does speaker cable REALLY matter? Honestly.. (1 Viewer)

[Dan Hitchman]

From 16 gauge to 12 gauge, depending on your equipment, I would say YES. Isn't 16 gauge like lamp cord?-- pretty darn thin.

Dan

 

[RAF]

I like to spend my money on things where they really count in my HT. That said, I used the Parts Express 12 gauge OFC cable mentioned previously (~$.30/foot) when I constructed my theater and have been completely satisfied.

To me, 12 gauge OFC is a good balance between price and performance and you won't be disappointed. Yes, you can spend more, but, IMHO, why?

To each his/her own I guess.

 

[Howard_S]

I have 12gauge for my mains and 16gauge for my surrounds right now. What would be better for my mains? 10gauge? Would moving to 12gauge for my surrounds be a good idea?

 

[Chu Gai]

howard: provided the runs to your surrounds are not very long say over 50' you should consider leaving things the way they are. since you presumably level match the 16 gauge is not an issue. very long lengths and/or small gauge (say 28) serves to attenuate the high frequencies somewhat. as far as the age of your cables provided there are not obvious signs of deterioration such as cracking insulation (due to loss of plasticizer) this is not an issue.

John: as far as hearing differences, all i can say on this matter is sometimes the differences are indeed audible. as an ee i'm sure you're aware that cables can and do have different electrical properties. the question then becomes do the differences translate to audible differences. for that one needs to bring another science into the mix and that is of auditory science. throw in some properly conducted tests and one starts to come up with scientifically grounded reasons as to why, in certain instances, people believe they hear something different. the human mind is hardly an infallible tool and what one hears is enormously influenced by a variety of parameters...time of day, how you're feeling, someone elses body language, preconceived notions, the desire to be an audiphile afficianado...the list goes on.

Some things are indeed subjective...speakers, how you place them, your preferences as to room treatments, a little extra bass. As far as speaker cables, the verdict is still out and one must ask, why have cable companies that certainly have deep enough pockets been either unwilling or unable to conduct rigorous tests?

To that end "Things are seldom what they seem

Skim milk masquerades as cream"

---- W.S. Gilbert, H.M.S. Pinafore II

 

[Max Knight]

I think that cables can change sound. Note that I do not say that a more expensive cable will make your system sound better. It might, or it might make it sound worse, or it just might make it sound different. There is a lot of snake-oil out there in the cable market, but cables can also be a good way to fine tune your system. It's my opinion that if all cables cost the same, we would never have the debate about whether or not they made a difference!

I believe it's easier to tell what sort of change a cable makes to sound through 2 channel listening. And I think it makes a big difference what sort of equipment you are using. Low to mid-fi equipment will probably not reveal as much about a cable's character as high end gear. So buying $300 per meter cable to hook up $300 speakers to a $300 receiver will probably not sound all that much better or worse than using $.30 a foot cable.

That said I use bettercables standard speaker cable up front, and a thin el-cheapo cable for the rears (it's got to run under a carpet).

My advice on cable buying: don't expect a night and day difference in sound. If you are buying expensive cables, make sure the dealer has a return policy in case you don't like the sound or feel that you are not getting enough improvement for the money. And if you have any doubt, return the cables and put the cash towards better components!

-Max