Speaker Wire Distance vs Gauge and Impedance
| Speaker Wire Gauge | 4 Ohms Speakers | 6 Ohms Speakers | 8 Ohms Speakers |
| 12 AWG Speaker Wire | 60 feet | 90 feet | 120 feet |
| 14 AWG Speaker Wire | 40 feet | 60 feet | 80 feet |
| 16 AWG Speaker Wire | 24 feet | 36 feet | 48 feet |
| 18 AWG Speaker Wire | 16 feet | 24 feet | 32 feet |
| Wire gauge | Max Length (8 ohm impedance) | Max Length (6 ohm impedance) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 AWG | ~ 20 ft | just get 14+ AWG |
| 14 AWG | ~ 40 ft | ~ 30 ft |
| 12 AWG | ~70 ft | ~50 ft |
| <= 10 AWG | ~ 100+ ft | ~ 75+ ft |
What is the best quality speaker wire?
- Copper: the main option since the early days of speaker wire. It has long been used in many industries to conduct electricity. ...
- Copper-Clad Aluminum (CCA): as copper became more expensive, CCA became more popular because it was cheaper to make – and buy. CCA wire is also typically stranded. ...
- Silver: popular in more ‘audiophile’ speaker wire products. ...
Can you use regular electrical wire instead of speaker wire?
Yes, you can parallel each wire to the speaker with another wire and this will only help the situation. Unless you have many meters of wire between your amplifier and speakers there should be not much of a problem. Can you use a regular electrical wire instead of a speaker wire? Yes you can.
How to wire new speakers the easy way?
Time to install the amplifier
- Disconnect the battery. Set the parking brake and disconnect the negative terminal from your battery to prevent any electrical shorts or shocks.
- Mount the amplifier. Mount your amplifier in the location you've chosen.
- Install the power wire. ...
- Install the fuse holder. ...
- Multi-amp installations. ...
- Connect the power wire. ...
How many speakers can you run from one AMP?
Most amps are fine with 2 speakers connected to an output, but in some situations you can blow the amp up. Check the impedance of the speakers - if they are both 8 Ohms and you amp is good down to 4 Ohms you’ll be OK.
How long of a distance can you run speaker wire?
For 6-ohm speakers 16AWG wire is recommended for runs up to 36 feet and 10 or 12AWG wire for runs up to 150 feet. If you are using 8-ohm speakers, 16 AWG wire is recommended for runs up to 48 feet and 10 or 12AWG wire for runs up to 200 feet.
Can speaker wire be run outdoors?
To run speaker wire from inside to outside, you'll want to make the special care to mark and drill your holes in the right spot while also keeping speaker wire type in mind. After drilling the hole, run the wire through and make sure to use sealant.
How far can 16 gauge speaker wire go?
16-gauge copper wire can run up to 48-feet with 8-ohm speakers. So, if you want a wire size that will suit most circumstances, then a 16-gauge copper wire is probably a good fit. But for speakers with a lower impedance, you might go with 12 or 14 AWG just to be safe.
How far can you run 18 gauge speaker wire?
For most low power home or car speakers (not subwoofers) 18 gauge (18AWG) is fine. 18AWG wire is good for about 50 watts for 4 ohms and 100 watts for 8 ohm loudspeakers up to 50 feet (15 m) or 100 feet (30 m) respectively. For higher power systems or longer lengths, 16 gauge is a great choice.
How do you protect outdoor speaker wires?
A simple and inexpensive way to protect exposed speaker wires is to run them through PVC piping. If you're able to bury the wires, this will add another layer of protection. Whether the PVC pipe is exposed or buried, you'll want to seal the pipe to prevent bugs, debris, and moisture from getting in.
How do I extend speaker wire outside?
Follow these steps:Cut & strip the speaker wire (at least 1/2″ length of bare wire is needed).Hold up both ends to form an “X” shape with the wire facing opposite directions.Hold both ends and tightly twist each end around the other until they're completely wrapped over each other.More items...•
Is 12 AWG speaker wire overkill?
Thick wire (12 or 14 gauge) is recommended for long wire runs, high power applications, and low-impedance speakers (4 or 6 ohms). For relatively short runs (less than 50 feet) to 8 ohm speakers, 16 gauge wire will usually do just fine.
Does length of audio cable affect quality?
When long runs (of either interconnects or speaker cables) are used, cable quality becomes extra important. Due to the additional signal losses longer runs impose, the better the cable is at “protecting” the signal, the better will be the sound.
Can speaker wire be too big?
Although the speaker wire can't be too thick, you can have too long of a cable. Ideally, a speaker wire shouldn't be longer than 50 feet (15.24 meters), and anything longer than that can affect the sound quality.
Can you run multiple speaker wires together?
There are only really two ways to connect 2 speakers to one amplifier – either in parallel or series. If each speaker has an impedance of 8 ohms or more, then you can generally connect them in parallel.
Is 16 gauge speaker wire OK?
Speaker wires that are anywhere between 12 to 16 gauge are most commonly used for connecting speakers to an amplifier or an Audio/Video (A/V) receiver. A lower-gauge number indicates a thicker wire, while a higher-gauge number indicates a thinner wire.
Is lower gauge speaker wire better?
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. To get the best energy transfer a thicker wire such as a 12-gauge wire would be preferred over an 18-gauge thinner wire.
Types of Cables
There are many different kinds of speaker cables available today. However, not all speaker cables are created equal. Some are designed specifically for certain applications while others are just plain junk. You should always buy quality speaker cables.
How Far Can You Safely Run Speaker Wire
This question was asked by people throughout history but when it comes to wiring up home entertainment systems, there are some things that we don’t know about how safe it really is.
Wire Length in meters
Maximum speaker wire length depends on whether you’re connecting one amplifier to another or several amplifiers together. If you’re only connecting two amplifiers together, then you’ll need less wire than if you were trying to connect them to three amplifiers.
What is the difference between speaker wires made for home hi-fi systems and those used in commercial applications?
In general, home hi-fi speaker wire is thinner so as to allow for flexibility. In addition, it tends to have a greater number of twists per foot compared to industrial grade speaker wire.
What is better for a speaker wire?
A better speaker wire, often the more expensive wire, likely has better quality metals that increase conductivity, thus increasing the overall quality of sound. However, if you are just looking for a decent sound and the fine details and thunderous bass are not a priority for you, a higher gauge speaker wire (i.e.
How to determine speaker size?
To begin, you must figure out the length of speaker wire that you need . You will need to measure the distance from your receiver to your speakers, allowing plenty of slack to run along the wall, ceiling, door frames or anything else ...
Why is the gauge of speaker wire thinner?
This is because the gauge was originally determined based on the number of passes it has to make to produce the audio. Therefore, a wire with a gauge of 30 has to make more passes than a wire with a gauge of 12. That being said, the most common speaker wire you will find today is often ...
Can you paint speaker wires?
If the wire will be running along the wall, there are basic speaker wires that will suit just fine and can be painted to match any décor. There are also ways to hide the speakers when running along the baseboards or walls for a clean look. If the speaker wires will be mostly outside and in direct sunlight make sure the wire you choose can handle ...
Do outdoor speakers include speaker wire?
There is just one problem. The speakers you purchased did not include speaker wire. Not only do you now have another purchase to make, but another decision as well.
Can you dig up speaker wire from 1985?
Regardless of what route you take, do not dig up speaker wire you have hanging out in your tool box from 1985. You will not have the same effects as a nice, new speaker wire. Make sure that speaker wire is considered in your budget when purchasing your new outdoor speakers.
Do Bose Freespace 51s need outdoor speaker wire?
If the speaker wires will be mostly outside and in direct sunlight make sure the wire you choose can handle the temperatures and elements of the outdoors. If the speaker wire will run underground, as needed for the Bose FreeSpace 51’s, you will need a certain type of outdoor speaker wire in order to trench it. ...
Can you expose cable to elements?
You get the idea. One thing we try to recommend is at least making sure to not simply expose your cables to the elements. You can do a number of things to protect them. This ensures you don’t see a drop-off in frequency response or even complete signal loss.
Can you use bare wire for outdoor speakers?
For those using bare wire connections on outdoor speakers, here are a few tips: If you are using bare wire for spring clip connections, that’s fine. Make sure, however, to only strip enough wire to allow the jacket to fit snugly up against the spring clip. If you have an option to use a banana connector, it may be best to do so.
Can I run outdoor speakers through the attic?
If you run outdoor audio wiring for speakers from an inside location to a backyard, chances are you’re going to need to run them through an attic or crawlspace. When you do, be sure to staple the speaker wiring in place. You want to protect it from either contact with curious critters (in the attic) or from coming in contact with ...
What is speaker wire?
Most speaker wire follows the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard that uses a chart of different gauges. It assigns a number to each standard size & electrical conductor rating. Likewise, each size is rated for a certain amount of electrical current capacity.
What is the best way to connect wires?
Using crimp connectors. Soldering is a bit harder to do, but the benefit is it’s the most reliable way to connect wires. You’ll need a soldering iron (at least 15W, although I recommend a 25W or higher one), solder, electrical tape, and a tool to strip the wire. A crimp tool (left) is often affordable and easy to find.
What tool to use to strip speaker wire?
A wire stripper can cut & strip most wire while a crimp tool can strip and also crimp connectors for wire. Wire cutting pliers are very handy for cutting small to large wire. Automatic wire strippers make stripping wire super easy. There are a number of affordable tools for cutting or stripping speaker wire.
What is the AWG wire chart?
The American Wire Gauge standard, also less commonly known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, is a standardized wire gauge system used since 1857 for the diameters of round electrically conducting wire. AWG wire charts use a numbering system where a smaller number is larger wire with more copper conductors.
What is the difference between solid wire and stranded wire?
It’s very hard to bend & curve, it can break when exposed to constant vibration, and it’s also harder to make connections with. Stranded wire (right) is tremendously easier to deal with. Stranded wire is made up of a large number of tiny copper wire strands, making it very flexible and also easier to strip, crimp to connectors, and work with by hand.
What is a positive speaker?
Here’s a list of the most common positive speaker indicators: A printed line or series of lines is on the positive wire. One wire’s insulation is red or a different color than the negative wire (most often red is used) One wire has a copper color and one has a silver finish.
Is solid wire safe for homes?
Solid wire is fine for homes or buildings since it’s never moved once installed . However, it’s very hard to bend into place and is also subject to damage over time when exposed to constant vibration like in a car or truck. Over time, the wire can develop weak spots which break!
