What gage speaker wire??? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Guidry]

What gage should I use for my rear chanels (B&W 601 S2). The run will be about 20' (I have to run it through the attic to get to the back rear ch.)?? I am guessing it should be big...maybe 12-14g?!?!

Thanks
Mark

 

[Steve_Ma]

I have a slightly longer run than yours to my 601s, which are also being used as surrounds. I am using 12ga and have had no probs.

 

[Mark Guidry]

Great...thats what I was thinking...12ga it is. I will also use that for my fronts
Thanks

 

[Laszlo]

16 ga will work just fine. no need to go 12 ga plus is a lot cheaper.

 

[Mark Guidry]

I thought for long runs like that it was better to get a bigger gage wire, but cheaper is good for me to
Anyone else have some insight to this??

 

[Bob McElfresh]

16 ga will work just fine. no need to go 12 ga plus is a lot cheaper.

I'm afraid I must disagree.
Several speaker sites recommend the following gauge based on run-length:
1-10 ft: 16 ga
11-20 ft: 14 ga
20+ ft: 12 ga
This is because a long run of wire will 'slant' the sound by rolling off the higher frequencies a bit. Yes, you will still hear sounds which is why Laszlo feels it will work, but there is a tone-shift which audiophiles dont like.
And the price? Well a spool of 50 ft Sound King has these prices from www.partsexpress.com :
16 ga - $16.95
12 ga - $22.95
So the $6.00 savings for something that will be in your walls for years is hardly a budget breaker. (And frankly, the time you spend running the wire will swamp the cost of the wire itself.)
Most of us just buy a spool of 12 ga and use it everywhere.
Strong suggestion: run 3 runs of 12 ga speaker wire to the rears. This way you are ready for that rear-center speaker that is becoming popular.
Also, check your fire-codes & insurance. Some places require that you install wires with fire-proof insulation in the walls or they may not pay off if your house burns. If you need this, search for "plenum" speaker wire. It's thick & ugly because of the fire-proof sheath, but it's better to be safe.
Good Luck.

 

[Mark Guidry]

Yeah thats what I thought...I am going to stick with my original thought and do 12ga. I don't know anything about the Ins. stuff but I might look into it. For the most part I will not have any of the wire "in" the walls. The wall where the entertainment center will be is an outside wall so the space in the attic is NILL, but there is a closet behind that wall with more room in the attic above it. I am going to just pop through the ceiling in the closet and run the wires through there and my cable for TV (since you wont really see in there) and then for the wire going to the actual rears it will only drop in the wall maybe 2'. I will tho look into the Ins. stuff just to be safe.

For my dual SVS that will need about 10' to each should I go with 12g as well or would you drop to 10g?

Thanks again
Mark

 

[Mark Guidry]

So do you think I should run this http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...=100-740&DID=7 for the rear speakers just to be safe???

 

[Laszlo]

Well you shouldn't. That is not inwall cable. That's one of the things why this is so cheap. Second 16 ga is good up to 25'. That is to my knowledge and research. You can find one of the guides here, I can get some engineering documentation on this topic, is just I don't have it handy. Link
I was just trying to help. I don't really like when people is not polite. But hey who runs this?????
Get 12 if it makes you happy, overkill though!!!
Laszlo

 

[Mark Guidry]

I was being polite!?!? I just remember reading that longer runs of speaker wire should use bigger gage wire thats why I thinks its should be 12g. It will actually be a little bit longer than that after I add in going into the stereo cabinet and extras here and there. I was just asking to get everyones input, so I would rather have too big than not big enough but I do thank you for your input.

I don't really need in wall wire because it will not be in the wall all that much so I might just stick with regular wire but I still am thinking 12g.

 

[Laszlo]

Sorry sir, I wasn't talking about you.

 

[John Garcia]

http://www.sundial.net/~rogerr/wire.htm

 

[Bill Kane]

Mark, yes, that's the wire you want.
In-wall wiring types are found to Code as CL2 and CL3.
Here is a description from Crutchfield: PDF
The deal with in-wall Code primarily has to do with homeowners insurance. Let’s say you ran regular 12gauge wire thru the attic. Then there happens to be a house fire for whatever reason. So afterward, the local fire marshal makes his inspection and sees your wire in the attic, and so notes in his report. Then the insurance company gets a copy of the report, and they may say, Whoa! Illegal wires, and give you grief.
May never happen, but who knows? The best way is ask the local Building Inspection Department guys (they’re usually in betw 8-9am before going out to jobs). The question is whether CL2 code wire is required thru the attic; and since there will be SOME wall runs, the answer probably will be Yes.
I got the same CarolWire from partsexpress.com in 100-foot hanks Part 100-740 for $21.50

 

[Laszlo]

Hey thanks John, I was looking for that link too.

 

[Mark Guidry]

Very good links thank you Sorry Laszlo...I thought you were talking to me.

 

[John Garcia]

I've got 3 30' runs of 16 ga for my rears, with no problems and no obvious attenuation (highs sound just fine). 8 ohm nominal.

 

[Laszlo]

I just bought last week 100' inwall cable for my house for $16. They will be at most 20' runs. When I asked the seller he told me "that's good enough, no need 12ga".
By the way it was at Accessories4Less .
Really good in shpping, good quality and good prices.

 

[RussKon]

How much power will you be running to your rear channels? If your amplifier isn't pushing much power, going with 12ga is overkill. The charts that list suggested length also have another column that hasn't been mentioned. The amount of power over length.

Oh, by the way, plenum cable is not fireproof. Just when it burns it does not emit toxic fumes. And most residential codes do not require plenum cable in the wall, only in air return spaces. (at least here in minnesota)

 

[Bob McElfresh]

I was just trying to help. I don't really like when people is not polite. But hey who runs this?????

I dont believe I was impolite. I DID disagree with your advice. If I was disrespectfull, I do apologize.

 

[Mark Guidry]

I will be running 85x5 to all my speakers. I don't know now...after reading some of the links and talking to a few other local people there are more saying 16g will be enough. So I think I might just do that...go 16g to the rears. Thanks for all the great info everyone!!