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speaker wire - does type of speaker wire make a difference?

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pglbook

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Does the type of speaker wire used to connect speakers to a receiver make a difference in terms of sound quality? If so, what is the best speaker wire to use (brand? width? 16 gauge? 18 gauge?)? I am going to connect a pair of Dahlquist DQ 10s this weekend to my Yamaha CR 2020 receiver and wonder what type and size of speaker wire would be best and if it does indeed make a difference in sound quality.

Thank you.
 
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You are likely going to get a mix of responses, many of which will say that speaker wire doesn't matter. I think it does, but it's not a huge effect. I like speaker cables from Analysis Plus and Kimber, and for an inexpensive alternative, I like Canare 4S11 "star quad." If you go with generic wire, I'd recommend 16-gauge unless you've got a really long run.
 
pglbook said:
Does the type of speaker wire used to connect speakers to a receiver make a difference in terms of sound quality? If so, what is the best speaker wire to use (brand? width? 16 gauge? 18 gauge?)? I am going to connect a pair of Dahlquist DQ 10s this weekend to my Yamaha CR 2020 receiver and wonder what type and size of speaker wire would be best and if it does indeed make a difference in sound quality.

Thank you.
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With all due respect, have you considered doing a search on AK? We cover this topic about once a week; usually it gets closed after a bunch of people lose their tempers.

My own opinion is that thicker is better, but quickly reaches the point of diminishing returns. I use lamp cord from the hardware store; others prefer esoteric wires made by various manufacturers specifically intended for high-end stereo equipment. Some say they can hear a difference, some say they cannot. Your mileage may vary. Now everyone can commence to shouting.
 
My personal experience has been my Audioquest Hyperlitz Midnight cables and Blue Jeans cable (Belden 5000) do indeed offer up better SQ than generic 14g speaker wire or 14g landscape lighting wire with the Audioquest edging out the Belden cable from Blue Jeans. This has been tested on Magnepan MMG's, Vandersteen 2ci's, and Infinity QLS-1's.
 
Speaker wires have capacitance and impedance...just like caps and resistors. Speakers wires can change the sound and add coloration...just like caps and resistors in a crossover. Personally, I think 12g zip cord has more than enough copper to get the job done. You will want to keep the runs as short as possible.
 
Wigwam Jones said:
With all due respect, have you considered doing a search on AK?
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With all due respect, it seems like a fairly innocuous question. Of course regulars here will have gone through a few speaker wire threads, but I don't see the need for the InstaAttitude.

Just tell the guy that doing a search will offer some insight as to opinions on speaker wire, pro and con.
 
How much do you want to spend?

If you want, you can buy cables that vary in electrical properties from "straight wire" (also known as heavy-gauge zip or lamp cord) so you can equalize the sound coming from your speakers without electronic EQ, tone controls, etc.

It can be an expensive pursuit, one that some people will say is "bunk", one that some people will say is not the way it should be done, one that some people will say is the ONLY way it should be done.

As a starting point, you'll probably want to go with "straight wire" (good old many-strand 16-14 AWG zip cord), then experiment from there if you think necessary.

Mileage may vary, but to hear the changes caused by wire, you'll want to make sure your setup (especially the room it is in) are of a magnitude to exploit/reveal the potential sonic differences.
 
Wigwam Jones said:
With all due respect, have you considered doing a search on AK?
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Actually, if you want to search AK - don't bother with the search engine on AK as it is not very good at all. Instead, go to Google and type in "AudioKarma speaker wire" and you will get links to the best threads to read. Perhaps there is some magic to using the AK search function, but I haven't figured it out yet. (other than type what you want to search and click on the search button)

Here is a link to the Google results for threads on AK discussing speaker wire:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...PD0AHc64GICw&ved=0CCoQrQIwAA&biw=1280&bih=826

In contrast, a search on AK for "Speaker Wire" brings up just about everything but threads about speaker wire. In fact, in the first 25 results - this is the only thread that is actually about speaker wire.

But to answer your question...

Something decent - either with a recognizable name brand or from a reputable company. You will find plenty of them in the links from the search above.

Weight - Whatever the largest size the terminals and posts will accomodate. (usually 12 to 14) Look for AWG rated.

Length - As short as possible while still giving the ability to reposition speakers. (Measure to the farthest point in the room that they could possibly be positioned that you might place them)
 
Using an analogy to water, once the pipe is big enough to allow the water to flow freely, a larger pipe isn't going to make the water flow any better.
 
Please! This is getting ridiculous. This dead horse has been beaten so many times there's nothing left to beat. AVS Forum had to ban these threads. Maybe the same should be done here.
 
Make study on how the electrical signal, that is used in audio bandwidth, propigates down a given medium them make up you own mind. True enough some people can avtually tell a differance but most cannot. Get informed then find out for yourself- this is a subject with so many camps that it makes Yellowstone Park look like a bus stop!

I personally like proper gauge for length OFC wire with heavy plated connectors on the end. Where a lot of wires actually fail is not so much the material they are made of but the actuall connectors being used at each end. Dis-similar metals, IE copper wire & brass connectors, are prime candidates for setting up corrosion that does impede electrical signal! This is an important as anything else in the audio chain for consideration!

Good luck with you selection- it is a topic well worth looking into!
DC
 
willyrover said:
Using an analogy to water, once the pipe is big enough to allow the water to flow freely, a larger pipe isn't going to make the water flow any better.
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I most respectfully disagree. If one draws a comparison between water and electrical current, one must equate electrical resistance with water pressure. Given a specific volume of water flow, by narrowing the pipe, pressure is thereby increased. The same can be said with electrical current. Given a specific amount of current, as the gauge of wire decreases, the resistance increases. As a rule of thumb, the larger the gauge, the less the resistance. Less resistance means more amplifier power to energize the speaker voice-coils. This is especially true for longer runs of 20 ft. and more. For short runs of a few feet, the discernible benefits of larger gauge wire are debatable.
 
all i can say is get the correct gauge for your set up at a price you can afford then upgrade them later and see if you notice any difference ,if it gets better to you then it is better .
also never run speaker cables along other cables because of inductance much like a transformer works . it is ok to cross at 90 degrees to other cables .
 
IMO 16 gauge Zip Cord from the local hardware to 15' and 14 gauge for longer runs will do a fine job. I also like Bluejeans Cables. Get the Terminated Ones, Proper termination is very important, and they do a better job than most. They are very good quality, Higher gauge too, and reasonably priced.
 
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If you want some really creative answers, re-post this in the "Thinking Out Loud" forum. I guarantee you'll get some, well, thought provoking answers and more than few recommendations.

Me? I'm basically a generic 12 -16 gauge kinda guy.
 
sealy said:
I most respectfully disagree. If one draws a comparison between water and electrical current, one must equate electrical resistance with water pressure. Given a specific volume of water flow, by narrowing the pipe, pressure is thereby increased. The same can be said with electrical current. Given a specific amount of current, as the gauge of wire decreases, the resistance increases. As a rule of thumb, the larger the gauge, the less the resistance. Less resistance means more amplifier power to energize the speaker voice-coils. This is especially true for longer runs of 20 ft. and more. For short runs of a few feet, the discernible benefits of larger gauge wire are debatable.
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So what you're saying is "once the wire(pipe) is big enough to allow the electrons(water) to flow freely, a larger wire(pipe) isn't going to make the electrons(water) flow any better".

You respectfully disagreed with an analogy that your own statement mirrors...
 
My 2 cents, just be aware that some cheeper wire might be thicker but NOT made of copper but copper coated aluminum.
 
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