16 2 speaker wire distance chart
Speaker wire is used to make the electrical connection between loudspeakers and audio amplifiers. Modern speaker wire consists of two or more electrical conductors individually insulated by plastic such as PVC , PE or Teflon or, less commonly, rubber. The two wires are electrically identical, but are marked to identify the correct audio signal polarity. Most commonly, speaker wire comes in the form of zip cord. The effect of speaker wire upon the signal it carries has been a much-debated topic in the audiophile and high fidelity worlds. The accuracy of many advertising claims on these points has been disputed by expert engineers who emphasize that simple electrical resistance is by far the most important characteristic of speaker wire.
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Updated: October 4, Choosing the best speaker wire can be a minefield. What gauge? Expensive or cheap? Where do you start? Well, by reading the ultimate guide to speaker wire.
I mean, who cares about those annoying wires that just make your room look a bit messy? The fun stuff is the amplifier and speakers! Well, you might be surprised to know that there are loads of exciting things to learn about speaker wire. So, if you want to understand more about the thrilling world of speaker wire, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. Speaker wire is used to connect an amplifier to a set of speakers. In some parts of the world, it is also known as speaker cable.
An amplifier sends an electrical current audio signal to a speaker. The current powers the speaker drivers and this is how they make a sound.
Therefore, a speaker wire is just a means to conduct electrical current. Just like the wire that sends power to your lamp or television. Traditional speaker wire has two conductors for connecting to the positive and negative connectors on amplifiers and speakers. Unlike the picture above, the wire usually has the same type of conductor for both cores — usually copper. The inner core is insulated on the outside by some form of plastic. Before connecting to your speaker or amplifier, the insulation needs to be removed at the end to expose the bare wire.
The bare wire can be connected directly to the speaker connectors. Or, sometimes a form of termination is added to make the connection easier and more reliable. See my guide on how to connect speaker wire for more information on this.
You have to use something to connect your amplifier and speakers. So, what is the difference between speaker wire and plain old electrical wire? Not as much as you might think. In theory, you could use anything that will pass electric current from A to B — the cable that is used to power your lamp, for example, or a wire coat hanger…. This comes in different sizes and at various price points; you just need to decide which is the right choice for your equipment.
You will hear many opinions that you need to buy an expensive audiophile speaker wire to get the best sound in your room. However, if you think it helps, you should buy whatever you are comfortable with. One advantage of buying wire that is designed to be used for speakers is that one side will be clearly marked with a line or with ridges.
This makes it easier to connect positive to positive and negative to negative at the amplifier and speaker. It will also have a flexible and resilient outer insulation that makes it easy to install — and reduces interference from other electrical signals.
However, you will also see other features of dedicated speaker wire that are supposed to improve performance. Some of these include:. There have been arguments raging for years about if it is possible to hear the difference between different types of speaker wire.
Some brands offer speaker wires with connectors already fitted at each end of the wire. This is why copper has always been used as the core conductor for electrical and speaker wires. Copper is an excellent low resistance conductor for electricity. Speaker wire should also have low capacitance and inductance — but these are less important than resistance. The insulation should also protect the core from electrical interference and oxidization — and not deteriorate over time and contaminate the core.
There are two main things to look for when buying speaker wire; the material that is used for the internal conductor and the thickness of the wire. There are other differences that you will see, but most of it is marketing smoke and mirrors to make you buy the wire. There are 3 main conducting materials commonly used to make speaker wire you may find more exotic versions if you look hard enough :. It is slightly confusing for me at least because the higher the gauge, the thinner the cable.
This has always seemed a bit counter-intuitive to me. Although the AWG specifies a wide range of sizes, the most common sizes for speaker wire are probably 12, 14, and gauge. These will be ideal for most wiring duties in an average home theater and stereo music system. I would like to say that this standard is recognized around the world.
There are several different wire gauge standards used worldwide. Here is a wire gauge comparison download which might be useful if you want to compare wire sizes around the world. In the UK, speaker wire is often measured by cross-sectional area in square millimeters.
This is not the same as the diameter. And, sometimes the AWG is quoted. Here is a chart that shows the comparison of the most common AWG speaker wire sizes and cross-sectional areas:. For example, 1. The gauge of speaker wire is the most important feature when deciding what to buy.
Because as the wire gets thicker, the resistance decreases. And, to get the best audio performance, we want the resistance to be below a certain level. If you need long cable runs, then it is more important to use thicker wire to keep the resistance low. Depending on the length of the speaker wire that you need, a thinner speaker cable may have the same audio performance as a thicker one. But if you need to run a cable for a longer distance then, yes, a thicker speaker wire might be better.
What is the right size speaker wire for your room? Well, it depends on a couple of factors. The best speaker wire gauge for your system will depend on:. Here are his guidelines for 4, 6, and 8-ohm speakers connected with two-conductor copper wire. That should cover most speakers designed for the home. As you can see from the speaker wire gauge chart above, if you have 8-ohm speakers, then even a skinny 22 AWG wire can be run up to feet with no loss of audio fidelity.
Not that I would necessarily suggest you buy 22 AWG wire. Most systems will use 16, 14 or gauge AWS wire. So, if you want a wire size that will suit most circumstances, then a gauge copper wire is probably a good fit.
Roger suggests a maximum cable run of feet. If you buy copper-clad aluminum wire, then this will have an increased impedance compared to copper. So, if gauge copper wire is fine for your room, then maybe get gauge if you are buying CCA. Of course, this may cancel out the cost savings of buying CCA instead of copper! Life is full of tough decisions. You are unlikely to hear a difference.
This means that it is an average value and at certain frequencies, it can go above and below the nominal figure. Then, if I wanted to be sure of getting it right, I would use this as the impedance for my speakers.
But, if you are close to the limit for a particular gauge, then you might want to consider the minimum impedance of the speaker rather than the nominal value. Choosing the correct speaker wire gauge might seem important for audiophile stereo speaker systems. So, just select the correct gauge depending on your speaker impedance and the length of the cable run. If you want a quick answer, gauge AWS speaker wire should cover most solutions with no problems.
And, most people will be fine with the cheaper gauge AWS. But, if you want to be sure, take a look at the maximum wire length table above and make the right decision for your room. Well, if you think that it improves the sound in your room, and makes you feel better buying it, then that is the best speaker wire for you. Buy a reputable brand if you wish — but their basic wire is all you probably need. You can also get unbranded copper speaker wire very cheaply that will do just fine in most cases.
In my opinion, the best speaker wire is simply the correct gauge for your system while taking into account:. If you want to save some money, then buy some CCA wire.
Generally, I would choose copper if I had the choice. But what happens if you change your speakers or amplifier and want a different termination on the end? While you can solder these connectors in place, most will just screw on and are perfectly acceptable. OFC is copper that has been refined to reduce the level of oxygen.
The theory is that this purity will aid electrical conductivity — and therefore it has become popular for making speaker wire. Because your sound system will improve if you buy OFC speaker wire. The copper that is regularly used for electrical purposes C has a purity of OFC has a purity of It might be all that is available.
16 Gauge Speaker Wire
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Here's the long and short on speaker wires
Finding the right size wire for your audio speakers can be challenging, but familiarizing yourself with some basic knowledge about audio speaker wires can help you make a sound decision, no pun intended. The most common audio speaker wires are 12 Gauge, 14 Gauge, 16 Gauge, and 18 Gauge. Stranded wire is more flexible, easier to route, can withstand vibration and flexing than solid wire; therefore, it is more commonly used in audio speaking wiring. The initial cost of stranded wire is higher due to the more complex manufacturing process. The thickness of the wire you choose is important because it will affect the overall resistance of the speaker circuit. Therefore, it will affect the power transfer between the amplifier and the speakers. Resistance is the measure of opposition to electric current. A longer thinner wire will have higher resistance than a shorter t hicker wire of the same structure. An ideal wire should have the lowest resistance possible.
500ft 16/2 Speaker Wire - In-Wall CL2-Rated
The examples below will illustrate why 12 guage speaker wire is usually best for home theater applications or high end stereo speakers:. Insertion loss of cable — the Resistance of the wire. In extreme cases high powered subwoofers with amplifiers over watts you may need to use a 10 gauge or even 8 gauge cable. The longer the cable, the more resistance the cable itself presents to the current passing through it.
SPEAKER CABLE
The short answer is Yes. The higher the gauge, the more resistance. In this case, it's usually best to follow the advice of the Borg "resistance is futile". Audiophiles should always wish to minimize speaker cable resistance. Read on to learn why. American wire gauge AWG is a system of numerical designations of wire diameters where the thicker and less resistive the wire is, the lower the gauge number.
What Size Speaker Wire Is Right? The Right Gauge, Type, And More
This page provides information to assist you in selecting the most suitable Speaker Cable for the intended application. You will also find information on the most important attributes that relate to speaker cable performance. This is one of the most important attributes relating to cable performance. The thickness of the cable is a key factor in mitigating signal attenuation, particularly over long distances. Selecting a cable with an appropriate conductor size will ensure optimum performance and clarity. Please refer to the chart below for approximate maximum distances available without any perceivable loss in audio quality.
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Updated: October 4, Choosing the best speaker wire can be a minefield. What gauge?
Many of our customers have been looking for an easy AWG To mm conversion tool so we've made one. You can just select your AWG size from the pulldown box and we'll tell you the equivalent cable. When buying cut to length electrical wire or electrical cable , many UK and international buyers face difficulty when confronted with AWG sizing. Vice Versa, American buyers may be stumped when they are recommended a certain gauge of cable or wire, and don't know how to get it when confronted with mm.
Speaker Wire A History. This material is copyrighted No portion of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the author. Cable Resistance Too Low? What About Oxygen Free Wire? What About Silver Wire and Conductivity?
Wondering what size speaker wire you need? The table above works well for most cases. But what if you need say 50ft or even ft of length? Wire gauge the amount of copper in them doubles by moving to not the next gauge, but instead the one after that.
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