When people install a new audio video system the last thing they think about is the wire. This makes the whole system work. It usually is the last thing we think about after the system is installed and set up. The speaker wire is the last rung on the latter. It will have a huge impact on the end result, which is the sound quality. There are 5 mistakes that can be made involving speaker cable. The first is of course the gauge of the wire. This refers to the thickness of the wire, or diameter. This is a big factor in the decision. Next is the wire make up. You want stranded cable not solid. Stranded is best. The next concern is really quite simple. Is the wire long enough? This will determine the size of the wire also. The overall quality of the speaker wire is very important in determining what kind to use. There are many wiring makers out in the marketplace. The last thing to take into consideration is usually the last thing we think about. The color of the wire. You do not want an ugly wire running down the wall in your family room.
The gauge or thickness of the wire is key in the speaker system layout. This will have a huge impact on the overall quality of the sound reproduced by your system. The size of the speaker wire is not necessarily related to the length. The farther away the speakers from the main system does not determine the speaker cable size. There are many factors that play into this decision. Many modern surround sound systems have multiple speaker arrangements to get the desired movie theater effect. The speaker placement is crucial for a “surround sound”. There is a method that is used that will “tune” your system. Speaker wire gauge is an important factor in establishing this desired outcome.
The length of the wire is determined by the placement of the speakers in the surround sound system. This placement is crucial in establishing the Theater Sound quality we all want to create. The length in the installation process will be calculated into the method that will determine the correct length.
A very important part of speaker cable determination has to do with the makeup of the wire. There is solid wire and stranded wire. The difference is just as it sounds. Solid wire is made up of one strand, a 110 volt house wire is solid. Speaker wire should be stranded. This means that it is made up of a bunch of smaller gauge wires. This allows the cable to bend and move easier. That is an important feature of speaker wire. Speaker wire is very low voltage.
The quality of the speaker wire is very important for the sound quality. Do not scrimp on the cost of quality speaker wire. It can make the difference in sound quality. Buy a good quality speaker wire for the best result expected.
Lastly is the color of the speaker wire. Some speaker system wires could be visible because of speaker placement. Make sure to get your speaker wire in a neutral color. Red speaker wire looks fine in an attic. However it looks funny across your hardwood floors, or running down the wall. It is all about the speaker placement during the installation process.
In conclusion, speaker wire is very important to the overall accustic health of your audio system. Do some research and factor in the determined parameters and you will have a top notch system that sounds amazing.