16 AWG or 12 AWG??

S T R Y K K E R

I have finally finished my hometheater setup and have 16awg wire ran to all 11 speakers .......all wire is ran at 40 ft each........

I'm wondering if I should go with 12awg instead?

The reason I ask is some say it allows better signal flow...and takes load strain off receiver,and some say 80 feet or below 16awg will do fine?

What are you guys using in your setup?

mantis

For your speaker package and receiver the 16 will work fine. Run everything in small 80hz to sub.
Now if you plan on upgrading to better speakers down the road , I'd change the speaker wire to 14 gauge , 12 gauge is not necessary at those lengths.

This is what I use , the price is fantastic and it's very good wire.
http://www.crutchfield.com/s_703142250/AudioQuest-FLX-14-2-14-Gauge-2-Conductor-In-Wall-Speaker-Cable-250-feet.html?tp=1432

S T R Y K K E R

Would this wire work?


link--->>> http://www.lowes.com/pd_314364-20424-55269-S4-08_4294821827_4294933768_?productId=3128549&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Electrical%2BWire%2BCable_4294821827_4294933768_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1

Copper wire is copper wire right???

mantis

Sure it would work but I see UL listed but not CL approved for in wall use. It's direct burial wire designed for outdoor lighting.
I perfer to use speaker wire for speaker wire. When it was designed , it was not designed for audio. I'm not going to get into the whole wire makes a difference thing , you can learn all about that on your own. I suggest using 14-2 CL2 or CL3 in wall speaker wire.
Beldon , Liberty , Monstercable , Audioquest , Monoprice , whoever you want.

TNRabbit

Gauge requirement is related to length versus how much power you are running through them. Unless you're pushing godawful amounts to your speakers, 16 will be fine.

Unless you just like to spend money....

TNRabbit

S T R Y K K E R wrote: »

Would this wire work?


link--->>> http://www.lowes.com/pd_314364-20424-55269-S4-08_4294821827_4294933768_?productId=3128549&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Electrical%2BWire%2BCable_4294821827_4294933768_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1

Copper wire is copper wire right???

That is EXACTLY what I use for surrounds/center. My mains are a little more esoteric (PS Audio on ribbons, slammin86's custom Canare S411 cables on the woofers).

S T R Y K K E R

thanks rabbit

HTguru1982

What a setup! Do you have pics posted anywhere?? Oh, so that your sig doesn't take up so much space, change the font to like '10'.

BlueFox

IMO, with cheap wire, 12 gauge is always preferable over smaller wire. A few years ago, I upgraded my HT 16 gauge 'speaker wire' to 12 gauge hardware store twisted copper low voltage wire, and was able to hear a difference. A bit more clarity and openness was there. The longest runs (right front/rear) are approximately 18 feet. The shortest (left front/rear) is 6 feet. The center is 12 feet.

Joe08867

I would also suggest 12 gauge wire. That is the smallest I use ever.

AudioGenics

you could double up on the 16 gauge if there is sufficient room....

Gadabout

If you interested in UL & CL/NEC rated for in wall use speaker cable, Blue jeans cable sells 10ga and 12ga in bulk. Prices are faily reasonable and they ship in the bulk USPS boxes.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

Scott

Zeros

What about 14ga wire? I used Monoprice's 14ga CL2 rated in wall wire to wire my entire theater. It should be thick enough for the lengths you are running and is fire rated for in wall use. I know it's not the best wire, but it is probably better than the Lowes wires.

Here's a link to their 14ga CL2 speaker wire, about $22 for 100 ft:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023902&p_id=2820&seq=1&format=2

Here's a link to their 12ga CL2 wire if you decide to go the 12 ga route, about $30 for 100 ft:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=2817&seq=1&format=2

Deslock

At amazon there are a lot of cheap options for 12 gauge ($24 for 100', $45 for 250'):

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PSC12250-12-Gauge-250-Feet-Quality/dp/B003ZX4Q7M
http://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-RSW12100-Gauge-Quality-Speaker/dp/B000XPSH70

Are there any reasons not to get that stuff for TSi500s, CS2, PSW505, and TBD rears running through a Denon AVR-2112?

P.S. Possibly useful link for other newbs like me:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-TnkY0yg2P4j/learn/learningcenter/home/speakers_wire.html