Speakers and Speaker Cable?

atg4

I know it's cliche but I too am a newby. I've been reading threads for quite a while/intermittently for months but now have a few questions of my own I can't find answers to on previous threads.

1) I have a Yamaha RX-V1900 Receiver and am planning on buying 6 Polk Audio RC85i speakers for mainly audio throughout my main level. (kitchen/great room/dining room) My home has a very open floor plan and the main level is approximately 1500 sq ft. Will those 6 speakers and if needed a sub fill up my house with adequate sound? The two speakers in my great room will double as my fronts for my main TV.

2) What kind of speaker cable should I get? A previous post suggested AudioQuest FLX-14/2 14-Gauge In-Wall Speaker Cable sold on crutchfield for a shorter distance than I must span. Would that be adequate for me? My receiver is in my unfinished basement (I will be accessing it using the Sonos system) and I will be wiring cable through the basement ceiling/main level floor to the speakers in the different areas. 4 of the speakers will require approximately 50-60 ft of cable each and the 2 speakers doubling as my fronts will only need about 20 ft of cable each. I would like to stay in the $150-$200 range but could pay more if it made a difference. Also, will 14g be large enough for that long of a distance i.e. 50-60ft?

Thanks so much for any reply. You all have more knowledge about this stuff than I do.

John K.

ATG, welcome to Club Polk. Whether the RC85i will supply "adequate" sound in your situation depends on your sound level requirements. Certainly moderately loud levels at typical listening distances of about 10 feet would be available.

As to the speaker wire, an excellent source of no-nonsense information which has helped many the past few years is found here . Study the discussion of wire in general and the table of suggested gauges in particular. Since the RC85i is rated at 8 ohms, you'll note from the table that a 14ga wire is plenty for the distances that you describe. You'll apparently need a total of 250-300 feet. If you deal with an excellent and also low-cost source such as MonoPrice, you can stay well under the budget which you've suggested. For example, 250 feet of 14ga in-wall is about $49.

cokewithvanilla

We just had plenty of arguments about cables here :P Some people say they hear a difference, some don't. For those that said they could hear a difference, the change was subtle.

I compared Axiom 12ga nothing special copper in 12 foot runs to 12 foot MIT EXP2. $2 cable vs $200 cable... I cannot tell the difference. If you are primarily going HT, I wouldn't even worry about trying to find something in higher quality, especially since you need so much.

F1nut

As to the speaker wire, an excellent source of no-nonsense information which has helped many the past few years is found at woger wabbit .

Ignore that link.

comfortablycurt

cokewithvanilla wrote: »

I compared Axiom 12ga nothing special copper in 12 foot runs to 12 foot MIT EXP2. $2 cable vs $200 cable... I cannot tell the difference. /QUOTE]



Very interesting....I'm still a skeptic of MIT cables. I've never heard any of them before, but I can't see how the "network boxes" could possibly not color the sound. It also bugs me that there isn't really a real explanation of what the boxes are or what they do...at least not that I've seen. It seems to me that the HUGE differences some people claim they hear with MIT's would be due to the network boxes somehow altering or coloring the sound. I may end up trying them eventually...but I'm not in any kind of a hurry.

Personally, I can't really say that I've ever heard huge differences in speaker cables, but I've definitely heard some subtle differences. I've only tried a few kinds though, to be fair. I've used some decent quality Stinger Audio 14 AWG zip cord, Audioquest Type 4, Canare 4S11 and Audioquest FLX-14/2. I'm currently using the Type 4 in my 2 channel rig, and the Canare 4S11 for the mains in my HT with the AQ FLX-14/2 for my center/surrounds. I've done numerous comparisons in my 2 channel rig recently with all my different speaker cables...and I can't say that I can really hear a huge difference in any of them. The Canare and the AQ Type 4 are better sounding than the other two, with the Type 4 probably taking the cake. The differences are very subtle though, and you really have to listen hard for them. However, I have heard very noticeable and significant differences between different interconnects.

I still plan on experimenting with some different speaker cables...but I'll never go too crazy with them.


For runs that long, I'd personally suggest going with 12 AWG. 14 would probably be fine, but the extra gauge definitely isn't gonna hurt. I'd suggest either the Canare 4S11 or the AQ FLX-14/2 for your budget. The Canare cable is available at Blue Jeans Cable for a very reasonable price.

mdaudioguy

Guys, the OP seems to be looking for an adequate speaker cable to run from his basement to some in-wall speakers throughout his first floor. I don't really think this requires much debate. Bringing MIT's into the discussion doesn't even seem appropriate, and will only cause this to spin wildly beyond the OP's needs. The answer here is, yes, 14 gauge will do, and it wouldn't hurt to go with 12 for longer runs, but it isn't necessary. There will probably not be any noticeable difference in sound between the two.

Just because the words "speaker cable" are in the thread title, it doesn't necessarily mean it has to be debated. Sometimes the answer is really quite simple.

atg4

You all have been most helpful and I appreciate all your responses. You have given me much to work with and I will ask any more questions as they arise.

I appreciate it!

digitalvideo

Go with Belden/Bluejeans: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

or...

Monoprice: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239

txcoastal1

atg4 wrote: »

You all have been most helpful and I appreciate all your responses. You have given me much to work with and I will ask any more questions as they arise.

I appreciate it!

If the question is about cable wait till after Easter...other wise you will be cause of very unhappy families...JK kinda

By the way welcome to the club...and good listenings