Help on speaker cables

[dharma14]

I'm getting these speakers http://www.htd.com/cabinet-speakers/...three-speakers.
On the site it says I can connect them using standard bare wire connection or bi wire with dual banana plugs. The longest cables I'm going to be running are going to be 20-25 feet max. I wan't cables that are pre cut and have connectors. What are good cables to get from monoprice? What guage should I get and is it hard to install the cables? I'm also wondering what cables I need for the sub since it comes with a separate amplifier. thanks.

[VinnAY]

Originally Posted by dharma14

I'm getting these speakers http://www.htd.com/cabinet-speakers/...three-speakers.
On the site it says I can connect them using standard bare wire connection or bi wire with dual banana plugs. The longest cables I'm going to be running are going to be 20-25 feet max. I wan't cables that are pre cut and have connectors. What are good cables to get from monoprice? What guage should I get and is it hard to install the cables? I'm also wondering what cables I need for the sub since it comes with a separate amplifier. thanks.

100:1 you buy precut and terminated speaker and you go to install them and find that you need LONGER cables. Not that some place would short you or anything, but everytime I've cut cable and tried to run it I come up short.
Buy a 150' spool, connect one end to the receiver and loosely route it too your speaker. Add 3' and then cut it. It's stuff you can do easily and I'd skip that bannana plug crap...it's just gimmicky garbage that's no better than bare wire.

[Big Daddy]

If you want 25 to 30 ft, then you must use 14 gauge or 12 gauge wire. Go to the thread A Guide to Optical, Digital, & Speaker Cables. There are explanation of different types of connectors and links to bulk and pre-cut speaker wires.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by VinnAY

100:1 you buy precut and terminated speaker and you go to install them and find that you need LONGER cables. Not that some place would short you or anything, but everytime I've cut cable and tried to run it I come up short.
Buy a 150' spool, connect one end to the receiver and loosely route it too your speaker. Add 3' and then cut it. It's stuff you can do easily and I'd skip that bannana plug crap...it's just gimmicky garbage that's no better than bare wire.

Agreed up till your last point. Banana plugs (or better, spades) are not gimmcky garbage. They help prevent stray wire from shorting out your expensive amp, and make moving stuff around more convenient.

Given how cheap they can be, there's no reason not to use them IMHO.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

If you want 25 to 30 ft, then you must use 14 gauge or 12 gauge wire. Go to the thread A Guide to Optical, Digital, & Speaker Cables. There are explanation of different types of connectors and links to bulk and pre-cut speaker wires.

i dont think you even really NEED that size guage.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

[dharma14]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

If you want 25 to 30 ft, then you must use 14 gauge or 12 gauge wire. Go to the thread A Guide to Optical, Digital, & Speaker Cables. There are explanation of different types of connectors and links to bulk and pre-cut speaker wires.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/se...peaker%20wires
I found this, but I still don't really know what the hell I'm doing. Is this something like wiring cat5? I've done that before. I still don't know what all I need to make the cables, I'd rather just buy them already done since money isn't much of a problem for me... the speakers are 8 ohms from what I see on the site, does this have anything to do with speaker wires?

[aramis109]

"Making" speaker cables couldn't be easier. Just need to cut to length, strip the ends and terminate them with spades or banana plugs if you decide to do that.

Cat 5 is way harder than that!

[dharma14]

Originally Posted by aramis109

"Making" speaker cables couldn't be easier. Just need to cut to length, strip the ends and terminate them with spades or banana plugs if you decide to do that.

Cat 5 is way harder than that!

What do I need to get from monopice? (include links please) and what tools do I need?

[dharma14]

anyone?

[SRTCraig]

Originally Posted by richteer

Agreed up till your last point. Banana plugs (or better, spades) are not gimmcky garbage. They help prevent stray wire from shorting out your expensive amp, and make moving stuff around more convenient.

Given how cheap they can be, there's no reason not to use them IMHO.

I agree. Its also much easier plugging all those speakers to the back of your receiver.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by dharma14

What do I need to get from monopice? (include links please) and what tools do I need?

Speaker wire: 12ga 100ft spool- http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

An alternative would be this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

Probably a bit overkill, but a great price.


Wire strippers: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100039295

There's a ton of possibilities to use, but those are similar to the ones that I have.

You just strip off some wire to expose the copper, and plug it into the speaker. Should you want to look into spades or banana plugs, that's an option as well.