too much about the "home theatre system". If it's a big system my ballpark gauges wouldn't be adequate. We really need the amplifier output specs and wire lengths to each speaker before giving accurate advice. Oh, and wire left/right pairs with the same lengths, even if it means coiling extra on the floor. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195 Last edited by cyrnel; 02-07-2006 at 11:20 PM..

02-08-2006, 08:17 AM	#4 (permalink)
ubertuber spudly Location: Ellay	Unless you need flat wire or some other special variation, radio shack speaker wire should be fine. Like the Monster Cable, it will be marked with a stripe or rib. Just make sure you hook positive (usually red) to positive. If you mess this up, don't worry - you won't hurt anything, the sound just won't be as good (due to phase inversion). What you need to watch out for is bare wire ends. When you strip the wire to fit into the receiver and speaker, don't strip more than is necessary. Bare wire ends touching with current going through them can quickly (instantaneously) short an amplifier out. That really sucks. __________________ Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam

03-08-2006, 09:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
j8ear Gentlemen Farmer Location: Middle of nowhere, Jersey	We had this chat several years ago....you, ubertuber were also involved. Check out this thread. I referred people to this "speaker wire history" article written by a fella named Roger Russell. He is a speaker inventor and designer retired from McIntosh Sound Labs (arguably one of the finest makers of audio appliances ever). He maintains a pretty interesting web site, with lots of various audio and speaker information as well as a number of other things. Anyway, the bottom line is impedence. You'd be hard pressed to create the kinds of impedence which will make any discernable difference, with just about any old guage of copper...BUT when dissimilar metals contact each other....as they do when you crimp the copper wire into your stereo, corrosion happens and this will introduce the unwanted impedance. Hope these links are helpful. -bear __________________ It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

02-08-2006, 07:32 AM	#3 (permalink)
jusolson00 Tilted	Thanks cyrnel for the advice.. sorry I guess i should have mentioned the specs on the system.. its a 1000 watt, 6.1 system for a couple of hundred bucks.. the far speakers will be about a 25 -30ft run... Thanks again!