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I want to build an audio rack behind the seating area and use an Xanteck IR Repeater. My question is with the rack being in the back of the room what you recomend for speaker wire to run to the front speakers and sub.
I figure it will be roughly a 45' run to the front speakers ans one of the subs. I was thinking of using Monster 14/2 speaker wire.
What are your thoughts and recomendations. If this is too far to have th rack from the main speakers please let me know and I will find an alternative location for the rack.
In my opinion, and it is probably shared by others, is not to get monster. The 14 gauge is nothing special for a 45 foot run and for the same money you can get 12 gauge or bigger from radio shack, hdepot, parts express etc. Also consider making a flexy rack, they are easy to make, cheap and of course flexible. Do a search to see how others have made them, I did and would do it again.
I’ll second Graham’s recommendation, both about the Monster cable and 12ga. wire in general. For a run of this length you definitely want to use heavier 12ga. If you’re making the run in-wall, you need to use in-wall rated cable.
Re the sub, if it’s signal-level you’re running, the cheapest route is RG-59 or –6 coaxial.
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
My Equipment List
“A nice mid-fi system,” according to an audiophile acquaintance.
I was looking at Parts Express for speaker wire. What is better the Sound King or Carol? I have never heard of either of these manufactures. I was looking at getting the Monster cable off of ebay for $.20 per foot for 14 guage but it does not sound like that is going to be suffice.
The subwoofer amp will be with the rack items so it will be just speaker wire I am running to the sub. I guess my purpose for putting the rack behind the seating area is to keep the front looking clean and the fact that their is a storage closet behind the seating area so I could have acess to the back of the rack easily.
Still open to thoughts on speaker wire. It will be running in the walls. so what brand would you suggest. I do not particularly care for the home depot in wall stuff at it feels like a clothes hanger it is so stiff.
I don't think that you are going to find certified in-wall speaker wire that bends well. The insulation is fire-retardant, and that is why it is stiff.
Will the performance of the speakers suffer from such a long run? What are the down falls?
I guess I can see the wire not being as flexable due to the coating, but I do not what to get it all set up and find out something is lacking and have to redue the set up.
Cable is the LAST thing(Read This.) that affects the sound in your stereo system. Just buy some 12ga cable as has been recommended and have at it. As for "in wall" cable, you need to find out from your local fire codes if you need to run "Plenum" cable in the walls. Generally, in the US, you do. Plenum is not THAT much more inflexible than PVC(regular flamable cable ).
Daffy Arthur King
\"Saying Windows 2000 is equal to MacOS X is like finding a potato that looks like Jesus and believing you\'ve witnessed the second coming.\"
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