Speaker wire/cable

cindy100
cindy100 Posts: 256
edited May 2006 in Speakers
Hi! I need to get some new speaker wire and am aware of Blue Jeans Cable through this forum. I know everyone has different opinions on wire and I would like to hear from you as to what brands you like, what size/type I should get, stay away from, etc. I do remember reading womewhere that I should keep the lenghts the same for each speaker; is this true? When I was leaving the electronics store yesterday, the sales guy showed me a set of wires/cables; they were 10 feet long and cost $180 which is way out of my price range. I have no idea what brand they were; I didn't even bother to look because of the price. Thanks again for your help. I do appreciate it.

Cindy
Post edited by cindy100 on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • John K.
    John K. Posts: 822
    edited May 2006
    Cindy, the wire that the salesman offered to you costs about 100 times more than is necessary for wire that can handle the rather trivial job that speaker wire does. For a good explanation of speaker wire see this discussion by a veteran audio professional. Considering the shipping charges for wire ordered online probably the most practical idea is to buy at a local supplier of hardware items, e.g. Home Depot, Lowes etc. You should be able to get suitable wire for 20-30 cents a foot.

    As for the lengths of the wires, no, there's no good reason for keeping the lengths equal. The electromagnetic wave carrying the power travels down the outside of the wire at nearly the speed of light and the differences in lengths would have to be many miles before there would be an audible timing difference. Any difference in sound levels is taken care of when the calibration is done.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • candyliquor35m
    candyliquor35m Posts: 2,267
    edited May 2006
    I'm happy with the electrical wire I get from lowes and it's cheap to experiment with different gauge and stranded vs. solid core. Then when you know what sounds good to you and if looks are important to you then you know exactly what to ask for if you go for the Blue Jeans and such. If you're patient, you can find some in our flea market from time to time.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited May 2006
    www.signalcable.com

    Frank supports the Polk Forum gatherings, and offers members a discount.

    Get your hifi on.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited May 2006
    For now, try some plain old 12 guage speaker wire from Lowes or Home Depot. It's about $ 0.50 per foot.
    Carl

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited May 2006
    Bad call.

    If you buy anything from HD or Lowes, get some straight 14/2 lamp cord, they make it in black (my fav). The 'speaker' wire they offer is a joke. You'll be lucky if it isn't green in a month.

    Lamp cord. Old school. Tried and proven for years.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,753
    edited May 2006
    Cindy,

    This is VERY important, so pay attention. Whatever you do, do not follow any advice that John K. offers up. His choice of sources include 2 mega cd changers that he thinks offer the best in sound reproduction available today. The guy wouldn't know the sound of high fidelity if it hit him right in the ears. 'Nuff said!
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited May 2006
    Cindy100 , welcome to Club Polk.

    Sorry I don't have anything to add.

    best of luck in your quest for good wires.

    Danger boy

    P.S. my signature lists the brands of wires/cables i use. ;)
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Toxis
    Toxis Posts: 5,116
    edited May 2006
    I also have cobalt speaker cables and love them. They sound more warm than some others I've tried and its what fits my wants. I've tried some other cables and keep coming back to these. There's a thousand options on cabling and a thousand opinions on each of those options from people. I would never suggest going to Lowe's and getting cheap speaker wire because I've gone down that road and hated the result. But I'm not saying you have to spend $180 on speaker wire either. I suggest giving Cobalt, bettercables.com, blue jeans, signal etc. all a chance at some point. Hell, a friend of mine was confused on what to do so he bought a set of them all. They all had money back guarantees so he tried them all for a few weeks/a month and returned the ones he didn't like. Sure it costs a lot initially but he got everything back he didn't want. I just wish I would've had the chance to try a few out before he sent them back. lol He stayed with bettercables I want to say.

    PS - and i'm surprised I'm the first to say this, but stay away from Monster. :D
    Never kick a fresh **** on a hot day.

    Home Setup: Sony VPL-VW85 Projo, 92" Stewart Firehawk, Pioneer Elite SC-65, PS3, RTi12 fronts, CSi5, FXi6 rears, RTi6 surround backs, RTi4 height, MFW-15 Subwoofer.

    Car Setup: OEM Radio, RF 360.2v2, Polk SR6500 quad amped off 4 Xtant 1.1 100w mono amps, Xtant 6.1 to run an eD 13av.2, all Stinger wiring and Raammat deadener.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited May 2006
    12awg from Home Depot. Going on 2+ years and its not green. If it goes bad, I'll spend $8 again.
    Never Forget
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2006
    Just buy what you feel like buying, it doesn't matter.
    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 $50 bucks, mint.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,059
    edited May 2006
    there are some surplus stores that sell AR speakre cable, not the best but at 10$ 50ft can't go wrong.
    FWIW I use Kimber 4pr on my main system and monster on the bedroom system
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,465
    edited May 2006
    I have been using the Home Depot special 12awg for over 15 years and have yet to see it turn green.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Drumingman
    Drumingman Posts: 348
    edited May 2006
    The 12 guage I bought at Lowes is made by the Woods Wire and Cable.
    You know, they make all kinds of wire and surge protectors and Stuff.
    48 cents per foot, Not the big cable I really wanted but it'll do for now.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zen Dragon
    Zen Dragon Posts: 501
    edited May 2006
    Cindy:
    Speaker wire and interconnects is where you will find some of the largest deviation in opinion on this forum, or had you noticed. :)

    Just purchase something of good quality from a reliable retailer and don't break the bank. Anything you get from Blue jeans cable whom you have mentioned should do well for you.

    FYI, the quad cable on their web page is 4 separate conductors in the same jacket and would primarily be run only if hooking up a bi-wire set-up.
    The Family
    Polk SDA-1C's
    Polk SDA-2
    Polk Monitor 10B's
    Polk LSI-9's
    Polk Monitor 5's
    Polk 5 jr's
    Polk PSW-450 Sub
    Polk CSI40 Center

    Do not one day come to die, and discover you have not lived.
    This is pretty f***ed up right here.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,008
    edited May 2006
    Cindy,Welcome to the mad house,as a good faith welcome jesture,
    PM me with your info and I will send you a pair of 10 ft Monster Z1
    cables,no cost to you just to get ya rolling.Don't let these rejects
    from MONSTER INC. scare you,hang around we really are nice people,
    aren't we?:) :)Well...thought so 'till today anyway.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter