speaker wire gauges

[soul05 10+ year member]

instead of using just 1 set of speaker wires, can i use 2 sets? would it simulate a smaller gauge wire like 2 16 gauge = 11 gauge? so technically i would just double up on speaker wire through each terminal...would it work?

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[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

I can't see it being a problem, per se....but it could easily make for a rather messy-looking install and what size speakers are we wanting to create 11awg cable for? Is 10 or 12awg wire that expensive in your locale?

 

[jujumantb 10+ year member]

I suppose it would, but it makes little sense to me, why not just upgrade to a larger guage all together?

 

[soul05 10+ year member]

i found a whole bunch of 16 gauge wire left over from my home theater setup, so i thought i might as well use that. i dont know where i would go about buying 12 gauge wire locally. i thought of magnolia audio video, but it was pretty pricy there.

 

[milzlong]

i found a whole bunch of 16 gauge wire left over from my home theater setup, so i thought i might as well use that. i dont know where i would go about buying 12 gauge wire locally. i thought of magnolia audio video, but it was pretty pricy there.

Ebay is your friend. Check there for wire, it's really cheap.

 

[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

When you double up a wire size, subtract 3 from the gauge. So two 16-gauge wires combines for 13-gauge.

 

[knukonceptz 10+ year member]

When you double up a wire size, subtract 3 from the gauge. So two 16-gauge wires combines for 13-gauge.

That is correct

Furthermore on full range speakers, bi-wiring is very popular and also using different sized strands in the cable can play a roll in better frequency response. So if you had some fine strand 14 gauge and added coarse strand 16 gauge, it could provided better response - will you "hear" it, I do not know, but an RTA could indicate it.

 

[soul05 10+ year member]

if i triple does that mean -6? haha maybe ill just go buy some 12 gauge

 

[jujumantb 10+ year member]

That is correct
Furthermore on full range speakers, bi-wiring is very popular and also using different sized strands in the cable can play a roll in better frequency response. So if you had some fine strand 14 gauge and added coarse strand 16 gauge, it could provided better response - will you "hear" it, I do not know, but an RTA could indicate it.

hmm do you have the technical info behind this?

 

[soul05 10+ year member]

after doing some reading, it seems that bi wiring can help improve sound quality. i might actually try it out to see. but instead of putting 2 strands of 16 gauge together...im thinking of doing 3 16 gauge wires for each totalling a 16/6 wire instead of a 16/2 standard wire. i was also thinking of doing it with cat 5 cables, ive seen cat5 cables used in home theater applications. it looks crazy.

 

[knukonceptz 10+ year member]

I do not have any tech info, but it has been proven that some frequencies travel better on different sized conductors. Again, I do not think you will hear a difference in a car, especially while driving and certainly not with the extensive sub use we enjoy in car audio

 

[_DjScrew_ 5,000+ posts]

cat 5 for speaker wire? as in running all strands to one terminal?

 

[tanky321 10+ year member]

cat 5 for speaker wire? as in running all strands to one terminal?

Cat-5 is 8 22-28 awg solid wires, I dont think that would be very easy to connect.

 

[_DjScrew_ 5,000+ posts]

Cat-5 is 8 22-28 awg solid wires, I dont think that would be very easy to connect.

i know. that's why i was asking why he said it. i guess it would look kinda cool though

 

[tanky321 10+ year member]

If cat-5 would work, I can get tons of it. I run that shit at work all the time and theres always like 50-60 ft left over.