What Speaker Wire To Buy As Fast As Possible

If you're looking to upgrade your home audio system, you might be surprised by just how important your speaker wire choices are...
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[@vwestlife]

The insulation on speaker wire does not "protect against interference", because speaker wire is not shielded. The insulation only serves to keep the wire from oxidizing and prevent it from shorting against itself or other objects. Also you should note that the wire gauges shown in the video are measured in American Wire Gauge (AWG). British countries use Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) which is different.

[@DavidHager1]

+vwestlife I think he was referring to shielded cables, that's why he said don't spend a bunch on expensive cables because shielding is one of the things they advertise, but yeah you're right

[@UserNameWasCensored]

British countries???

[@nicholainissen]

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are considered british countries.

[@BonesBroken]

Nicholai Nissen I consider Northern Ireland a part of Ireland, I am not the only one either...

[@EscapeMCP]

Well tough... you're part of Britain. Got a problem with it... fight us. Oh, hang on... we've done that one already. :) I have to say how I long for those days of the IRA. They were such friendly terrorists, not like the current crop of Radical Islamic terrorists. They were nice enough to phone us up and tell us that there was a bomb on the bus/train etc. The current IS lot just have no manners - their parents should be ashamed. Manners cost nothing.

[@mr2octavio]

You really missed a lot of information that could've been useful

[@KXP70]

Agreed

[@At0micMeltd0wn]

Notice the fast as possible, they can't cover everything.

[@TheBibbib]

Yep agreed

[@Frikken]

+frenchiveruti You've failed to offer any suggestions. If you want anyone to improve you should be clear on what you're asking for and not use something so broad.

[@Frikken]

+Ben Thanks for the correction, that fits much better actually.

[@B3ASTM0D3.]

As a professional installer, I usually run 16/2 or 14/2 depending on the length of the run and amp rating on the speakers the customer wants to install. I normally deal with Episode, proficient, paradigm, sonance speakers. All recessed interior or bracket or recessed exterior (decks, patios). Love the video and the explanation you gave to describe impedance.

[@anzeg-]

Feet? Really? You're Canadian, at least show both damn measurement units....

[@noprobllama7556]

f

[@Luuk3333]

+Anze G They could have included the metric ones.

[@Blueshirt38]

+Anze G So? American video makers are pretty much forced to do things in measurements other than which they are accustomed, so why is it so much worse now that it is opposite?

[@TheUndefynd1]

I get what you're saying but it's really not that bad. If Americans have to convert everything to Imperial all the time I'm sure you could do it once or twice. Also I'd guess that a large portion of their viewers are American.

[@whosthatguy2345]

+by CDMC Two different unit types. No conversion available.

[@michaelthomas4125]

Thanks for making it simple to understand. I was trying to explain this to a friend for a system I installed in his new house. Went with 14 guage crutch field or Amazon basic spool sounds great no issues. But he did get sold a 500 dollar HDMI cable from the place he bought his TV. Unfortunately I wasn't there to tell him it's not worth it. I do like how some expensive cables look but never worth the price. Anyway thanks again 👍👍👍

[@TheLawnWanderer]

One of the best none bullshit videos I have seen from Linus media group 10/10

[@KXP70]

I thought it was sub par tbh.

[@atlas8827]

+TheLawnWanderer what's going on with all the bullying?

[@thebau5532]

+Kurt Phillips yeah. They forgot to cover power input/output and how proper RCAs can actually give you better sound.

[@kuhrd]

+The Bau5 RCA cables in general are usually the worst way to hook up home theater equipment these days. You are correct, if you have to use RCA its better to use quality RCA cables. Optical and digital coax offer far better sound quality even in home theaters that deal in several channels of audio per side. I think the only thing that is still connected via RCA in my home theater is my Onkyo dual tape deck.

[@Gawron339]

Hahahahah optical hahahahhahaaha or coaxial hahahhahahahah.Coax is an RCA conector u stupid noob. There isnt any disadvatages to useing an RCA in home audio.Even XLR give you nothing besides longer distances and less loss.My RCA is 0,75m and amp is very sensitive, can work with 1V source.

[@hkoizumi3134]

I've been into PC since 1992 and I admit, sound is something I put off at the back seat so I never bother to learn more about it. Thanks for this video, I learned few new things about speaker system!

[@Torbox1]

Really think you missed a lot of things in this, you should avoid CCA (copper clad aluminum) wire as it can cause a large amount of impedance even over short runs and go with plain copper or OFC (Oxygen free copper) wire, just go on amazon, anything that is 100% copper is fine, don't get tricked by fancy super expensive name brand wire. Most speakers are between 4-8 ohms, a lot more are 4 ohms than you think. The impedance of the speaker is not as much of a concern with wire as it is with the comparability of your amp. Your wire gauge has a lot less to do with speaker impedance as it has to do with power output/rating of your speakers. If you amp outputs 1-100 watts per channel 14 gauge wire is fine, if your amp outputs anywhere from 100-175 watts per channel you should go with 12 gauge wire. Higher strand count is better for the wires as they are more flexible and less prone to internal breaking. 3:06, is literally the worst stock photo you could have used considering that is not at all how speaker wires go into those terminals. And using connectors like banana plugs does make it easier but also introduces more resistance, just plug wires in properly and you are fine.

[@kuhrd]

+Torbox1 Good quality gold plated banana plugs are actually quite a bit lower resistance than the typical shove the wire in the terminal post hole and tighten the terminal or the crappy spring loaded push in terminals. Quality gold plated banana plugs that are silver soldered to the copper wire can be installed once and last decades without succumbing to corrosion and increased resistance. For most speakers and systems it really doesn't matter all that much as long as the wire gauge is decent and the connections at both ends are electrically solid. OFC or Oxygen free copper is actually marketing BS from an era when it was very easy to get poor quality copper wire with tons of impurities. Pretty much all pure copper wire is oxygen free these days because it would not be cost effective to change the process of making the wire to produce a lower grade. The only time you really have to worry about wire quality is if the wire you are buying is from a cheap Chinese seller where quality and makeup could be an issue. Some of the best speaker wire available for home audio happens to be lamp cord since you can buy it in any length and all common gauges from 18-12 gauge. If you need to install wire in a wall where it will be permanent it is a good idea to install shielded twisted speaker install wire which you can buy in several sizes and numbers of conductors.

[@Torbox1]

I am aware that OFC is merely a marketing term but was covering it because people may come across it have questions about it. As I said any 100% copper wire or OFC wire is fine but you should avoid Copper Clad Aluminium wire. Any mechanical connection regardless of materials creates more resistance either do to the added length or the fact that it is simply 2 materials contacting each other. As long as the connection is solid it doesn't matter, the only thing that could be better would be to solder to the amp. And for the matter of soldering to banana plugs it is indeed a good method that cleans up the look, makes it easy to plug and unplug, and doesn't add any real resistance but it can corrode as with any copper wire exposed to air. I have had it happen before, it was after several years though. But anyway, lamp cord is a good alternative as the insulation is much thicker and you can get it with shielding. Which is nice if you plan on running it through the walls.

[@treblarefils]

@@Torbox1 Not to mention there are tons of videos online proving how bad CCA wire is in a situation where every bit of performance counts. Id rather have nothing holding me back than something as dumb as wire limiting performance.

[@Falcrist]

Good video... though interference (an electromagnetic phenomenon in this context) isn't going to be stopped by simple electrical insulation. Fortunately it doesn't matter for speaker wires, since EM interference is typically SEVERAL orders of magnitude weaker than the actual power that wire is carrying. EM interference is typically only a problem if it's introduced BEFORE the amplification.

[@steadfastwhiplash1216]

I love how one of the tags is "snake oil"

[@magicpokey4922]

So, I'm actually using a repurposed extension cord for my big under-desk speaker. It's fairly thick and I don't hear any problems. Is there a good reason not to use this kind of cable?

[@calvinc3305]

If a speaker wire is too thick like 12 or 14 gauge, would it have problems fitting into spring clip connection in receivers? The Yamaha RS202BL I have doesn't seem to open up that much to allow for a thicker wire to fit in

[@urinstein1864]

I'm confused. Do I need less cable, if I have small feet?

[@Godishus]

+Urinstein Yes, because as we all know, the smaller your feet, the smaller your room is.

[@MrLeo7627]

I have those new copper socks but the soles of my shoes are aluminum does this mean 16 gauge is good enough for dancing ? Heyyyy !? Point your toes, but I'll give you a [ 7 ]. Yes , I realize its been 4 years but the hors d'oeuvres are still fresh.

[@christopherbeddoe406]

Don't listen to these guys. They literally recommended using 22 gauge wire for subwoofers which would put you at risk of starting a fire for anything more than 18w speakers. Just buy at least 16 gauge wire for up to 100w, 8 ohm speakers. You can get 12 gauge wire for cheap and that gets you even better power handling if you need it.

[@frank26080115]

Insulation doesn't protect against interference, shielding does, there's a big difference there.

[@pinoynga]

True and agree. Insulation deals with protection against accidental grounding or short-circuiting (physical contact), while shielding deals with protection against electro-magnetic interference between adjacent conductors (not touching each other).

[@zlw7835]

Question, I have some surround sound speakers, but they often have static or noise, could upgrading the cables reduce the noise?

[@officiallyisaiah6408]

I have 2 subwoofers, they are both 4 ohms, will 12 gauge wire work and how long should I make it? Nice video

[@DaemonCross]

Here's something to consider for your next videos - Computer port Oxidation. How to Maintain, Fix and the effects.

[@animeluv333]

I just use monoprice 12awg oxygen free copper wire it's cheap and it works. It sounds obviously better than the 16awg stuff that had steel wire and copper plated wire on the other side from Canadian Tire. I also use some banana plugs from monoprice and some rg6 subwoofer cables

[@pratikparajuli5991]

I bought a NHT 3 way bookshelf speaker, what wires should I have to properly connect this to a tv or laptop?

[@dashofawesome64]

Can someone tell me what kinda drivers are good or me to build a speaker. Just saying but i am using some yamaha ns-144 and the mids are a little to soft.

[@ognjengalic4971]

For everyone reading this: IMPEDANCE IS NOT THE SAME AS RESISTANCE!

[@ZAIDAAS99]

how?

[@aaiaac]

+Ognjen Galić Accually, It is

[@ognjengalic4971]

Impedance extends the concept of resistance to AC circuits, and possesses both magnitude and phase, unlike resistance, which has only magnitude.

[@CRCR7]

Impedance is the broader definition of resistance. Impedance CAN equal resistance if there is no capacitance/inductance. Therefore, technically they are different but practically they can be the same

[@annelisemeier283]

+CRCR7 Agreed, bit in audio tech you got lots of em so they will vary

[@RazorStrap]

Most of the length/gauge spec you gave are for copper wire. Most of the speaker wire in the consumer market is CCA (copper clad aluminum) which requires 2 gauges larger for the same length. Examples: 18 gauge copper or 16 gauge CCA; up to 32 feet 16 gauge copper or 14 gauge CCA; up to 48 feet The general rule is to keep the wire impedance (each conductor) less that 2.5% of the speaker impedance (5% total for both conductors).

[@almansouryusef5527]

although it not might the right place to ask this question. My pioneer home theater system xv-dv777 shutdown whenever volume increased above 75 % i wonder why ?

[@vinayakaamr]

I bought F&D T-60X Bluetooth Home Audio Speaker, which has 55w *2 output (I'm not sure of the OHMS but looks like its 8omhs), i want to know which speaker wire is best to connect these 2 speakers in india? what gauge speaker wire should i purchase. they will be placed at a distance of approx 5-6 meters from each other.

[@jerma984]

This video didn't help at all, I couldn't hear it because I used the wrong wires for my new speakers.

[@Rainbow__cookie]

LOL

[@mygetrichslowplan]

Luke, you look soooo tired in this episode. Maybe it's just the lighting, or maybe Linus is working you too hard, you know, at the office and *outside* the office...

[@jamesblezard8562]

lol

[@ClaudKaKeiYeung]

+mygetrichslowplan SENPAI

[@Half_Finis]

+mygetrichslowplan ncie meme

[@MegaCallum10]

+CS:GO сФинщини Do wires still exist in 4016?

[@Henry_Jr_Watsson]

+mygetrichslowplan ALL MEN SHOULD USE BUTTPLUGS

[@rajeshm2946]

Which wire should I use for sony dav dz350 home theatre system?? What gauge?? Having 20ft × 10ft room

[@Stig007]

So what's the difference between speaker wire and wire you would buy at the auto parts store in a big spool or household wire if you bought it in bulk? . Is it cheaper? I know it's a little more flexible.

[@MightySquirrel724]

Fun tip: Those 6' 2 wire $1 extension cords for 2 prong electrical outlets at the dollar store can be cut and made into super cheap, effective speaker wire.

[@Storebrand_]

I did this a few days ago except with an old extension cord I found. I think it was 16awg, pure copper. Tinned the leads with solder and hooked them up, don't know if they sound better than the 22awg cables I had before but at least I have the headroom to go louder now.

[@Fullftronix]

+StoreBrand | Bernie2016, higher gauge wire isnt going to be your limiting factor, your amp or speaker will give up before the wire burns out. Also most extension cords are solid core not multi strand, thus having a higher resistance.

[@Storebrand_]

Metech​ None of my extension cords are solid core. 16awg solid core would be pretty damn stiff. The cord I used was multistrand pure copper (as far as how pure idk). Heat increases resistance, so even if the wire itself isn't ever going to burn I would at least now have no added resistance from warm cables.

[@Fullftronix]

the amount of residence you are talking about here though is miniscule milli ohm if not less, and in a home theater environment is makes no difference. Also if there wire is getting hot it would mean there is to much current being pushed through you wire. As for the solid cables im for straya, and majority of ours are solid core cause it easier to roll up.

[@Storebrand_]

Metech​ I guess I've never really thought about how much resistance it adds, good point. Another benefit to thicker cables is durability, I've had to re-strip my 22awg cables because of breakage from when I move the speakers around and have to disconnect. My speakers use a screw terminal (vintage hi-fi) and my amp uses spring terminals so my wires go trough a little wear, which is another reason why I opted for thicker cables.

[@Mtaalas]

Insulator doesn't do _anything_ to shield the wire against interference. Interference is magnetic and electric fields that couple to the conductor (wire) and cause unwanted currents and voltages that you hear as noise. You can only shield against these with a shield made out of metal. Ferromagnetic metals help against magnetic fields and conductive metals against electric fields. For electric shielding the shield has to cover the entire conductor and be connected to a ground (e.g. device chassis).

[@annelisemeier283]

Yes, but you can lable thosevas Insulation aswell since the insulate aganist fields

[@Slot1Gamer]

+Annelise Meier no, it is shielding, insulation only refers to electrical isolation

[@Mtaalas]

Slot1GGamer, that's right. To be very exact and overly pragmatic, insulation is isolating the wire galvanically, meaning that there's no path for the direct current to flow. Shielding is always against non gavanic fields (e.g electromagnetic field). Same coin, different side :)

[@digitaldistancerecords736]

At a new job and my boss want use xlr width wire for a 8ohm speaker set up is this advisable

[@hasanaliraz5608]

I have panasonic bi wire speakers with imp of 8 ohm and 2.7 ohm..how to use these speakers and connect them to my system..pls explain

[@oscarwahlberg1837]

Do you even metric?

[@LazerLord10]

How I do it: $25 spool of 50ft. 12 AWG wire pairs.

[@sittinheavy1]

+LazerLord10 Exactly, 12gauge is cheap, what if you have high wattage speakers? Quick search on eBay shows "high end" Oxygen free wire for $19 for 50' or cheap wire for $45 for 400 feet. Would assume cheap 12gauge is the same or better than expensive 20 gauge. I doubt any of us could tell a difference one way or another.

[@nostrum6410]

+Meghani Motorsports 12 gauge is overkill for most reasonable people

[@ScottGrammer]

@@sittinheavy1 with 8 ohm speakers, and a speaker lead length of less than 50 feet, 12 gauge wire should be fine for anything less than 2,000 watts. For 4 ohm speakers, 1,000 watts.

[@rejinvgm8598]

Bro my Polk tl 1600 speaker package 8 ohms speaker.my hall size 15×9.i think 30 metter wire using.any guge wire use perfect???????

[@MrSeequest]

I was about to go out and get wire today...thanks Luke!

[@pjtruslow]

pretty good summary. wouldn't go with anything less than 18ga though. i'll admit my 12ga speaker wire for 15 ft runs may have been a bit unnecessary.

[@mauriceorris8374]

I can go one better... lol.. 8ga (it might even be 6ga, i'm converting my native metric 4mm diameter from memory) for 6ft6in runs of no more than 25 watts per channel rms. Was some automotive power cable i got free and used because i had it. Had to get the butane torch on it to solder it into the banana plugs. Always causing myself stress to save a few pennies, me.

[@seans1102]

I am thinking about using 8 ga for speaker wire also same length haha. Did it make a diffference? Im using 16 ga now.

[@pjtruslow]

Sean S the difference would not be noticeable at all, and would barely be measurable. for 12 gauge wire, the resistance is about 1 mOhm per foot, so a 20 foot run (40 feet total) is 40 mOhm, represents a half a percent increase in resistance if your speakers are 8 ohm and 1% if they are 4 ohm. a 1% difference in volume is completely undetectable to the human ear, as large changes in power correspond to small percieved changes in volume, which is why the decibel scale is used.12 gauge wire at 20 feet would lose 0.043 dB, which is negligible. even 16 gauge at 20 feet is still a very small difference measured, and completely inaudible. at shorter distances, wire is even less of a concern. TL;Dr : unless you have VERY high power >500W per speaker, very long runs >100 feet, or speakers with an impedance of less than 2 ohms (basically subs only) your wire is fine.

[@rkan2]

Where are liquid nitrogen cooled cables? Cooling cables lowers their resistance, turning some materials to superconductors. Overclocking audio cables, yeah!!

[@Fede2797]

+rkan2 I think gold/silver cables would be cheaper than liquid cooled cables, and they also have lower resistence. I know you are joking, just saying

[@rkan2]

+Federico Passarelli True, but cooling will get you much closer to a superconductor and thus having no resistance at all. Decrease in resistance of better materials is miniscule, as discussed in the HDMI video.. :P

[@Benjamin_S.]

+Federico Passarelli Wrong, the resistivity of gold is higher than copper. It is used for contacts because it doesn't corrode but it has an about 50% lower conductivity. So it would be really stupid use gold cables.

[@Fede2797]

+Benjamin Steinmann you're right, but silver ones do have lower resistance

[@flushiez]

should i use kanthal stainless steel or nickel? sub ohm woofing

[@sglama1669]

Hello! sir... i have my "300 watt amp with "4ohms"-"8ohms in "single line:"" ...so for that "amp" what type of " passive speaker i can use with my amp for best result .... it will "200"- "200" watt pair ' speaker ..or "120-120 watt" or some else ??? plzzz clear me. tnk u :)

[@kliegerfehrmann5218]

What type of cable I need for a Bose 251 outdoor speakers using a Bose SA-5 amplifier

[@MaghoxFr]

LOL that suspicious girl with the wire

[@SrirachaPete232]

looks Photoshopped.. like she was holding something else... like a 'water bottle' ;D

[@FarmingtonS9]

Please, I hate doing this, but not everyone uses the old Imperial system anymore. Start putting some metric in there and everyone will be happy.

[@palerider55]

No we won't. Keep your metric crap to yourself.

[@robertcartier5088]

These guys are Canadian, as am I... Although most of our measurements have been metric for decades, we still have AWG for wiring, inches for speaker sizes, and per-pound meat prices. Often both measurements are shown, but not for wires, as far as I've seen. Instead of thinking he's doing anything wrong, why don't you just google a conversion chart and grow up. For all you know, his audience is mostly North-American. (You don't see us complaining about European videos, do you? -- oh, yeah, Americans... never mind.)

[@FiftyShadesOfDave6603]

All my speakers have an impedance of 8 ohms, but I'm using 12 gauge wire. Longest run is 12ft. Is this ok or should I use a thinner wire?

[@CoolDudeClem]

Mains flex works well enough for my speakers, just got to make sure I don't confuse those wires with something I need to put a mains plug on!

[@OMarceloCosta]

You've never ever been listened a real hi-end system to comment...

[@Slychau]

Marcelo Exactly! I tried a few different brands of premium in-wall speaker cables to make my place look neater but the sound is horrible compared to my current setup.I finally ran those high-end speaker cables in flexible conduits for in-wall installation. It is true that speaker cable quality doesn't matter if you have mainstream electronic gears.

[@suzesiviter6083]

The video had good advice regardless if your system is low or high end, if you have a good system, just get a lower guage and use shorter runs. Dont fall for the snake oil, in the land of directional cables LOL.

[@animalmuppetmonster664]

Che Marcelo.... agáchate y conocelo, juaaaa , no hablando en serio, mi equipo es un radio grabador Sonny con doble casetera y compactera reversible. Los monitores de estudio de Abbey Road son B&W de $10k por que AR compraría unos cables Audiokuest de $15k y no me digas que hay mas baratos de la misma marca por que me confundo por que Abbey Road compraría los Audiokekes de $2k si existen los de $15k cocos

[@weskerend507]

There's one thing called "Metric system". Like it or not, I'm sure some international viewers would appreciate it. I would.

[@sadladcinn]

Wesker End I know this is an old comment but they are Canadian they understand its not just American viewers

[@robertcartier5088]

This video is in the English language, and most native English speakers live in North-America. Here's what North-Americans do when we watch European and Asian videos about wires: We google a conversion chart! It is quite a lot to ask of a content provider to adjust to YOU... And using both systems all the time is impractical and makes videos confusing, long, and boring. So, like it or not, the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. So, get a damn conversion chart!

[@BrentAlanBennett]

A lot of speaker wire is not pure copper now, but some kind of copper-plated aluminum amalgam which is cheaper and not as good. Are your gage recommendations based on pure copper wire?

[@tt3233]

how about making a video about cpu display specs and what u can expect the results to be or how it can be affected

[@cad5359]

It's not just impedance that determines wire. You do touch on gauge and length, but it's not that an 8ohm speaker needs a certain gauge. It's how much current you intend to put through the wire. You aren't putting 500 watts through a 30ga wire.

[@bellshooter]

+cad5359 This is a quick guide and addressed all the essential issues for those not familiar with this topic. If you are doing the real audiophile stuff you do not need this guide as you already know this stuff. Don't be an idiot troll.

[@lukasgorgner6256]

I frankly don't understand why you would think about it that much anyway. Just use as thick a wire as fits into the clamps on your speakers and make it as short as possible and you're done. It's not hugely expensive or anything. What would have been more important information is what kind of wire to use. High strand count cables with fine gauge individual strands and NOT shielded.

[@blastedstorm]

Watts are a measurement of power, not current.

[@kuhrd]

+Lukas Görgner Actually if you are going to be installing the wire into the walls of your house as a home theater system you should install shielded speaker cable. Strand count really doesn't make much of a difference since that wire could also be solid conductor when installed in the walls. Stranded only helps make a difference for ease of bending if the wires are not installed in the walls. At audio frequencies you don't have to worry about skin effect so any strand size even up to solid wire of the same gauge will have the same electrical properties. Stranded is just easier to work with.

[@kuhrd]

+cad5359 At about 625 volts rms you could deliver 500 watts through 30awg wire. That would be a bit unrealistic since the insulation on the 30 gauge wire is only rated for maybe 600V but it could be done. 30awg copper wire has a resistance of ~0.1Ω/ft so a 6 foot length of wire would be adding 1.2Ω of resistance to the 8ohm load so a loss of ~15% of power at full load. The realistic maximum power output of 30 gauge wire pair 6 ft long would be ~10 watts on a car audio system and 15-20 watts on a home theater system depending on RMS system voltage. That being said even with cheap home theater systems the wire gauge that is included in the box is usually 22-18 gauge (7-16 amps for short runs) so at short runs for the front channels and much lower power requirements for the rear channels the included wire gauge should be enough for the typical 75-100 watt per front channel and 15-30 watts for rear and center channels of most consumer home theater systems.

[@less5406]

22 guage....are you out of your mind? The minimum guage for ANY decent setup is 18 guage for the front, center, and surrounds if they are short runs. Subwoofer connections for external amplifiers would be 16 guage minimum regardless of run length. I have been installing stereo equipment in homes and autos for going on 30 years and have never heard such bad advice. I personally use 16 guage for front, center and surrounds and 14 for external subwoofer amps. My suggestion...stick to computers and let A/V experts record advice for home theatre installations. P.S. throw all that 22 guage garbage wire that you get for free in the trash.

[@BaddMatt]

+Les S, actually, for the subwoofer would depend if it is a passive or active subwoofer. Passive (depending on wattage) I would go 12 minimum. Active, then you just need a good 75 Ohm wire if you are using the LFE channel on your receiver. Otherwise you are correct if you are using the crossover in your subwoofer amp.

[@less5406]

+BaddMatt Thats why i said with an external amplifier. The focus of the video was speaker wiring not line level wiring such as the lfe output of most integrated surround decoders.

[@BaddMatt]

Les S I will give you that about the video being about speaker wiring.

[@nostrum6410]

+Les S cat5 is fine for anybody using the all in a box home theatars

[@editorjuno]

Installers aren't experts on anything except doing reliable installations quickly enough to earn a living. This is real expert advice, from somebody who's actually designed both electronics and speakers for the original "high-end" audio company, McIntosh: www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm Given the usual < 6 foot speaker cable lengths in home stereos, I defy anyone to actually hear any difference between even 22 AWG speaker wire and anything else you can buy, find, or steal -- the longer the length and the lower the nominal speaker impedance, the heavier the gauge you should buy. That's all. Simple.

[@Razielbergamini]

Can you do an as fast as possible on Pascal and Polaris, and what they really mean? Thank you in advance, and also thank you for all of the wonderful quality content that you guys are constantly putting out!

[@RandoManFPV]

My subs are supposed to be 4ohm but they read 2.8-3.0 Can I use bigger or longer speaker wires to try n increase this number a bit and get closer to 4ohm? I'm trying to connect two 4ohm subs to a 1ohm amp, but since my subs are reading 3 ohms; wiring them parellel brings my final load down to 0.4-0.7! Not safe for my amp And if I just wire them in series parellel for a 3ohm load (would be 4ohm if the subs actually measured 4ohm themselves) I feel I'm missing out on a lot of power (amp is 1500 watt rms x1 @1ohm. 550 watt rmms x1 @4ohm)

[@Nicolas11x12English]

2:04 giant wire! :D

[@edstar83]

Im sure shes seen bigger.

[@nightterror007]

She wanted "something thicker than she really needs in order to compensate"

[@NWinnVR]

Resistance is futile! (If Ohms < 1)

[@RaydeusMX]

+NWinnStudio Neeeeeeerd. XD

[@smallmechanic]

What a fluke!!

[@BonesBroken]

NWinnStudio Seven of Nine can assimilate me ANY time she wants! There will be NO resistance (I'm talking some superconductor level of NO resistance!!)..

[@bmedia900]

Which is the best guage for Polk audio signature series for 10 X 15 feet room?

[@teravolt1195]

how about mm² also, not every seller lists the AWG. Is 2.5mm² good for rear speakers?

[@JulianGrayMedia]

No mention of phase and polarity? really?

[@PlatinumEagleStudios]

+Julian Gray Media He is just talking about speaker wire. Phase relates to speaker science.

[@JulianGrayMedia]

ok, at the very least polarity. thats very important.

[@PlatinumEagleStudios]

Julian Gray Media Yes.

[@Emile50]

+Julian Gray Media Uhm, why is polarity important in a wire?

[@PlatinumEagleStudios]

Emile van der Merwe Because if you wire your speakers with reverse polarity, they will run out of phase, causing canceled bass thus resulting in bad sound.

[@BradSk88]

Is it bad that I always watch "as fast as possible" videos on 2x speed?

[@hypochondriac3194]

+BradSk88 Weird, me too. I watch pretty much everything but music at 2x speed to save time. I thought I was the only one.

[@JWeel89]

I life my life at 2x speed. Really helps me through my work days.

[@lintfreecloth]

i can only reliably handle 1.5x

[@markaphillips14]

It filled in the gaps in my knowledge of speakers. Thanks

[@kaeptenxy3569]

if you have a high end audio setup premium cabals witch are well insulated do help to improve the sound

[@Unc3]

or you can be familiar with ohms if you attended physics in 8th grade

[@Storebrand_]

Are we actually expected to remember everything we're taught? Don't forget there's crap teachers who only assign book work instead of actually engaging with their students.

[@Unc3]

you dont need a book or a good teacher to remember something as general as U=IR

[@davepastern]

@@Storebrand_ I"m 51 I can stil remember the 3 laws of motion/force as well a v=ir...and it's been 35 years since i learnt them...and no, I didn't use them for work related purposes in my adult life. The difference is I'm not a millenial, and I paid attention in class and retained what I was taught.

[@jonathanjames46]

Orrrrr I the school I was in didn’t teach physics 😞

[@alfredthebigasshousespider9650]

@@davepastern i'M NoT A miLLeNiaL, i pAid aTTeNtIoN iN cLaSS ok boomer

[@Terence.McKenna]

memes

[@OneCheapEric]

so many memes! they're messing with us.

[@pwnjones]

What about oxygen free copper(OFC) wires vs aluminum wires coated with copper(CCA)? I have heard CCA is less efficient in transferring power.

[@02vector]

Good honest and correct video. I like Belden 14 AWG 2C Hi-Flex commercial speaker wire or the 16 AWG Belden wire , you can get it in bulk at about .40 .50 cents a foot and its in wall rated also . The ready made parts express and Mono-price terminated wire pairs are inexpensive and decent also and so is the 16AWG inexpensive roll of RCA speaker wire ,I think 50' is like 8.00 and electrically and insulated just fine OTOH real simple for a short run 16 AEG Home depot zip cord is fine as well and all of these will sound as good as $1000.00 plus exotic metal /exotic design loudspeaker cables that are a sham and if you can hear difference with the exotic wires it is being deliberately attenuated to differentiate itself and it is not accurate . Home depot and Amazon should have all this.. Just make you sure your wires have decent inexpensive terminals on each end and you are done .

[@alexanderheras]

Please use meters as well

[@robertkopp873]

Aleks Sthlmo Or even, Metres ...

[@suzesiviter6083]

Look there are 3ft in a Meter, now stop whining).

[@Godishus]

As fast as possible request: Imperial vs. metric (and why you should always use metric), Thank you.

[@shaynegadsden]

+Per-Arvid Land lol the reason why you should use metric is easy its simpler, makes sense and more accurate the reason they don't is because it hurts americans feeling making them change

[@loki1300]

+herranton1979 A great quick and dirty way to convert from C to F is double it and add 30. And to go from F to C take away 30 and half the remaining. It isn't perfect, but it gets close to the real answer.

[@shaynegadsden]

When you are in construction you tell me what's more accurate working try to guess what fraction of an inch your at or mm

[@vanags1990]

Could you please make a video about wifi sticks and wifi cards?

[@Technics68]

can you run speaker wire next to electrical wire without sound issues ?

[@Pienimusta]

the more cable costs, the better it is... if it is unde 1k $, you are doing it wrong.

[@simongustafsson3733]

Go metric please

[@kennmossman8701]

longer then 50 feet can cause high frequency roll-off? greatly depends on the wire 'type' He is referring to capacitance.

[@denlog1177]

+Techquickie Yes speakers impedance changes with frequency, but it is almost always higher then what is the listed on the speaker. Anything lower then the rated 4, 6, 8, ohm etc. could blow up the amplifier if it is not built or rated to handle the lower loads. Thicker wire is not really needed for that reason. Higher ohm loads are easier for the amp to drive since there is less current. Lower ohm loads are much harder to drive, use more current, and cause the amp to heat up even more. I had a 0.5 ohm stable Orion high current (cheater) amp back in the day that you could fry an egg on. Only 50W x 2 at 4 ohms, and 100W worth of power according to most sound organizations back then, but it put out 600-800W depending on voltage bridged into a 1 ohm load.

[@palerider55]

16 gauge... 22 GAUGE? You're telling people to use THREADS! You also neglected to mention matching wire size to POWER. You should NEVER hook up a high current amp with say 200+ watts to some thread thin little 22 GAUGE WIRE, that would be insane. I'm running a Parasound amp with 275 watts per channel, and I have 8 GUAGE wire, DOUBLE, because I'm biamping the front L/R/C. You people making these videos as if you were giving out good advice are a joke. You spent more time on your fucking COMMERCIAL than you did wire info, which was all pretty much BS anyway.

[@staplquad8297]

My theater room I run 10 gauge to my sub that’s like 3 ft away from my sub amo

[@paolomarra-biggs1204]

Can you talk about plugging 4 conductor wires into a house amp, that only takes red and black?

[@adam3842]

Water through a pipe is a great analogy for the way electricity flows ! Its idea is used in electro-tech introductions all over!

[@zamn__]

Do I need banana plugs if the speaker has screw type input?

[@mgut17]

this helped me alot since i though higher number gauge wire would mean thicker cable, not i know smaller number = thicker wire, but is there any quality difference between wires you are using in a home theater system?

[@Grrizz84]

+Skinnwalk3r Yes and no, you can get "high quality" (more expensive) low oxygen/oxygen free wire but the reality is they don't make a difference compared to standard wire these days (for home theatre use) unless you luck out and get something that shouldn't even be on a store shelf like copper clad aluminium wire (CCA) - not that I've ever seen CCA speaker wire but I'm sure someone in China would be making it ;)

[@mgut17]

Thanks

[@Spazmonkeyorange]

Could you do a video on speaker cone shape?

[@davidj4105]

Hi, how about a vid explaining the different sound setups you can get from the connectors on you Mobo i/o port with 2.1,5.1 etc explained and the associated colour contacts and what they each do, maybe covering USB sound options also with features and benefits of each option.

[@davidj4105]

Oh, and nice series Luke and Seb, keep up the great work, it really helps me out, it helped me build a kick ass rig last year :-))

[@larsvegas1505]

I got the same kind of wire as the picture on 1 minute.. that stuff is fine to use... job done!

[@KevinSpengel]

Great info!! Thank you!

[@ELEVOPR]

Now, I'm really confused 😕 What kind of wire would i need for a wireless set up? 😛

[@umran89]

Please complete the list with quckie DIY home theater setup with speaker selection, amp and all things related!

[@JeromeWilliamsx90jay]

I have been searching online cannot seem to get a straight answer so asking here does a higher refresh rate than the normal 60hz stop screen tearing in games as long as the fps doesnot go over that higher refresh rate

[@seans1102]

It doesnt just matter about the refresh rate it also matters how many milliseconds (lower is better) that refresh is done as far as screen tearing is concerned.

[@MrLeo7627]

copper coated aluminum or 100% copper ? Is their a difference in sound ?

[@Twinstar2010]

SO what is impedance and whats better low or high impedance Speaker? I still don't get it, sorry.

[@91rickstar]

+Techquickie It depends on the length of the wire and how many WRMS you are putting though the wire those two things determines the (awg) wire gauge you need to run

[@JeffHB123]

Hmm, it would be neat to see you guys design and setup an entire home theater in the library at the office. :3

[@hawkfumodee5364]

If your really skint and using free with equipment bell wire buy some solid core 5 amp from B&Q or wherever, only drawback at the cost is its inflexibility. Note Julian's observation about polarity, red to red and black to black when connecting. Only a good idea if you have a decent set of binding posts both ends, don't try this with the nasty sprung spring terminals or they will break.

[@kara88bg]

How about those 200$ per 1 feet monocrystal wires, I've actually seen one costing 600$ a meter for some reason, do they make any difference and in which case could I hear that difference.

[@Tb0n3]

Like someone else mentioned, just by a cheap ass extension cable and use the wire from that.

[@311kratos]

Speakers vs headset for gaming, which one you prefer?

[@julianhill1914]

Over the decades I`ve always found that basic 240v Mains Cable makes for good all round speaker wire & quiet cheap it is too

[@CDP135Z]

Could you further explain why copper would cause an issue with higher frequencies over a certain distance of wire?

[@Endmass]

+CDP135Z it's not really how it's described here. You will get some voltage drop with thinner wire over long distances.

[@chasejustchase487]

please do capacitors next!!! this is something myself and many others are still hazy about!!!

[@andrewpolitano]

It would have been important to note that cheaper speaker wire doesn't always use copper or even better OFC (oxygen free copper). The Amazon Basics 16awg speaker wire for instance, uses 42 stranded CCA or, "Copper Clad Aluminum", which as we all know is less conductive than what you really want anyway. The real answer is look for 14awg all around, OFC construction and a decent jacket to combat snags and tears/some interference issues. Brand name doesn't matter as long as you're getting the bases covered. For reference, I currently use Monoprices' Core Series OFC 14awg. It's a dollar more than the Amazon option and you get everything you need, nothing you don't need to pay for.

[@bogdanalin962]

this is 2017 how can you still measure with your feet?

[@MrAbsolutesoul]

What are the cons to using ghost wire to connect 8 ohms rear speakers?

[@DaniSiede]

YAS! more home theatre stuff please!

[@oscargoldman85]

Good summary well done.

[@rsoulburnz]

Short n thick, and watch the ohms/distance. Thanks for making it quick and easy