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Does Speaker Cable Make A Difference

There’s no scientific test data to back up the (misleading) idea that “special” or “audiophile” speaker wires or expensive cable make a noticeable difference versus affordable, good quality speaker wire of the correct gauge. 99.9% of the time it’s unsubstantiated claims and the difference really does not matter!

Different speaker wires offer different performance characteristics based on their material, thickness, and length.

Some argue the quality of speaker cables is just as important as the quality of the Hi-fi components they’re connecting. Other enthusiasts save their cash …

Is there a difference between speaker wire?

Speaker wires and electric wires may appear similar, but they’re also different. Speaker wires are stranded, while electric wires are available in stranded and solid forms. Some electric wires are designed for high voltage current, whereas speaker wires mainly handle low voltage current.

Does speaker wire length affect sound 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.

What cable should I use for my speakers?

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. It’s cost-effective and easy to work with.

What happens if speaker wire is too thin?

The only problem with using too-thin wire is that if you put enough current through it that it melts, then your amp won’t be too happy. The amplifier will be quite happy if the wires melt and fuse, leaving an open circuit with no load.

Does speaker cable length make a difference?

Generally speaking, resistance starts to have an effect on the performance of a speaker when resistance is greater than 5% of the speaker’s impedance. Resistance is affected by two key aspects: wire length and the cross sectional area of the wire. The shorter the wire is, the less resistance it will have.

How important is speaker cable length?

Speaker cables do not need to be the same length. It may seem logical that using speaker wires of the same length would result in a more consistent electrical current, the truth is it doesn’t matter. Unless there is a substantial length difference of over 30 meters, the impact is unnoticeable.

Is it OK to extend speaker wire?

Although lower gauge wire can theoretically be extended over long distances, it’s recommended that you don’t run any speaker wire longer than 50 feet. If you need to run a wire further than this, it is highly recommended that you use wiring that is 12 gauge or less.

How long should speaker wires be?

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.

What is the maximum length of speaker cable?

While in theory heavier wire can have longer runs, recommended household audio lengths should not exceed 50 feet (15 m). The gauge numbers in SWG (standard wire gauge) and AWG (American wire gauge) reduce as the wire gets larger.

Is 16 gauge wire OK for speakers?

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.

What size wire is 16 gauge?

The rule is the total resistance of the wire should be less than 5 percent of the rated impedance of the speaker. Your Insignias are 8-ohm speakers, which means 16 gauge is good for up to a 48-foot run (per speaker).

What is 16 gauge speaker wire rated?

The thicker the wire the lower the gauge number & the thinner the wire the higher the gauge number or AWG. For example, a 12 AWG is thicker than an 18 AWG wire. The most common audio speaker wires are 12 Gauge, 14 Gauge, 16 Gauge, and 18 Gauge.

More Answers On Does Speaker Cable Make A Difference

Do speaker cables make a difference? Reviving the coathanger test

Turns out, the cables just do not make an audible difference. Where we found some issues that were potentially audible with the measured response of the speaker, there are none with the cable itself.

Do Speaker Cables Make a Difference for Audio Quality?

Dec 28, 2020With a pure wire, you won’t notice a decline in audio quality until the resistance of the wire differs from the speaker’s impedance by more than 5 percent. A speaker’s impedance is a measure of the amount of resistance the speaker offers to the current flowing from the input wire. Speakers are identified by an impedance rating measured in ohms.

Do Speaker Cables Really Make a Difference? – Premium Sound

There is great controversy over speaker cables. The controversy obviously lies more with your “premium” types of “high performance” cables which can cost considerably more. You’ll get everyone from beginners, to music professionals, who take one side or the other. Some people will say it doesn’t make one bit of difference.

SPEAKER CABLE does it make a difference??? | AVForums

Speaker cable can only ever degrade/change the sound, it can never improve the signal. Whether you like the sound of that change or degradation is totally up to you. Audio System: Linn Axis/AT OC5, Naim 72/HiCap/140, Sony SCD-XE680 SACD Player, Custom-built 4-way (KEF) speakers

Do you think speaker cables make a difference? – Quora

Yes, speaker cables absolutely make a difference. In order for your speakers to work, they must be electrically connected to the amplifier. Without speaker cables, the electrical audio signal from the amplifier will not be transferred to the speakers.

Does speaker cable actually make a difference? – Singletrack Magazine

In a double blind test, no one will be able to tell the difference between an expensive HiFi cable and a 2.5mm twin & earth mains cable. In any test which isn’t double blind, the expensive cable…

Does speaker wire affect sound quality? No Myths, Just Facts

Aug 24, 2021There’s no scientific test data to back up the (misleading) idea that “special” or “audiophile” speaker wires or expensive cable make a noticeable difference versus affordable, good quality speaker wire of the correct gauge. 99.9% of the time it’s unsubstantiated claims and the difference really does not matter!

Do Speaker Cables Need To Be The Same Length? – stampsound.com

The gauge of the speaker wire does make a difference, much more prominently than the length. If you’re a guitarist or bassist you’ll know that gauge is the term used to describe the thickness of the string. In the same way, the gauge signifies the thickness of the speaker cable .

Debunking myths about audio cables – SoundGuys

Mar 25, 2021The cable is made of materials that present impedance (resistance and capacitance). In doing so, the cable affects the signal that reaches the speakers. Now, this is true (to some degree). However, for headphones, that degree is small enough that you can safely ignore it—despite colorful online arguments about it.

do speaker cables make a difference??? – AudioReview

the answer is a positive YES. recently i posted how interconnects made a difference. Tara Labs 5500i sounded more mellow and more agreable than monster THX (with music). But now ive compared tara labs speaker cables (14awg) with Carol Superflex 12awg bought at home depot. I swear by this, cables make 110% difference for sure.

Do speaker cables actually make a difference . – ecoustics.com

Hello! Just wandered in following a thread about speaker wire opinions. Quite a wide variety of knowledge levels here from beginner to audiophile. Just thought I’d make a few comments. Wire does make a difference. In some cases minor, in others very drastic. The reason for this is more simple than most people realize. There is a lot of good …

Does Speaker Cable make a difference? – findanyanswer.com

Click to see full answer Keeping this in consideration, does speaker wire really make a difference? Thicker wires are better: It’s true that for long runs, thicker wires are better at reducing the effects of resistance. But for most set ups (those with speakers within 100 ft of the amplifier), 16-gauge lamp cord is fine. For speakers 100 to 200 ft. It would take miles of speaker wire to hear …

Do Cables Really Make A Difference? – Audiophile Review

People rage back and forth over whether “high performance” cables make any difference at all, and – even if they do – whether they can possibly be worth what they cost.

Do Interconnect and Speaker Cables Make a Difference?

Cables tend to be hugely reactive to the equipment to which they’re connected. The reason cables impart changes to sound is due to their impedance characteristics, but much more importantly, on how their impedance aligns with the input/output impedances of the equipment they’re connected to. Ever heard of “impedance matching”?

Are Expensive Speaker Cables Actually Worth It? Here’s What You Need to …

Cheat Sheet: Speaker Cables. For a budget pick, these AmazonBasics cables will do you just fine, starting at just $11. The shielding is unspecified and oxygen-free copper wire is nothing special, but that’s standard fare for affordable cables. If you really want to splurge, you can spend $90 and upgrade to some ELACs.

Speaker Cables: Can You Hear the Difference? – Sound & Vision

Our view is that if there are audible differences among speaker cables, they probably derive from measurable differences in their respective electrical properties.

5 Myths About Speaker Wire | Machine Design

Here are five of them: Thicker wires are better: It’s true that for long runs, thicker wires are better at reducing the effects of resistance. But for most set ups (those with speakers within …

Does Speaker Cable Matter? How To Get the Best Sound Out of Your System …

When you’re searching for speaker cables, make sure to prioritize thickness to reduce resistance. The resistance will make much more difference than the material of the wires. Spending on a Speaker Cable vs. New System. If you have an old, outdated, or cheap sound system, then high-end speaker cables aren’t going to make much of a …

Proof that speaker cables make a difference – Audio Science Review (ASR …

Nov 17, 2020Cables do make a difference in extreme cases for audio, like a single strand of 28 Gauge magnet wire vs. 16 Gauge lamp cord for a speaker cable. It’s just that going from the 16 gauge to the exotica over a short living room distance will not have a difference proportional to what you wallet will get taken for. E.

Speaker Cable Thickness Does Not Matter | The Hi-Fi Page

These days, even the bare minimum cable is thicker than 20 AWG, and believe it or not, speaker cable thickness makes almost NO difference to sound quantity, and absolutely ZERO difference to sound quality. Why? 1. Wattage does not matter Let’s take a 20AWG cable, a microbe in speaker cable terms these days.

Do Cables Make A Difference? | LiQUiD AUDiO

Do cables make a difference? They absolutely do, but not always in the way people imagine. Let’s just get this out of the way: good cables always improve system performance vs crappy ones. That being said, there is more snake oil and pseudoscience in cables than just about anything else, and the hi-fi world is already filled with nonsense.

Do speaker cables make a difference?

Why do QED speaker cables make a difference? Loudspeaker cables must deliver electrical power to the speakers and that means that they must have a large current carrying capacity. As current flows through the cable it encounters electrical resistance and therefore voltage is dropped across the cable and musical fidelity is lost.

How Audio Cables Make a Difference in Sound Quality

Apr 22, 2021The Difference Between Analogue and Digital Cable. In a nutshell, both cables transmit audio information. The only difference is that analogue cables transmit electrical audio signals, whereas digital cables work by transmitting information through a long string of 1’s and 0’s, also known as binary codes.

Do different speaker cables or interconnects sound different?

I’ve found that speaker cables make quite a difference. Every time I’ve upgraded at has increased my listening enjoyment; and I haven’t spent a great deal of money. Right now I have the copper 10ga. Goertz cable, it’s not expensive and wonderful on my system. On the other hand, I’ve found that interconnects make almost no difference once you’ve …

Do expensive cables/wires REALLY make a difference

Seconding a point that was made earlier in the thread by Nick_sr, the degree to which cables will make a difference depends not only on the intrinsic characteristics and quality of the cable, and on the quality and musical resolution of the system, but perhaps just as significantly or even more so on interactions between the technical characteristics of the cable and those of what it is …

Do Headphone Cables Make a Difference? Some Shocking Information to …

Mar 9, 2022So, it’s true that expensive cables make a difference. The primary purpose of the cable is to transmit all frequencies to the speaker. Some expensive headphone wires use purer conductor material to increase the sound quality. Some Audiophiles say that they feel a massive difference of sound between the expensive and cheap wire.

Do RCA Cables Make A Difference? (Solved) – Amp Boss

Dec 3, 2021RCA cables can make a huge difference to sound quality. To untrained ears, the sometimes-subtle difference in the sound quality is not apparent. However, RCA cables allow the sound to be detailed for a trained ear so that the listeners hear the layers and more complex sounds. To put it simply, RCA cables carry sounds in the form of voltage.

The Truth About Interconnects and Cables | Audioholics

Some leads are of flimsy construction, and may reduce the available power for sustained loud passages, however, the difference will rarely exceed 1dB in most cases. Speaker cables can (and sometimes do) sound different with a given amplifier and loudspeaker combination, even where they are well designed and of reasonable gauge. Excluded are …

Do you think speaker cables make a difference? – Quora

Answer (1 of 4): It’s known that speaker cables can make a difference — a measurable difference in frequency response. This generally occurs in the bass and the top octave, and depends on factors like the length and gauge of the cable and the output impedance of the amplifier. The effect, from …

Do speaker cables make any difference? | diyAudio

The difference in sound between these two types of cables is almost too small to measure. Does this mean that these amps are not so dependent on the quality of speaker cable or is there a specific cable I should be using.

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