16g vs 18g wire

[hedron]

Is 16 gauge wire really necessary? The speaker wire kit that I bought has 16g, but I thought 18g was standard for speakers in general. (I already have 18g wire) My amp is 400w, and there's no sub, so it's not exactly a high powered system.

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[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

Is 16 gauge wire really necessary? The speaker wire kit that I bought has 16g, but I thought 18g was standard for speakers in general. (I already have 18g wire) My amp is 400w, and there's no sub, so it's not exactly a high powered system.

Better safe than sorry. The thing I dislike about 18 AWG is how easily the strands tear off when stripping it. 16 AWG even it it tears some strands, there are plenty others to make a good connection.

 

[hedron]

Yea, I'm pretty careful with stripping and splicing wire, even if it happens I have 50+ feet of it.

But, I mean, would there be overheating issues? I'm sure you could purposely force enough voltage to cause a fire in 4awg, but I assume you can adjust the gain for the proper amount of voltage?

My experience has taught me to use thinner wire in audio applications. When I was a teen, my parents were endlessly buying that monster cable stuff which was way too big for their audio equipment. I've always used 18g for home stereo use. I just can't help but think 16g is too big, since the force necessary to power through 16g is more than (I believe) the speakers really need or even can use.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Actually, 16 gauge is the standard for home and amplified car audio. I never use anything less. Is it CCA or pure copper? You actually have things backwards as it pertains to power. Larger copper wire has less resistance, not more. An amp works harder when the wire is thinner and the power transferred is compromised if it is inadequate causing to thin a wire to heat up. 400 watts, sounds like 100 x 4 or 200 x 2, I'd use no less than 16 gauge to insure you get what you paid for in that amplifier.

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

Yea, I'm pretty careful with stripping and splicing wire, even if it happens I have 50+ feet of it.

But, I mean, would there be overheating issues? I'm sure you could purposely force enough voltage to cause a fire in 4awg, but I assume you can adjust the gain for the proper amount of voltage?

My experience has taught me to use thinner wire in audio applications. When I was a teen, my parents were endlessly buying that monster cable stuff which was way too big for their audio equipment. I've always used 18g for home stereo use. I just can't help but think 16g is too big, since the force necessary to power through 16g is more than (I believe) the speakers really need or even can use.

@HardofWhoring trigger! Gain isn't a volume knob!