Is monster XP speaker wire 14g or 16g??? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Guidry]

I was told it was 16 guage but I have seen people refer to it as 14 guage...soooo which is it?? I know there is different types of the XP...like XPHP and stuff like that...is this the one that is 14g and the regular XP is the 16g???

Thanks

mark

 

[Brian Harnish]

Mark -- the Monster XP Speaker wire I used for my Kenwood HTB-504 is a 12 gauge wire.

 

[Mark Guidry]

Would you happen to have the model number still....like on the spool or something? They have some at best buy but it doesnt look like 12g. Thanks for the info!

Mark

 

[Loring]

From what I can tell without bring in some Monster XP to work and checking the size. Is it is somewhere near or between 16ga and 14ga I am going to guess and say probably 15ga. It seems that it is their own size which gives them one more thing to be able to trademark, and claim it makes their cables better then everyone elses. I bought some because I get it for a damn good price.

I will bring in some tomorrow to my work and check the gauge of the cable. Unless someone has some hard facts that they care to share.

 

[TimothyW]

I agree. From my experience, it is 15ga. When I used my wire stripper(the kind that cuts then pulls), I've noticed that the 16ga notch was too small because it had cut some of the strands and that the 14ga notch was too big in that it left the clear plastic covering/sheath still on the wires.

I had the Navajo White version. Underneath the white insulation there is a very thin clear plastic sheath, so don't forgot to strip that out also.

 

[Mark Guidry]

Great yall...that is odd that it would be 15g. Im with you Loring I am looking at it because I have a gift card to best buy and that seems like the best stuff they have.

 

[jeff lam]

I was wondering the same thing. There is no label as to what size the wire is. I think the model # is XPMS, XPHP is different. I was told the XPMS is 16ga but acts as a 14ga. BTW, the construction of this wire is very interesting. The outer layer is braded and the inner has a clear plastic core almost like a fibre optic cable. Anyone know why they do this? I was told the outer layer passes higher frequencies and is braded to slow down the higher frequencies so they will arrive at exactly the same time as the low frequencies which are passed throught the center core. I guess bass moves slower through the wire??? It all seemed kind of far fetched to me though.

 

[Ted Lee]

The outer layer is braded and the inner has a clear plastic core almost like a fibre optic cable. Anyone know why they do this?

i also run the monster xp rear-wire speaker.
it definitely doesn't look any thicker than 16g. i figured that plastic core was just to make the wire look thicker!

 

[Bill Kane]

Monster's voodoo tube?
"Magnetic Flux Tube (R) For maximum bass response and more natural sound."
You gotta look for it when making banana plugs to snip it off (circumcision). I just bought a length of XPHP for my center speaker in Clear Jacket. The stranded wires appear to be heftier than my XP Navaho -- closer to 14awg.

 

[Ted Lee]

i'm gonna approach monster's r&d department. my plan?
to sell them a liquid concoction (sp?) that i'm going to call "monster juice!"
it will...
"Help extend the hi-frequencies, improve bass response, and provide a tightly focused and accurate sound-stage. Plus, it'll make your speaker wire and cabling look really sparkly!"
anyone wanna join in...

 

[Mark Guidry]

Ok well what ever guage it is...would that be good enought to bi-wire my B&W 602's the run would be about 12-15'??

 

[Bill Kane]

certainly. XP has been around some years now; XPHP is an "upgrade." The difference is .65 a ft vs $1.10 a ft.

I'm using XP to bi-wire my Mains, and wud only like a 4-wire, single jacket, for esthetics to cut the wire clutter.

 

[Jason Wilcox]

ok i was on the register at best buy and i rang up some guy with monster XP wire...description comes up as 16g speaker wire...

of course this doesn't really count as a definitive answer

 

[Chu Gai]

My understanding is that it's 16 gauge. Maybe someday I'll do something neurotic like taking a bit, removing the insulation and measuring each strand with a micrometer and then calculating the effective gauge...maybe a weekend evening project

 

[Phuong]

Why not take a stroll to the car audio section and get 12 guage "oxygen-free" wire for $.50/foot? I'm of the school of thought that wire is wire. You pay for guage, insulation quality, and most importantly (haha), cosmetics.

 

[Phuong]

When I say wire is wire, I would like to clarify that guage does matter.

peace

 

[David Judah]

Ok well what ever guage it is...would that be good enought to bi-wire my B&W 602's the run would be about 12-15'??

If you want to use a thicker gauge, look for Monster MC wire. You can usually get it by the foot or it comes packaged in 10 or 15 foot lengths. It looks more like traditional 12 g. wire, but seems to be braided alot tighter. I used it to bi-wire my B&W 602s when they were my front speakers.

DJ

 

[Sebastien David]

get some Monster Z1 wire...

looks cool, BIG gauge.

 

[Mark Amayao]

They do not designate a gauge for their speaker wire with the Magnetic Flux Tube ...

Supposedly the XP wire creates its own Magnetic field when a signal is running through it to repel any external Electro Magnetic interference ... Thats why they have the Magnetic Flux tube running inside the wire ... kind of like an internal shielding ....