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| Thread ID: 142141 | 2016-05-04 04:00:00 | Surround Sound Speaker cabling question. | Robnhd (16012) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1420066 | 2016-05-04 04:00:00 | Have recently moved house and now have concrete slab floor and need to set up speakers for surround sound. I need to use 4 core cable to connect 2 speakers by running it around the edge of the carpet. My question. Can 4 core alarm cable be used for the speakers? Alarm cable is sheathed in white and will be less obtrusive than the black audio cable available from Jaycar. :) | Robnhd (16012) | ||
| 1420067 | 2016-05-04 04:07:00 | Pretty much anything goes on speaker cables. I've seen all sorts of concocted versions from wire hangers to $5.00USD/foot oxygen-free, kissed by angels wire. I personally use zip wire - the kind that's on table lamps - the stuff that's Siamese'd together. If your wattage is higher than 40,, say, per channel, then don't use much less than 18AWG wire. Just remember that the weakest link is those tiny woven wires that go to the linear motors in the drivers, so if you're in good shape, with 20-18AWG multi-strand copper, you'll be fine. I helped wire a luxury home with RG28 coax to each and every speaker in the house - some runs over 100ft/33meters(?). It worked OK - JUST OK. But I'm sure it would be happier with heavier wire. And remember that coax is solid core - so what? I dunnow. |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 1420068 | 2016-05-04 09:03:00 | AWG = American wire gauge also known us the rest of us don't use it :P When you are that big you can invent your own standards I guess. Anyway that's just under 1mm2, personally I'd go a little heavier. Not because it won't work but because on longer runs it introduces a bit of loss. But I agree with Joe, any kind of wire is fine as long as it's not ridiculously small. I have a roll of .71 solid twin I have used many times for speaker wires in a pinch temporarily, it's not Ideal because it tends to break off if bent too often but it sounds just fine. If you want to spend money there are wireless solutions for rear speakers, might be difficult to match to existing equipment of course. Is it your house? If so you could go through the ceiling/walls maybe? |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1420069 | 2016-05-04 10:27:00 | 0.5mm is ok for low powered stuff and thats typically what comes with low end systems anyway. 0.75mm for the more powerful systems. just remember that surround speaker output is generally quite low compared to the main speakers. |
tweak'e (69) | ||
| 1420070 | 2016-05-04 15:40:00 | AWG = American wire gauge also known us the rest of us don't use it :P When you are that big you can invent your own standards I guess. You ain't seen 'that big' until Trump wins. Me - I don't care as they're all a bag of liars - but it gets more and more interesting. Mark my words - If Mr T. wins, youse guys will either start un-metricating or he'll nuke youse all. |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 1420071 | 2016-05-05 00:38:00 | Thanks for the info. Murphy has struck again. I gave away a reel of the old Telecom phone cable as I down-sized before moving. The system is a Panasonic DVD Home Theater Sound System and will need only about 12 meters of cable. Thanks for your help. |
Robnhd (16012) | ||
| 1420072 | 2016-05-05 02:23:00 | The internal phone cable tends to be solid strand .4 or .5 so it's not great for speakers. You really want multistrand. The external cable might be heavier but it's still single strand. Even from a straight mechanical standpoint thin single strand wire does not do well in speaker terminals. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1420073 | 2016-05-05 03:05:00 | some important questions whats the length of the cable run going to be ? OK 12M . whats the impedance of the speakers is it an el cheapo system or packaged system : seems like it is so you wont hear any difference whatever you use if you have same weird brand packaged system with higher than usual impedance speakers, you can use thinner cable if have have 4ohm speakers, you need thicker cable (in theory) the longer the cable run, the thicker the wire needed . In general, phone & network type cable : dont. Too thin unless its very short cable run(very short) Buy some White speaker cable .Get the cheap stuff . Or some white 240v lighting cable. |
1101 (13337) | ||
| 1420074 | 2016-05-05 06:06:00 | Specs from the Operating instructions: - Surround speakers - impedance 3ohm,full range 6.5cm cone type,output sound pressure 78 db/W (1m) Frequency range 105 Hz to 25 kHz (-16 dB) 130 Hz to 22 kHz (-10 dB). | Robnhd (16012) | ||
| 1420075 | 2016-05-06 01:00:00 | Specs from the Operating instructions: - Surround speakers - impedance 3ohm,full range 6.5cm cone type,output sound pressure 78 db/W (1m) Frequency range 105 Hz to 25 kHz (-16 dB) 130 Hz to 22 kHz (-10 dB). yep, hardly hifi :) dont waste $ on cables then , you wont be pushing much power out to those 2.5" speakers anyway . You can double up or triple up that alarm cable you have . Personally, I wouldnt bother . I disconnected my surrounds long ago , and surround speakers that small may be of little benefit (just my 2c) |
1101 (13337) | ||
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