How to choose the right speaker wire/cable?

 

How to choose the right speaker wire/cable?

The purpose of Speaker cable is the wire used for the electrical connections between amplifier sources and loundspeakers system.The transfer is accomplished through the low-voltage electrical current conducted through the wires.It has three key electrical properties: resistance, capacitance and inductance. Resistance is by far the most important property to look at. Today most loudspeaker systems have an impedance between 4 ohm and 8 ohm.

As the resistance rises it starts to affect the system performance. Obviously there can be a reduction in the drive current to the loudspeaker as the voltage across the cable increases. The other issue is that the back EMF created by the loudspeaker needs to have a low impedance source against which to work. As the source impedance rises, so the back EMF is absorbed less. This affects the performance of the loudspeaker, particularly in the bass region where the bass may not be as pronounced and it may sound less natural.

Speaker cables should allow the current to pass from one end to the other as easily as possible, so that the full range and power of the audio can reach the speakers. That means using wires that minimize “resistance” to the passage of electricity. The resistance of the speaker cable can be altered by three main elements:

1、Conductor material: You certainly know that some materials conduct electricity better than others. One of the best conductors is Pure copper, which is the standard for speaker wires and the best choice. Some expensive speaker cables feature oxygen-free copper, specially refined so it doesn’t contract or expand with heat and supposedly offering higher audio performance. Quite honestly, you won’t notice a difference. You can also purchase copper-clad aluminum speaker wires at a lower price than 100% copper. It still makes the wire significantly less conductive. Less conductive wire means poor sound quality. Also it lead to cable breaks when going around tight corners easy.

2、Speaker wire AWG (American Wire Gauge): The AWG refers to the thickness of the copper wire in the cable. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. Most speaker wire ranges from 12 AWG to 16 AWG. It’s important to use the correct gauge for your speaker setup. The smaller the wire cross section, the higher the resistance will be.If a speaker has an impedance rating of 4 ohms, it may vary between 2 ohms and 8 ohms during use. It’s important to choose a wire that can handle your speaker’s impedance. Otherwise you risk distorting your sound and possibly damaging your equipment.

3、Length: Length is a big factor in deciding what gauge wire to use. For longer lengths of cable, you may consider using a thicker wire. For most average speakers 16 AWG wire, which will be functional carrying up to 600 watts at 50 feets or less. There’s no noticeable difference when comparing the performance of relatively short wires, but once you get up to lengths of 50-100 feet or more, resistance increases and audio quality starts to degrade. You may need to compensate for longer runs by using thicker wire. Below is a chart to help you match your speaker with the best cable thickness and length.

Speaker cable transmission distance as a function of conductor size vs.loss
AWG	Section (mm2)	Power loss in cable(% loss & dB loss)
		4 Ohm speaker			8 Ohm speaker			70V speaker
		11%	21%	50%	11%	21%	50%	11%	21%	50%
		0.5	1.0	3.0	0.5	1.0	3.0	0.5	1.0	3.0
6	13.3	277 ft	571 ft	1930 ft	554 ft	1141 ft	3859 ft	13580 ft	27965 ft	94548 ft
8	8.3	174 ft	359 ft	1214 ft	349 ft	718 ft	2428 ft	8546 ft	17598 ft	59498 ft
10	5.2	110 ft	226 ft	764 ft	219 ft	452 ft	1528 ft	5377 ft	11072 ft	37434 ft
12	3.3	69 ft	142 ft	480 ft	138 ft	284 ft	959 ft	3376 ft	6952 ft	23505 ft
14	2.0	43 ft	89 ft	302 ft	87 ft	179 ft	604 ft	2127 ft	4380 ft	14809 ft
16	1.3	27 ft	55 ft	185 ft	53 ft	110 ft	371 ft	1305 ft	2687 ft	9085 ft
18	0.82	17 ft	35 ft	117 ft	34 ft	69 ft	234 ft	823 ft	1694 ft	5726 ft
20	0.51	11 ft	22 ft	74 ft	21 ft	44 ft	147 ft	518 ft	1068 ft	3610 ft
22	0.32	7 ft	13 ft	46 ft	13 ft	27 ft	91 ft	321 ft	661 ft	2234 ft
24	0.2	4 ft	9 ft	29 ft	8 ft	17 ft	57 ft	202 ft	417 ft	1409 ft

 

Usually, the speaker cables carrying the signals will be 2 core, meaning they are designed to carry one audio signal. Also seen in speaker set-ups are 4 core speaker cables, and 8 core speaker cable which are capable of carrying two individual audio signals. These are used in more complex, high-end sound systems that require the use 2 amps to power 2 different parts of the 1 speaker, referred to as bi-amping.

            

Types of Speaker Cables for loundspeaker system:

1、Twinaxial Speaker Cable: It is consisting of 2-core / 4-core / 8-core twist conductors, Each conductor is fitted with a highly flexible jacket made of PVC. It is suitable for use with a power amplifier providing up to 1200W of power. It is suitable for connections between power amplifiers and passive speakers that feature the industry standard Speakon socket plugs.

2、In Wall Speaker Cable\Wire: It is consisting of 2-core twist conductors, Each conductor is fitted with a highly flexible jacket made of PVC. It is suitable for attaching an input device with an output device specially speakers, make the electrical connection between loud speakers and audio amplifiers. They are also used for the internal wiring of the speakers and in wall / ceiling applications installation.

3、Gold Silver speaker wire: It is consisting of tinned strand copper and bare strand copper conductors, including 22AWG, 20AWG, 18AWG, 15AWG, 13AWG, 11AWG. Each conductor is fitted with a highly flexible jacket made of PVC. It is suitable for attach an input device with an output device specially speakers, make the electrical connection between loud speakers and audio amplifiers. It is used for hi-fi speakers and PA systems 、home and car Hi-Fi connection、fixed installation.

4、Black and red speaker cable: It is consisting of 2-core twist conductors, 22AWG, 20AWG, 18AWG, 15AWG, 13AWG are available. Each conductor is fitted with a highly flexible jacket made of PVC. It is suitable for attach an input device with an output device specially speakers, make the electrical connection between loud speakers and audio amplifiers. Also it is used for hi-fi speakers and PA systems 、home and car Hi-Fi connection、fixed installation.

5、Flat speaker cables: These are flat cables for hard to fit areas like under carpets, etc.

Now that we are aware of the types of speaker cables, it’s time to delve into understanding which speaker cable fits which kind of home theatre system.

The final step in deciding on the types of wires will be determining which connectors you will need for your speaker connections. Speaker wires can be purchased with or without audio connectors, and not all connectors are compatible with all speaker or receiver terminals.

Today, the most common connectors on new speaker systems are Speakon connectors, which are both a type of connector. Speakon connectors can carry higher currents than most other connectors, and also provide more secure connections. Other popular connections are the 6.35mm jack and XLR connectors. Depending on your requirements, you may require cables that include a different type of connector on each end. Older sound systems use connectors use banana plugs or even bare wire connections. These types of connections are not common these days, mainly due to risk of electric shock as directly touching the bare wire or metal on the banana plug will include you in the circuit.

Now the only other consideration that’s important is making sure your cables have been manufactured by a reputable company like suteer. We offer an enormous range of high-quality speaker wires in all gauges, lengths, ratings and jacket types, all at our always-low prices – and without the unnecessary gimmicks which just add to the price tag. Now that you know the type of speaker wires you’ll need, you’ll be able to choose them easily.

Article reprinted from website:  http://propaudio.com/how-to-choose-the-right-speaker-wire-cable/