10, 12, 14, 16 guage speaker wire > What do you use?

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Turbota
Turbota Posts: 255
edited October 2003 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
I am going to be hooking up 4 polk speakers and a powered Rava sub (all 8 ohm load speakers) for audio use only.

The longest run of speaker wire will be about 45 feet (for the rears)

Looking at a wire application chart, I could get by with as small as 16 guage wire, but I have heard that "bigger is better". I haven't purchased the wire yet.

Just wondering what the majority of people here are using.

10, 12, 14, or 16 guage?

Thanks,
Ron
2-Channel Audio
Onkyo ... A-9050 . . .Integrated Amp. (Power Amp Section not Used)
Onkyo ... M-282 . ... Power Amps .(Pair)
Onkyo ... C-7030 . _.CD Player
Polk . . *. RTi A7 - ....Front Speakers
Polk . . *. RTi A3 - ....Rear Speakers
Post edited by Turbota on
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  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited October 2003
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    12 for the mains and center, 14 to the surround and rear speakers.
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
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  • wallstreet
    wallstreet Posts: 1,405
    edited October 2003
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    I, in the minority, am using 16.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited October 2003
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    As a general rule (mine), 16awg will work fine on runs up to 50ft. 14awg works fine for runs up to 100ft.

    That being said, anything 12-16 should work fine for your scenario.

    I have my HT rig setup as Frank suggested, 12 on the front stage, 14 on the rears.

    I wired the entire house rig (up to 80ft runs) with 14. The outdoor speakers are wired with 16 (30ft run). No issues.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited October 2003
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    10 gauge all around the 5.1 HT.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited October 2003
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    Originally posted by dorokusai
    10 gauge all around the 5.1 HT.

    I was thinken 2:rolleyes:

    HBomb
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,522
    edited October 2003
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    I would personally run 14awg for the rears, 12awg on the fronts/sub. Why thicker wire on the shorter runs? 2 reasons; Because your main program material will be on the front/cntr, and your sub should have a heavier gauge. 14awg will be fine for rears at 45 feet.

    If you don't mind spending the extra bucks, go 12awg all-around.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,522
    edited October 2003
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    I didn't read your post closely. For an Audio only system, this is what I would run; 12awg stranded to the sub-woofer, Audioquest type 4 (or if you're feeling cocky, AQ Granite) to the 4 polks. Given that Polk's have a tendency to be a little "forward" in the upper frequencies, I'd lean towards the AudioQuest Granite--it's a little mellower than the Type 4.

    You have some nice equipment, I'd get some good specialty cables for it. I have some Athena AS-F2 towers that are a bit hot on the high-end, and the AQ Granite was a perfest match for them. Check Audio Advisor, they've been having a 50% off special on Granite for some time now--it's the ONLY reason I would spend that kind of money on cables.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • wallstreet
    wallstreet Posts: 1,405
    edited October 2003
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    O I Forgot, I use coax for the sub.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited October 2003
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    HBomb - Yea I was going to use #2/0 grounding cable stranded, leftover from the Sprint sites I do site acceptence for...but that seemed like overkill :D

    I guess I could have used #4 or #4 THHN, that would look real neat ;)
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited October 2003
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    Originally posted by dorokusai
    HBomb - Yea I was going to use #2/0 grounding cable stranded, leftover from the Sprint sites I do site acceptence for

    Big BadAss Green Cable;)

    HBomb
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • John K.
    John K. Posts: 822
    edited October 2003
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    No, Ron, bigger isn't necessarily better, just more expensive. I use just the standard 16ga lampcord for all my runs(up to 35 feet). Follow the chart, especially if it's here in this excellent article by a veteran audio professional.

    You should be planning to connect the sub with a coaxial cable, if possible, but if instead you want to use the same speaker wire to the sub's speaker level inputs, there's no problem. The connection to the sub carries no power(just the audio signal) at all unless you also use the speaker level outs on the sub to feed the other speakers; in that case the power would be carried over the amp to sub to speaker distance.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited October 2003
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    Blah blah ba blah ba blah. Blah ba bab ba, blah.

    OMG I just explained every theory ever discussed about cables and their physical properties.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited October 2003
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    Foolish boy, you only cover the theory behind electromotive force! Now had you stated YADA, YADA, YADA, well then all of the bases would have been covered!!
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited October 2003
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    Frank - Damnit, I knew I forgot something! Good one man :D
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Turbota
    Turbota Posts: 255
    edited October 2003
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    Well, I really appreciate all the feedback.

    This board and it's members are great! :)

    Thanks so much,
    Ron
    2-Channel Audio
    Onkyo ... A-9050 . . .Integrated Amp. (Power Amp Section not Used)
    Onkyo ... M-282 . ... Power Amps .(Pair)
    Onkyo ... C-7030 . _.CD Player
    Polk . . *. RTi A7 - ....Front Speakers
    Polk . . *. RTi A3 - ....Rear Speakers
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  • jkratzer
    jkratzer Posts: 148
    edited October 2003
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    14 GA for the surrounds and 12 GA for the fronts and center. Be sure to use high-quality, oxygen-free, high strand count wire. I use the wire from Parts Express.
    My 7.1 setup consists of:
    Denon 3803
    Panasonic DVD
    RTi70s front
    CSi40 front center
    RTi28s side surround
    FXi30s back surround
    PSW202 Subwoofer - Hey, it's my first sub!
    RCA 46" 4:3 RPTV
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited October 2003
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    Originally posted by Frank Z
    Foolish boy, you only cover the theory behind electromotive force! Now had you stated YADA, YADA, YADA, well then all of the bases would have been covered!!

    effin Gold Fank!:D
    Originally posted by steveinaz
    I would personally run 14awg for the rears, 12awg on the fronts/sub. Why thicker wire on the shorter runs? 2 reasons; Because your main program material will be on the front/cntr, and your sub should have a heavier gauge. 14awg will be fine for rears at 45 feet.

    If you don't mind spending the extra bucks, go 12awg all-around.

    [/B]

    yup^^2

    Twin
    ***WAREMTAE***
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