Running wires

[NE14MX 10+ year member]

Does it matter if you run speaker wire next to RCA's? Will it pick up noise? In my first car, I ran teh power cable down one side and the speaker and rca's next to one another down the other side and I get no noise from that but just wondered if there was a "textbook" way to run them.

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[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Some people report they get noise, others (like myself) have had no problems. YMMV.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

Ymmv?

 

[shimm]

Your mileage may vary.

It is common practice to run them seperately, but you know in alot of small space installs they end up running close eventually anyways. Personally I'm not sure if it would make much of a difference, but why take a chance, it takes just a little more effort to run them seperately, and a whole lot of effort to have to rewire everything if you get noise.

 

[Arsonist 10+ year member]

..it takes just a little more effort to run them seperately, and a whole lot of effort to have to rewire everything if you get noise.

Good point. I was asking myself the same thing about my pending install, thinking maybe run the signal RCAs from the deck down the center of the car. The problem there is a lot more of the car has to come apart. I think I'm going to run power on the DS (driver side) and both RCAs and speakers down the PS. Given good quality wire (not the cheapest and certainly not the gonzo nutz stuff) all should be fine, especially if your deck has a descent output voltage.

 

[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

if you get noise, it is most likely due to a poor ground on either the amps or the HU. The myth that running RCA's next to power line is just what it is... a myth. You cannot induct current into a line running the same type of current.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Run them where ever you feel like it. Like John mentioned....if you do have noise, it's likely do to an improper ground and has nothing to do with where the wires are in proximity to each other.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

i didnt know that. i thought it was true. ****, well my power wires are too thick anyway, but it's be nice to only need to rip out one side of my car as apposed to two

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

If you WERE to have noise induced due to the power wire you'd never hear it anyway because the noise would only be present during dynamic (loud) points in the music since the magnetic field that causes noise is due to high current demand through that wire.

You'd have to be concentrating 100% on JUST hearing the noise...oh, and be a dog.