how does size matter?

nooshinjohn

camp21178 wrote: »

Wow! These speaker wire posts are intense, and very entertaining. On the Motorcycle Journal forums we have the same intensity about which oil or what octane fuel to use. I just wish that I and other newcomers to this site could get as many responses when we ask about an amplifier or CD player.

Just wait until the name EMO pops up...:rolleyes::biggrin:

messiah

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Just wait until the name EMO pops up...:rolleyes::biggrin:

EMO + lamp cord = audio bliss :rolleyes:

nguyendot

messiah wrote: »

EMO + lamp cord = audio bliss :rolleyes:

What's the lamp cord for? Autoerotic asphyxiation?

leftwinger57

most people on this site tend to side w/ the more exspensive brand name wire,no real need unless your runs are very long. As a rule the larger the wire the less resistance to the speaker . I use 16g and is suites my rig.

messiah

nguyendot wrote: »

What's the lamp cord for? Autoerotic asphyxiation?

Of the eardrums.

djperez81

messiah wrote: »

Of the eardrums.

thats funny as hell:biggrin:

F1nut

TECHNOKID wrote: »

Well a thread from someone requesting for help now simply deserves a place in the Hall of Shame! Kids, I tell you :rolleyes:

Another positive contribution, I see. :rolleyes:

F1nut

leftwinger57 wrote: »

most people on this site tend to side w/ the more exspensive brand name wire,no real need unless your runs are very long.

Wrong again.

reeltrouble1

Hello Ms. Rocky. About the only thing me and the rest of the geeks love more than audio is ladies who love it with us. Welcome to our nook and congrats on your Polk speakers. Now the fact is the guy who sold you that cheap wire knows less about audio than you do, believe me.

I have used that guage to tie my boat cover down in a pinch and it was lousy for that. If you want to have some fun tell the fellow the velocity of propogation is quite poor, that the wire simply cannot provide enough electron flow for the amount of current required by your speakers when their impedance dips during transient bass hits. I guarantee he wont know and will just shrug or mumble it should work or other duh remark.

Or just return it, head over to Home Depot or similiar and pick up some 12 guage speaker wire. If your in the mood pick up some banana plugs to connect to your speakers, or just strip the wire bare and connect it.

Again welcome to Club Polk and congrats on your purchase.

As F1 is our unofficial President he takes alot of sniping from the Peanut Gallery.

Rest Assured.

He's Bad
He's Nationwide

RT1

nooshinjohn

Canare 2s4... trouble solved.

rockynbruno

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

Hello Ms. Rocky. About the only thing me and the rest of the geeks love more than audio is ladies who love it with us. Welcome to our nook and congrats on your Polk speakers. Now the fact is the guy who sold you that cheap wire knows less about audio than you do, believe me.

I have used that guage to tie my boat cover down in a pinch and it was lousy for that. If you want to have some fun tell the fellow the velocity of propogation is quite poor, that the wire simply cannot provide enough electron flow for the amount of current required by your speakers when their impedance dips during transient bass hits. I guarantee he wont know and will just shrug or mumble it should work or other duh remark.

Or just return it, head over to Home Depot or similiar and pick up some 12 guage speaker wire. If your in the mood pick up some banana plugs to connect to your speakers, or just strip the wire bare and connect it.

Again welcome to Club Polk and congrats on your purchase.

As F1 is our unofficial President he takes alot of sniping from the Peanut Gallery.

Rest Assured.

He's Bad
He's Nationwide

RT1

THANKS! WOW!!, you guys are pretty intense about this stuff. I never dreamed asking a question about wire would draw such debate. :eek: Guess I better let things simmer down a bit before I ask another question.

O.K., I can't wait any longer. I keep reading stuff about bannana plugs. Now I'll be the first to admitt I've been out of the loop for a bit but are those the roach clip things you connect the wire to the speaker with? I did strip the wire to make the connection.

I would go back in and "mess" with the guy from Radio Shack but I would need a 3x5 card so I could remember what you told me to tell him :biggrin: Might take away the effect. Of course, if I did, that may really cause him to scratch his head a bit.

Figured F1 was something like that. They are usually short and to the point or less is more.

Have a good weekend. I'll be gone but will be back sometime Monday. Get back to me about those bananna plugs would ya? LOL

p.s. I love ZZ Top

Take care

F1nut

I keep reading stuff about bannana plugs. Now I'll be the first to admitt I've been out of the loop for a bit but are those the roach clip things you connect the wire to the speaker with?

No, the roach clip things are for holding roaches and really tiny alligators. Banana plugs are more like a large stud or pin, if you will, only they are straight and not curved like a banana. They don't get ripe either.

headrott

F1nut wrote: »

No, the roach clip things are for holding roaches and really tiny alligators. Banana plugs are more like a large stud or pin, if you will, only they are straight and not curved like a banana. They don't get ripe either.

:biggrin:

Greg

rockynbruno

Keiko wrote: »

//////////\\\\\\\\\\

:biggrin:

Welcome aboard rockynbruno. Listen to this F1 guy, he knows what he's talking about.
RT1's alright too, but he has this fetish for visqueen and butter. Don't try petting him while he's popping his corn and you should be OK.... Also, avoid anyone claiming to be a dead President, crusading whiners and anyone that looks like this:



Very detrimental and we want you to enjoy yourself while visiting CP.

LOL! You guys are too funny! I have enjoyed my visits to CP. They have been very entertaining and I can't remember when I have laughed so much. Thanks to everyone for your time and input.

derouyag

The ultimate stupid question about speaker wire...

So if I combine three runs of 24g wire to a single speaker, would that mean that the treble travels down one, mid range the other, and the bass down the third? Maybe I should use three runs of 12g instead???

I personally thought the link in JohnK's post to be informative. It made sense in that if you used 30g wire in your house for electrical, you probably won't have a house for long; so resistance would come into play. Conversely, if you used 6g wire in your house electrical, while your house will not catch fire, that is about the only benefit you would see. The article also covered wire distances which made me feel better about using 16g for 35ft of run for my back speakers. Cheap wire for cheap systems, expensive wire for expensive systems. Simple really.

But please don't stop the bantering now... I was enjoying the soap opera stuff! :rolleyes:

F1nut

So if I combine three runs of 24g wire to a single speaker, would that mean that the treble travels down one, mid range the other, and the bass down the third?

Ummmm....no.

It made sense in that if you used 30g wire in your house for electrical, you probably won't have a house for long; so resistance would come into play. Conversely, if you used 6g wire in your house electrical, while your house will not catch fire,

What's that got to do with speaker cable?

that is about the only benefit you would see.

Ummmm....no.

Cheap wire for cheap systems, expensive wire for expensive systems. Simple really.

True.

rockynbruno

derouyag wrote: »

The ultimate stupid question about speaker wire...

So if I combine three runs of 24g wire to a single speaker, would that mean that the treble travels down one, mid range the other, and the bass down the third? Maybe I should use three runs of 12g instead???

I personally thought the link in JohnK's post to be informative. It made sense in that if you used 30g wire in your house for electrical, you probably won't have a house for long; so resistance would come into play. Conversely, if you used 6g wire in your house electrical, while your house will not catch fire, that is about the only benefit you would see. The article also covered wire distances which made me feel better about using 16g for 35ft of run for my back speakers. Cheap wire for cheap systems, expensive wire for expensive systems. Simple really.

But please don't stop the bantering now... I was enjoying the soap opera stuff! :rolleyes:

Are you implying I'm stupid? The ultimate stupid question about speaker wire...



Are you implying I'm cheap?:frown: Cheap wire for cheap systems, expensive wire for expensive systems.

I see you have a set of tsi200's too.

spock 2054

rockynbruno wrote: »

Are you implying I'm stupid? The ultimate stupid question about speaker wire...



Are you implying I'm cheap?:frown: Cheap wire for cheap systems, expensive wire for expensive systems.

I see you have a set of tsi200's too.

I think y'all need to lighten up. Scroll down to the section on Gordon Gow's Speaker listening test...

Roger Russell – a former engineer and speaker designer for McIntosh Labs – describes the introduction of expensive speaker wire brands, and critiques their performance in his online essay called Speaker Wire.

Read more here: Just a snip from:
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

In the early 1980's, special speaker wires were beginning to appear on the market. Some of the claims were totally unbelievable and had prices to match. Realizing that wire resistance was the critical factor in speaker wire, Gordon Gow, President of McIntosh Laboratory, used a speaker cable demonstration to show there was no listening difference between these wires and plain line cord. He delivered his presentation about the truth in speaker wire using a reel of Monster cable to stand on. Fifty-foot lengths of wire were used in the comparison. The setup consisted of a master control relay box and two slave relay boxes. A three-position switch was used to select one of three different speaker wires of equal length. One was line cord. The other two wires were from popular manufacturers. 8-ohm speakers were selected to be used in the test. The two other brand name wires were heavier than the line cord.

halo71

Spock, you ain't gonna make any friends posting Roger Russell links here! :rolleyes:


Rocky, don't fret about that post. I think he should have started his own thread. His post really doesn't have a thing to do with your question.

inspiredsports

The perennial Roger Russell link. I am slitting my wrists. :eek:

F1nut

spock 2054 wrote: »

I think y'all need to lighten up.

And what cables have you tried?

inspiredsports

Originally Posted by spock 2054
I think y'all need to lighten up.

F1nut wrote: »

And what cables have you tried?

Maybe some fifty-foot lengths of wire through a master control relay box and two slave relay boxes with a three three-position switch to select . . . ? :rolleyes:

tonyb

Cracks me up the ones with no experience are the most vocal in the cable debate.

rockynbruno

halo71 wrote: »

Spock, you ain't gonna make any friends posting Roger Russell links here! :rolleyes:


Rocky, don't fret about that post. I think he should have started his own thread. His post really doesn't have a thing to do with your question.

I'm not. I was being sarcastic. It's all good.

spock 2054

F1nut wrote: »

And what cables have you tried?

I don't believe in the hype. My interconnects between my speakers and receiver are more than capable of passing an quality audio signal that sounds fine to me. (monoprice)

I work part time in a television station in digital master control, monitoring video and audio, and riding gain on audio levels, and we buy wire in spools for different applications,(networks, audio, video) and we terminate the ends. The speaker wire connected to the Mackie speakers in master control and all of the audio control rooms, avid editing suites, and audio voice booths is not some esoteric, oxygen free wire that costs $100 per foot, but we get excellent sound out of the speakers, regardless.

It's a shame some on these forums take a holier than thou attitude because someone presents a point of view that has been discussed before, like wire. Most of us are just trying to help a noob brother or sister out with a logical and cost efficient solution to their question/issue/conundrum..:cool:

In the attached picture, the wire connecting the mic is standard belden issue - it's what its connected to and how it's connected that makes the difference in audio quality. (pic snapped in a voice booth for Sesame Street voice talent during a visit with a friend who works at the Astoria Studios in Queens, New York)

inspiredsports

spock 2054 wrote: »

I don't believe in the hype. My interconnects between my speakers and receiver are more than capable of passing an quality audio signal that sounds fine to me. (monoprice)

I work part time in a television station, and we buy wire in spools for different applications,(networks, audio, video) and we terminate the ends. The speaker wire connected to the Mackie speakers in master control and all of the audio control rooms, avid editing suites, and audio voice booths is not some esoteric, oxygen free wire that costs $100 per foot, but we get excellent sound out of the speakers, regardless.

It's a shame some on these forums take a holier than thou attitude because someone presents a point of view that has been discussed before, like wire. Most of us are just trying to help a brother or sister out with a logical and cost efficient solution to their question/issue/conundrum..:cool:

While some may want a cost efficient solution, don't forget there are a lot of audiophiles in forums like these who might be willing to spend whatever it takes to ring out the last few 100ths of performance from their rigs. Some will use coat hangers between components, and some can justify spending what you spent on your last few cars or even your house.

spock 2054

inspiredsports wrote: »

While some may want a cost efficient solution, don't forget there are a lot of audiophiles in forums like these who might be willing to spend whatever it takes to ring out the last few 100ths of performance from their rigs. Some will use coat hangers between components, and some can justify spending what you spent on your last few cars or even your house.

You are missing the point. More power to you if you have the expendable income. Just try to be nice and not snobby about it.

F1nut

spock 2054 wrote: »

I don't believe in the hype. My interconnects between my speakers and receiver are more than capable of passing an quality audio signal that sounds fine to me. (monoprice)

I work part time in a television station in digital master control, monitoring video and audio, and riding gain on audio levels, and we buy wire in spools for different applications,(networks, audio, video) and we terminate the ends. The speaker wire connected to the Mackie speakers in master control and all of the audio control rooms, avid editing suites, and audio voice booths is not some esoteric, oxygen free wire that costs $100 per foot, but we get excellent sound out of the speakers, regardless.

It's a shame some on these forums take a holier than thou attitude because someone presents a point of view that has been discussed before, like wire. Most of us are just trying to help a noob brother or sister out with a logical and cost efficient solution to their question/issue/conundrum..:cool:

In the attached picture, the wire connecting the mic is standard belden issue - it's what its connected to and how it's connected that makes the difference in audio quality. (pic snapped in a voice booth for Sesame Street voice talent during a visit with a friend who works at the Astoria Studios in Queens, New York)

Talk about missing the point. How about trying something other than basic cable before voicing an opinion and no, most of us are not simply trying to help a noob brother or sister out with a logical and cost efficient solution to their question/issue/conundrum. At Club Polk we try to help them elevate their listening experience to new levels. If you want ho-hum, there are any number of other audio sites where folks like to hover at the bottom rung.

Edit: I forgot to mention that we even have a couple of demo programs here for MIT IC's and PS Audio power cords that are free to try. Check them out.

ben62670

30ga wire to wire a house? I hope it is woger wussell's house. I am going to beat a baby seal now.

BlueFox

spock 2054 wrote: »

You are missing the point. More power to you if you have the expendable income. Just try to be nice and not snobby about it.

I do not think anyone is being "snobby". The issue is some, for whatever reason, jealousy perhaps, insist on telling people there is no difference between inexpensive, more expensive, and very expensive speaker and/or interconnect cables. Yet, they have never even tried anything other than some inexpensive cable. Their wisdom comes from reading something on the Internet. While reading is an excellent way to learn, just reading the same old thing, and not paying attention to alternative views, is not any way to learn. Of course, if possible, having actual experience to confirm or deny what has been read is very useful.

Along the main issue of this thread, does size matter, tomorrow or Saturday I should receive my new speaker cables, Omega Mikro Planar V cables. These are the first piece of used gear I have bought, and it saved me $721. I already have the entry level Planar I, and they really made a positive improvement over the previous cables. And the previous cables were a big step up from the 12 gauge they replaced, and I certainly expect the new cables to be even better.

I really like the design of these cables. They are a flat ribbon enclosed in an open copper mesh so the conductor “sees” mostly air for a greatly reduced dielectric effect. They are very light, and easy to work with for routing and elevating off the floor. The Planar V cables apply a positive voltage to the mesh to further reduce the dielectric effect. At least that’s the story. I will find out soon.

http://www.omegamikro.com/Speaker_Cable_V.html