Here’s a list of reasons why you won’t notice any difference in sound quality due to speaker wire. In fact, when it comes to electronics, audio accessories like RCA patch cable, headphone cables, and speaker cable are one of the most profitable categories for retailers! The science of speaker wire and sound quality Most of the time it’s just marketing for higher profits. The problem is that there’s no scientific test data to back it up. Often claims are made by companies & audiophiles that their highly-priced cables offer better sound because of some type of esoteric, fancy technical advantage. Fancy audio cables & wire are based on nonsense It’s not limited to home loudspeaker or video use, either – there’s been plenty of it in the car stereo world as well. One of the largest problems I’ve seen over the years is the amount of hype & exaggeration used to sell overpriced cables of all types: speaker wire, audio cable (like RCA cables), video cables, and even computer & data cables. Excessively long wire to the crossover & at the speakers can cause the crossover’s behavior to change & alter the sound response of the speaker. The wire between speaker crossovers and the speakers should be kept fairly short.For best results, do not coil long lengths of speaker wire as this can create inductance that reduces some sound frequencies as a crossover does.Excessively long or other high-resistance wire can affect the sound by causing a drop in speaker volume and some other details. Using non-standard wire or cables instead of speaker wire can result in sound changes, although very minor.99.9% of the time it’s unsubstantiated claims and the difference really does not matter! There’s no scientific test data to back up the (misleading) idea that “special” or “audiophile” speaker wires or expensive cable make a noticeable difference versus affordable, good quality speaker wire of the correct gauge.However, in some cases, (explained in further below) sound quality or volume can be affected somewhat. Under normal circumstances, the answer is NO: speaker wire does not affect sound quality.PROS: There’s an option to get this with banana plugs.ĬONS: Without the banana plugs, wire installation is a bit frustrating, but that’s any wire. Dual colors let you easily identify polarity. The soft-touch jacket is easy to strip and the stranded wire fits easily into various end clips. The rugged construction makes it especially suited for car audio panels, as it’ll hold up to long-term use. InstallGear’s wire is a quality copper-clad aluminum that works exceptionally well for all installation applications. Our list will give you a great head start. Moral of the story: don’t buy cheap, don’t buy expensive like Goldilocks, find the wire that is just right. However, if you’re looking to save a bit, copper-plated or copper-clad aluminum wire is a fine substitute, and there is no noticeable difference in sound quality. For the best quality wire, looking for something made with 100% copper is highly recommended. Most of the best speaker wires are made from copper, since copper is a wonderful conductor of electricity. As the distance between receiver and speaker grows, impedance increases within the wire, and to assure proper power, a larger wire is needed such as a 12 or 14 AWG. If the run between receiver and speakers is on the shorter side, less than 50 feet or so, an 18 AWG or 16 AWG would work well. These numbers come into play when building out the wire runs for a system. For example, a 12 AWG wire is bigger than an 18 AWG wire. The best speaker wires come in various gauges as the AWG (American Wire Gauge) number decreases, the size of the wire increases. However, if you are simply installing a sound system for home or mobile use, then most any speaker wire will do just fine. Not all speaker wires are the same, and if you’re installing a professional-level sound system, built for professional experiences (say for a studio or live venue), then you’ll want spend the money for premium parts. The short take: it is absurd, don’t do it. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.Īfter spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on premium audio components it may seem absurd to spend an equal amount on speaker cable.
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