Speaker cable advice

[CDMC]

do you remember which thread has the test? I would appreciate it.

I believe here he retested as had higher distortion than expected dropped when cables retightened

Hypex NCx500 Class D Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Hypex NCx500 NCOREx reference design amplifier. It was sent by the company and kindly assembled by our local expert, @Rick Sykora. As you see the sample is a "monoblock" configuration (one channel) driven by Hypex SMPS1200 switching power...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Speedskater]

I've read in the cable description of another cable manufacturer that 4.00m2 (AWG 12) is good up to 180W and I want to make sure it's capable enough

Recommended cable AWG (or mm2) has nothing to do with speaker wattage. It's about end-to-end resistance of the cable in relationship to the impedance curve of the loudspeaker.
* * * * * * * * *
a 12AWG cable could handle a 3000 Watt continuous test tone into a 8 Ohm dummy load.

 

[fpitas]

Recommended cable AWG (or mm2) has nothing to do with speaker wattage. It's about end-to-end resistance of the cable in relationship to the impedance curve of the loudspeaker.
* * * * * * * * *
a 12AWG cable could handle a 3000 Watt continuous test tone into a 8 Ohm dummy load.

Exactly. Clarification here: https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/audio-myth-damping-factor-isnt-much-of-a-factor

 

[Mart68]

My cat chewed up the strain relief on my LCD-XC cable... totally unprovoked!! It still works fine, but what the heck.

It was probably something you didn't do. Cat's are like women in that respect. Although obviously women chewing on cables is less common.

 

[fpitas]

It was probably something you didn't do. Cat's are like women in that respect. Although obviously women chewing on cables is less common.

Probably some lack of minerals in their diet.

 

[soerenssen]

I assembled my speaker cables based on all the advice that I received here, using 12 gauge cables.
I've just read the below post and now I'm wondering if I should've used AWG 10 or 8 maybe... my amps can output 27A per channel.

Bruno Strikes Again. Purifi 1ET7040SA VTV Amplifier.

The 1ET7040SA delivers more power in very difficult loads. Amps with the 1ET7040SA are more expensive because the module is more expensive. Plain and simple. What means "beefier PSU"? That is unrelated to the amp modules. I meant more power reserve, especially in a dual mono configuration.

audiosciencereview.com

 

[fpitas]

I assembled my speaker cables based on all the advice that I received here, using 12 gauge cables.
I've just read the below post and now I'm wondering if I should've used AWG 10 or 8 maybe... my amps can output 27A per channel.

Bruno Strikes Again. Purifi 1ET7040SA VTV Amplifier.

The 1ET7040SA delivers more power in very difficult loads. Amps with the 1ET7040SA are more expensive because the module is more expensive. Plain and simple. What means "beefier PSU"? That is unrelated to the amp modules. I meant more power reserve, especially in a dual mono configuration.

audiosciencereview.com

See the Benchmark link in post 203. It all depends on your speaker impedance. It never hurts to use larger gauge than necessary.

 

[fpitas]

Remember that just because an amp can deliver 27A, it may never be called upon to do that with your speakers.

 

[Killingbeans]

And it's peak current, not RMS. If your speakers was pulling 27A continuously, the cables wouldn't be the first thing to melt

 

[quattro98]

Several folks have mentioned corrosion concerns. Tinned copper is available.

Speaker Cable - 6000UH

www.belden.com

 

[Jason Shep]

Banana plugs or bare wire?

I’ve recently moved my audio gear into a wall mounted rack, with the rear of the gear accessible inside a cupboard, now I’m tidying up all the cabling & as I have to see it often (dog food kept in this cupboard!), it’s got me thinking if I should be using banana plugs on my speaker cables or is bare wire a better connection?

 

[Killingbeans]

Just use banana plugs. They are super convenient, and any impact on sound quality is doubtful to say the least.

 

[dualazmak]

Banana plugs or bare wire?

I myself personally prefer reliable well-manufactured well QC-ed (not so cheap) two-screw solderless banana plugs having plastic insulator cover/sleeve better than bare wire, because of the tighter and durable connection of wire to plugs with two screws; I prefer such banana plugs, just for example;

Bare wire directly at the binding post occasionally have possibility/tendency of "laxation" (or should I say "relaxation"?) with time even if you would how tightly screwed-up the binding post, and such laxation/relaxation possibilities may be dependent on the wire material, size (AWG) and "the number of thin copper wires" consisting the whole wire. Furthermore, bare wire always has much higher possibility of causing (fatal!?) accidental "short-circuit" to nearby binding posts and other terminals/metal-potions.

(In my system, I use banana plugs only for VU-Meter monitoring of SP-high-level-signals through high-to-low converters; ref. here.)

BTW, I (at least myself) much more prefer, and have been sticking to, tin-plated pure copper solderless Y-lugs (or R-rugs) (really cheap but durable, reliable) which should be strictly and tightly connected to wire using pro-grade crimper(s) in suitable-crimp-size and standard crimp pressure. The tin-plated Y-lugs (or R lugs) effectively increase the metal-to-metal contact surface area when properly screwed onto the SP and amp binding posts, I believe; please refer here and here on my project thread.

In my post on the latest system setup, you can find several actual photos of backside wiring at amplifiers and at the SP system.

This post sharing my "Semiannual complete cleaning of all the metal-to-metal connectors" would be also of your reference, I assume.

 

[babar]

I'm looking to wire my LS50 Meta speakers. I am looking at a distance of about 3m required.
What gauge and length would be suggested?
also what about silver coated copper? thanks!

 

[Chrispy]

I'm looking to wire my LS50 Meta speakers. I am looking at a distance of about 3m required.
What gauge and length would be suggested?
also what about silver coated copper? thanks!

Silver will only increase expense. Try this http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable

 

[antcollinet]

I'm looking to wire my LS50 Meta speakers. I am looking at a distance of about 3m required.
What gauge and length would be suggested?
also what about silver coated copper? thanks!

Copper (There is no benefit to silver anything in cables). I'd suggest around 14 AWG (2.5mm sq) to give some headroom.

You shouldn't need to spend more than $2 to $3 per meter. Perhaps 2 to 3 times that a if you want an aesthetically pleasing braided sleeve.


For length it sounds like you need about 3m

 

[Beave]

Copper (There is no benefit to silver anything in cables). I'd suggest around 14 AWG (2.5mm sq) to give some headroom.

You shouldn't need to spend more than $2 to $3 per meter. Perhaps 2 to 3 times that a if you want an aesthetically pleasing braided sleeve.


For length it sounds like you need about 3m

He should probably go a little over 3m instead of a little under 3m. THAT could make a huge difference in sound quality!

 

[mhardy6647]

He should probably go a little over 3m instead of a little under 3m. THAT could make a huge difference in sound quality!

The length needs to be a perfect square. Sheesh, everybody knows that!
Unless it's a three-channel system -- in which case, the lengths have to be perfect cubes. I mean... derp.

 

[fpitas]

The length needs to be a perfect square. Sheesh, everybody knows that!
Unless it's a three-channel system -- in which case, the lengths have to be perfect cubes. I mean... derp.

I'm sure the Pythagorean Theorem and the golden rectangle must come into play for the best tweaked system.

 

[Ken1951]

I'm sure the Pythagorean Theorem and the golden rectangle must come into play for the best tweaked system.

But math is anathema to the true subjectivist!!!