issue here is this cable tends to be hard to work with and terminate. 14/4 cable is another good choice that is Power, current, voltage, are critical for calculating wire size we need for any type of electrical load – including the speaker Ohms load. This is one reason why power companies can use high-voltage power lines to distribute thousands of Watts using smaller wire gauge while reducing wire cost power losses over long distances. Using a typical and reasonable example, we can use 16AWG stranded copper wire with 19 strands of 29AWG wire (“19/29”). Resistance per meter is rated at 0.0147Ω/m. [1] Happy Tuesday, Antony. I’m sorry to see that for some reason you feel like it’s incorrect. It’s not wrong and certainly not misleading; I’ve gone to great lengths to make it more accurate and practical than other wire size guidelines out there based on hard data.

Mark the length, then measure it. I like to add at least 1 foot of length for each wire section for home stereo use and 2 feet each for car stereo installations to play it safe. Figuring out how much wire to buy

Cable Recommendations

follow the rise and fall of its own impedance curve. This is particularly more prominent in some class D amplifiers whose response changes more significantly with varying load impedance. It’s a good compromise between price and power handling as it’s usually affordable and easy to find. How to find the correct size wire for ANY length or speaker system Aluminum offers a lighter weight and lower cost than copper, so at first it may seem like a great way to replace the more expensive copper options. However, there’s a problem.

You may be confused about the speaker wire gauge to use for your sound system. The best option between 14 gauge and 16 gauge speaker wire depends on various factors including: All speaker wire sold is stranded, meaning it’s made up of a bundle of 16-60 or more very fine copper conductors. Solid wire, however, has only one conductor. In terms of audio, it’s fine and the sound quality is the same. Rember this rule: never take chances with speaker wire length – don’t guess. Buy at least a little bit more than your estimate. Copper-clad aluminum vs copper speaker wire It is possible to run 4-ohm speakers up to 24 feet using 16 AWG wire, while 10 or 12 AWG wire is advised for runs up to 100 feet. For lengths up to 36 feet with 6-ohm speakers, 16 AWG wire is advised, and for runs up to 150 feet with 10 or 12 AWG wire.

What doesn’t matter for cable quality?

Generally, most speakers have an impedance rating of 4, 6, and 8 ohms. In this case, a 14 gauge speaker wire should be used to connect a 4-ohm speaker within a distance of up to 40 feet whereas a 16 gauge speaker wire should be used to connect a 4-ohm speaker within a distance of up to 24 feet. Most of the greatest speaker wires are constructed of copper because of their excellent electrical conductivity. Searching for 100% copper-made wire for the highest grade wire is strongly advised. Is 12 gauge speaker wire best?

Copper-clad aluminum (CCA) wire has, in the last few years, become more and more common as the price of copper has gone up. It’s one of those “little things” you might not know when buying that companies aren’t telling you.

1. InstallGear 14 Gauge

Longer speaker runs for car & home stereo speakers or short runs under 20 ft for 75-100W. Moderate power subwoofers (under 225W) with short lengths. Long (100ft+) speaker runs or higher power applications such as high-power 2 or 4 ohm subwoofers with a short length. This distance can be used to calculate the wire gauge required to get the best performance out of your speakers.