12 gauge or 16 gauge?

[saprano]

which speaker wire should i get and what is the differince? i will be using an onkyo 605 with this system http://www.definitivetech.com/loudsp...inema_800.html

[cartier]

Originally Posted by saprano

which speaker wire should i get and what is the differince? i will be using an onkyo 605 with this system http://www.definitivetech.com/loudsp...inema_800.html

The smaller the gauge number the thicker the wire. The thicker the wire the better the signal. In short go with the 12 gauge. Unless it will be difficult to hide the wire then the 16 might be more appropriate.

EDIT: Here is some source info too, just so you know I am not some quack http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/IS...kers_wire.html

[T-Town Oil]

alot of it also depends on the length of the run. i would say anything over 40 to 50 feet you would definitely want the lower (heavier) gauge

[bluskiff]

Ya go with the 12

[kiskiboy97]

I thought this thread was going to be about shotguns.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by kiskiboy97

I thought this thread was going to be about shotguns.

hahahah lol

[saprano]

and what about banna plugs? do i need them and how do they work?

[kiskiboy97]

No you don't need them, but they make connections, especially on the receiver end, much easier to deal with. No twisting wire and trying to get in in the plugs. Just stick it in the receiver as you would a regular cable. They simply attach to the bare wire at the end of your speaker giving you an easy way to plug them in.

[quetzalcoatl]

And since it has not been mentioned in this thread get your stuff from Monoprice. That way you can buy more movies to enjoy.

[kiskiboy97]

Here are a couple of pictures. Hope they give you an idea.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by kiskiboy97

Here are a couple of pictures. Hope they give you an idea.

oh ok thanks, so i would just stick the wire into the cable and plug it into the reciever, now it makes sense

[Marcusarilius]

My Boston Accoustic Speakers recommend 18 gage for normal use and 16 gage beyond 22 feet in length. This could probably apply to any speaker though. It's a speaker wire distance factor.

[richard lichtenfelt]

Depends on the wattage your pushing. If the wires are too big compared to the signal being passed through them then it becomes detrimental.

[dannyjl]

Glad you decided to go with the Def Teck Pro Cinema 800 system - an amazing setup. Since you're spending some serious cash here, why not spend an additional $13 and go for the 12 AWG wire. That's the difference between a 100 ft. spool of 16 and 12 AWG wire at monoprice.com. I think the biggest advantage of having banana plugs other than the convenience factor is the corrosion/oxidation protection they provide over bare wire connections.

[invictus]

Cables are a lot more complex then many people would care to think about. Cables have capacitance and resistance along with transmission that are inherent to length, diameter, wire size, and braiding.

If you are one of those people who would care then I recommend a book written by Stephen H. Lampden. Its title is "Wire, Cable, and Fiber Optics for Video and Audio Engineers" and should be available at any small city library.
(side note: Its ISBN is 0-07-038134-8 (PBK) for the paperback obviously)

If you don't care then go with 16(AWG) if less then 80 feet. 14(AWG) from 80 to 200 feet, and 12(AWG) for anythign over 200 feet. These guages are for home stereo systems. If you are putting in a pre-amp you should jump down to the next gauge for the same lengths, but don't go lower then 12.

[DragonSarc]

I have the Pro cinema 800 7.1 (added 2 extra 800s for the back) im using a 16 gauge and it sounds great, loud and clear - its hooked up to my avr-3808ci non of the wire exceeds 30ft though, I use banana plugs on both ends its easier to hook up.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by richard lichtenfelt

Depends on the wattage your pushing. If the wires are too big compared to the signal being passed through them then it becomes detrimental.

the onkyo 605 has 90 watts per channel and i think those def teck speakers are recomended to go up to 150 watts

[MATTYBLU2]

Originally Posted by kiskiboy97

I thought this thread was going to be about shotguns.

ya mee too

[saprano]

Originally Posted by dannyjl

Glad you decided to go with the Def Teck Pro Cinema 800 system - an amazing setup. Since you're spending some serious cash here, why not spend an additional $13 and go for the 12 AWG wire. That's the difference between a 100 ft. spool of 16 and 12 AWG wire at monoprice.com. I think the biggest advantage of having banana plugs other than the convenience factor is the corrosion/oxidation protection they provide over bare wire connections.

yea i know im gonna build the system from the ground up because i wanted to change the 800 sub to the 1000(like you said i think) but the guy at best buy said i cant i have to buy the the whole set.so im gonna buy 4 800 monitors, procenter 1000, and a pro 1000 sub that sounds good right? oh and the site recomends i go with 2 monitor 1000 for mains and 2 800 for the surrounds what do think about that?

[MacDaddyOJack]

You're only pushing 90 watts per channel with the 605 so you will most likely be fine with 16 guage wire, assuming it is a quality cable and made of oxygen free copper. If you were pushing any more power through the wires, then I would def get the 12 guage. If you are ever thinking of upgrading, then get the 12 guage. Even with the 90 watts per channel, the 12 should still be fine, but if you are never going to upgrade then the 16 should work well.