Members ElectricImages Posted March 1, 2007 Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 Hey guys, I was just wondering if there is a certain minimum gauge of speaker cable generally recommended for use with monitors. I have some old speaker cable which looks like it might be 18 gauge that I have been using and I am just wondering if there would be any noticeable difference using 16 gauge... I have been thinking of getting some just because the markings on the old wire is kind of worn down and it can be hard to wire things up right without tracing the whole length of the wire. I am just not sure if there will be any real difference since I am not running my monitors all that loudly (I live in an apartment) and the cable runs are very short (just a few feet). Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alphajerk Posted March 1, 2007 Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 the key word here is OLD. get some NEW cable. its not that expensive... no you dont need some esoteric cable, but cable does oxidize over time and i think it contributes to HF loss. i know thats not a guage answer.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I think AJ has a point about really old cable - especially if it wasn't OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) to begin with, but if it's OFC, it seems to last a long time in my experience; especially if you have connectors soldered on to the ends instead of exposed / bare wire. Unless you're running a lot of juice, 18 Ga wire should be fine, but 16 might be better. Especially for longer runs, capacitance would be my greater concern. If a cable is of low quality / high capacitance, you may hear some dulling of the highs... but all other things being equal between the two cables, I seriously doubt you're going to hear a difference over a short cable run by going to 16 gauge instead of 18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElectricImages Posted March 2, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 2, 2007 Alright, I guess I will just use some new cable for more easily visible markings and in case the old one has been compromised over time (it is really old...). It's cheap anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CN Fletcher Posted March 2, 2007 Members Share Posted March 2, 2007 I wouldn't use anything smaller [as in higher guage number] that 12 awg... but that's just me. FWIW, I buy my speaker cable at "Home Depot" [or similar]... I just use oversized wire so I don't have any problems [it also depends how far your speakers are from your amp... but that is a discussion for another day]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I'm using 12 Ga on my JBL's, but I've got a 12-15 foot run to them and I'm hitting them with over 300 Watts. And going too small on the wire gauge is definitely NOT recommended - especially if you're using longer runs and / or high powered amps. But I don't think that it's necessary to go with boutique "audiophile" snake oil cables or anything like that, and I don't think most people are going to hear any difference (again, all other things being equal) between 12 and 14 gauge wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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