?'s 'bout size gauge wiring for system

Coconut Banger

i have a RF 551S power amp running to my new MM12. it says that the amp takes 4 gauge wiring, but from what i understand not everything is wired in the same size. so what type of wiring package do i need to buy (i think that most come with various sets of gauge sizes) ? of course this is only a 800 watt system or less so i know i need the 4 gauge but what else?

neomagus00

4 gauge wiring from battery to amp, 4 gauge from amp's ground to the car's chassis, and ~10 gauge for the sub minimum... go with whatever it can take (actually, probably 10 or 8). so get a 4 gauge single-amp wiring kit, as long as it has biggish speaker wire. perhaps try www.knukonceptz.com?

LittleCar_w/12s

Neo.. is right, but not just to say biggish

here's the math:
amp runs about 12-14 volts.. so takes high amperage... (about 57~60 amps)
---4 GA---
subs get power from amp at (800w given @ 4ohm)... so about 56 volts...
---10ga-8ga--- (need's 1/5th of power wire ga.)

All of my power wire is half the size it needs to be, but I'm just chap :rolleyes:
-Jerry

beenthere

I heard ya need 000 wire to the speakers for "good" sound quality !

Systems

As long as the speaker wire is short, 16ga. is fine for that if you have any laying around....I personally use 12ga. for all my installs.....

LittleCar_w/12s

no one with general listening habits needs 000.
-Jerry

beenthere

Did you miss this

Airplay355

could you use 13 ga wire from amp to sub and for the internal wiring of a sub if you were building it yourself?

exalted512

13 is huge for the internals of a sub...
i dunno what size are on my momo subs but i doubt its bigger than 16
-Cody

Airplay355

ok, ill use 15 ga then, what do u think of this wire? http://www.accessories4less.com/Amazing/items.asp?CartId=15307637DHXA-EVEREST-R53&Cc=CAB%2DSPFT&tpc=
(the 15 ga ixos)

sorry for the thread hijacking

exalted512

generally, speaker wire is speaker wire
-Cody

MacLeod

I agree. Im using 14 guage flat wire from Radio Shack. It was $20 for a 50 ft roll which is a pretty good deal. I wouldnt use a cheap RCA tho but speaker wire is all about the same.

neomagus00

yeah, the only things to look for in speaker wire are how bendy it is (useful in tight corners), and if there's thick insulation (so you don't scrape it off and short out the wire on accident); but rca's are vitally important, and i felt i should mention that even though you didn't ask aboot them... same thing with power wire as with speaker wire...

MacLeod

The only thing you should compare with power/ground wire is strand count. The more the better.

LittleCar_w/12s

I believe that I am using
10 0r 12 ga for my subs, and the wires inside the box. But on that note, I have passive inductance low-pass filters (coils) in the box, and I believe they are built from ... er... I'd guess 18ga solid wire... they don't add but hundredths of an ohm to the line, and no volume difference for under 100Hz. So it's really a matter of preference. The coils on a sub are made from really small wire compared to what you are ever going to use for the speaker wire.. in most cases so it really isn't the biggest issue.
Additionally, the lengths do not have to match, especially the larger guages, though some audiophiles will attest to "hearing" the diference :rolleyes:
-Jerry