Subwoofer wire

Zach R · 07-10-2006, 05:52 AM

Hello,

I am building a house and the builder is wiring it for 5.1 surround in the living room. We already had an issue with the subwoofer not being wired. Now it is wired but its wired with RG59/60 cable. Will this work? If so how do I hook it up?

John Garcia · 07-10-2006, 11:22 AM

RG6/59 are probably the best choice for in wall sub wiring. If it is just hanging there with no connector, you want to get a RCA end for RG6/59. If it has a F termination already, you can either cut it off or buy an F to RCA adapter. Either should be available at Radio Shack. You can also terminate the wire at a wall plate with an RCA out, using that as the adapter. That may or may not be readily available at the Shack, but can usually be found at most HT shops or online.

Zach R · 07-10-2006, 12:46 PM

Thanks for the response. It has no end on it. I just wasnt aware that RG6 would work for a subwoofer and was afraid that they ran the wrong wire. Thanks again for clarifying it for me.

ScottCHI · 07-10-2006, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zach R

I just wasnt aware that RG6 would work for a subwoofer..........

No worries. As John said, it will work great. It's shielded, 75ohm cabling, which is exactly what you want.

EvanW · 07-12-2006, 01:04 AM

Ok, i was just reading this and id im pretty much stumped by it, are we talking about a signal cable for a powered inwall sub or wire for actually powering the driver, and in either case why would coax cable be what u want, a simple shielded RCA cable should do for signal transfer to an amp, and for powering a speaker dual conductor 16 ga should be fine....

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Jeff Gatie · 07-12-2006, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvanW

Ok, i was just reading this and id im pretty much stumped by it, are we talking about a signal cable for a powered inwall sub or wire for actually powering the driver, and in either case why would coax cable be what u want, a simple shielded RCA cable should do for signal transfer to an amp, and for powering a speaker dual conductor 16 ga should be fine....

RCA cables are coax, they are just terminated by an RCA connector instead of an F connector (hence the fancy schmancy 'Digital Coax' name for an RCA video cable used in a digital audio connection). See John Garcia's reply to switch connections here:

Quote:

If it has a F termination already, you can either cut it off or buy an F to RCA adapter. Either should be available at Radio Shack. You can also terminate the wire at a wall plate with an RCA out, using that as the adapter.

ScottCHI · 07-12-2006, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvanW

a simple shielded RCA cable should do for signal transfer to an amp....

As JGatie said, shielded RCA cable IS coax cabling.

75ohm cabling, although possibly not entirely necessary, IS best for a long run like what might be encountered with a subwoofer. Many commercially available subwoofer cables ARE 75ohm cable.

Many cable DIYers use RG59 or RG6, terminated properly, for all their line-level interconnects.

He already has a run of RG6, there. This is shielded 75ohm cabling and with the proper ends will work perfectly as a subwoofer cable.

John Garcia · 07-12-2006, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvanW

a powered inwall sub or wire for actually powering the driver, and in either case why would coax cable be what u want, a simple shielded RCA cable should do for signal transfer to an amp, and for powering a speaker dual conductor 16 ga should be fine....

Speaker level connection for a sub is the least desirable method of connection, especially over a longer run. In this case, the coax serves the same purpose as an RCA interconnect (RCA interconnects ARE coaxial cables...), so it is a signal only cable - the best choice for in wall installation in most cases.