By Craig from Cincinnati, Ohio on April 7, 2012
how do I know what gauge speaker wire to buy? I am assuming 2 strand means 2 wires one into each input on the back of the speaker? And what does it mean when it says how many strands the wire has?
By Customer Service - Q&A on April 9, 2012
Answer:
Hi Craig:
The rule of thumb is 16 gauge for runs up to 80 feet and 14 gauge beyond 80 feet. Two (2) conductor features a plus and minus connection matching the input of a single speaker. A four (4) conductor features two plus and two minus connections (use for right and left stereo connection). Typically if you are using volume controls you would run the four conductor from the source (right and left, + & -) to the Stereo Volume Control and then a two conductor cable to the individual right and left speaker. If you are not using Volume controls you would use two conductor from the Receiver/amplifier output directly to each speaker. Regarding High Strand Count this cable features 65 strands of 36 Gauge cooper in a twisted grouped bundle totalling 16 gauge in diameter. Compare that to 33 strands of 30 gauge bundled copper which also measures 16 gauge in diameter. The higher strand count creates a more flexible cable while providing a little better conductivity. The higher strand count also means using more copper which increase the cost of the cable. This cable also features "Oxegen Free" Copper which adds additional cost as well.
TL
