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speaker wiring, interconnects

#1
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8/15/08 at 9:29pm
  • Joined: July 2008
  • Location: Silicon Valley, CA
  • Post Count: 13
I'm looking to buy speaker wire and interconnects, and wondering what to look for in them.
How do I figure out what AWG I need? Checked with a friend and he says 16 AWG should be good for any room. Is it ok to go with lower numbers like 14 or 12 AWG just to be on safe side? Or would that cause any problems?
2 conductors or 4 conductors? and, is it always better to get with Oxygen free copper cable?
For the banana plugs, which one is better? closed screw or open screw?

For HDMI, again what AWG? Is Silver plated better than gold plated?
I'm planning to get all the wiring in-wall.

Thanks for helping.
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#2
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8/16/08 at 4:36am
  • Joined: December 2003
  • Location: Charlotte, NC
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Re: speaker wiring, interconnects

For in-wall runs I would go with 14awg. 16 is sufficient for most situations, but the cost difference is typically quite small. Unless you're bi-amping 4 condutor wire is simply increasing your awg.

HDMI is a little trickier. For an in-wall run I would probably use something like the Belden Series 1 from BlueJeans Cables which is 23.5awg.
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#3
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8/16/08 at 5:42am
  • Joined: August 2003
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Re: speaker wiring, interconnects

Quote:
Is it ok to go with lower numbers like 14 or 12 AWG just to be on safe side? Or would that cause any problems?
I would go with 12 g (oxygen free). It's not that much more and you only want to run wires once. Particularly if it's in-wall. If you're really on the cheap, consider this from monoprice.com.
Quote:
For the banana plugs, which one is better? closed screw or open screw?
On the receiver end, I prefer the closed screw type like these and for the speakers I'd use the open type like these, although I use spades or bare wire.
Quote:
For HDMI, again what AWG? Is Silver plated better than gold plated?
I'm planning to get all the wiring in-wall.
I would think the thicker gauge would be better, but I'm not the best one to answer that. Here's their fine selection of hdmi cables. As for silver or gold, I would also think gold would be better, but again, I'm not sure why.
"Everyday room": Mitsubishi 52631 RPTV, H/K 520, H/K dvd-5, H/K 8380, H/K CDR 20, OPPO BDP-83 BluRay player, Dish-HD, Infinity Beta 20's-C250-OWS1's, Dayton HSU10.
"Movie/Music room": Toshiba 65HM167 RPTV, Pioneer Elite 59txi, Elite DV59avi, Elite CD-59, Pioneer PD-51FD BR, Dish-DVR, Swan Diva...
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#4
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8/16/08 at 3:11pm
  • Joined: July 2008
  • Location: Silicon Valley, CA
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Re: speaker wiring, interconnects

Does it mean the quality of speaker wire at monoprice is not that great? Where could I find better quality wires if I don't mind spending more?

This is probably a dumb question.. when they say 16AWG 4 conductor wire, does it mean each conductor is 16AWG? If so, then it would be like 8 AWG or 10 AWG (if I'm not bi-amping), right?

Thanks for the responses.
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#5
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8/16/08 at 5:18pm
  • Joined: August 2003
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Re: speaker wiring, interconnects

Quote:
Does it mean the quality of speaker wire at monoprice is not that great? Where could I find better quality wires if I don't mind spending more?
I use it and it seems fine to me. And it's CL-2 rated for in-wall use, which is code in most places. They just charge a fair price. But many here also use/recommend Home Depot 12 g bulk wire. And as Seth mentioned, there's always BlueJeans Cables (which is a forum sponsor) or Belden, AR, etc.
Quote:
This is probably a dumb question.. when they say 16AWG 4 conductor wire, does it mean each conductor is 16AWG? If so, then it would be like 8 AWG or 10 AWG (if I'm not bi-amping), right?
I'm sure each wire would be 16 g, which is the thinnest I'd use under any circumstances. Dual 16 g would add up to about a single 12 g if I remember correctly (I read it in an electrical wiring book many years ago). 2 X 14 = 10 g and 2 X 12 = 8. Or there abouts. If I were bi-amping I'd still use 12 g for both. It's not that much more so I would want to do it right the first time.
"Everyday room": Mitsubishi 52631 RPTV, H/K 520, H/K dvd-5, H/K 8380, H/K CDR 20, OPPO BDP-83 BluRay player, Dish-HD, Infinity Beta 20's-C250-OWS1's, Dayton HSU10.
"Movie/Music room": Toshiba 65HM167 RPTV, Pioneer Elite 59txi, Elite DV59avi, Elite CD-59, Pioneer PD-51FD BR, Dish-DVR, Swan Diva...
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