Changing to thicker speaker wire . Bigger difference ?

[DJBlueRay]

Is the 22 gauge too much ?
Bought it a year ago, so can't really return. I can go buy the 12-14 if necessary.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Check this discussion on Interconnect cables & Speaker cables

John

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by DJBlueRay

Is the 22 gauge too much ?
Bought it a year ago, so can't really return. I can go buy the 12-14 if necessary.

Having just looked at you're system , Yes I would get different cable !

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by DJBlueRay

Is the 22 gauge too much ?
Bought it a year ago, so can't really return. I can go buy the 12-14 if necessary.

It's too small. The smaller the number in wire the larger in diameter the wire is.

As others have said, 12-14 gauge speaker wire is good for future proofing your system.

[Steve]

People may be getting a little too carried away here. I agree that the proper sized speaker wire will make an improvement, but with the Onkyo HTiB speakers, I think 12 or 14 gauge wire will be too big. The Onkyo speakers use spring clips instead of binding posts and I don't think wire that big will fit in them. And I used to own a set of Onkyo speakers so I speak from experience here.

[saprano]

Let them get carried away its their money.

[DonRSD]

12 gauge wire is 12 gauge wire across the board.

its all woven the same way

so if you pay 5 bucks or 500 its the SAME WIRE.....copper is copper!

as far as 'other stuff'....sleeves, fire retartant.....its all the same too.

just cause it costs more doesnt mean its better......a $2000 bose system is 'high end'? now you see the point here.

companies get rich off of suckers. speaker wire companies are no different

[fdm]

I have a somewhat inexpensive set of 12-gauge wires feeding my speakers (I think the longest run for the surrounds probably used up a whole 50ft run). Think everyone should use at least 12-guage.

I have a pretty nice set of components, enjoy the sound I get from them. I have no doubt that different wires could make them sound different, perhaps better. And similarly I could upgrade to separates (or even better speakers) and get even better sound that way.

But given I'm getting to be a pretty old fart (who's hearing isn't getting any better) who may not even have a job by the end of the year, I'm thinking my system is the absolute sh!t and and am quite happy with what I have.

(Would like a projector, though )

(I have a whole box filled with no longer used interconnects and some of them did improve the sound or improved the picture versus the cheapo crap that was tossed in the box by the manufacturer, so cables can make a difference (this in the analog realm by the way). And some of the interconnects in my current system were not cheap, but they certainly weren't expensive. Just for the record.)

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by DonRSD

12 gauge wire is 12 gauge wire across the board.

its all woven the same way

so if you pay 5 bucks or 500 its the SAME WIRE.....copper is copper!

as far as 'other stuff'....sleeves, fire retartant.....its all the same too.

just cause it costs more doesnt mean its better......a $2000 bose system is 'high end'? now you see the point here.

companies get rich off of suckers. speaker wire companies are no different

While I have no argument with you insofar as speaker wire companies being no different, which can be said of every other product manufacturer out there, I disagree completely that speaker wire is all the same.

Buy whatever you want, but speaker cables ARE different from company to company and mine have added a definate difference in my system.

John

[Twitch9]

Originally Posted by John72953

While I have no argument with you insofar as speaker wire companies being no different, which can be said of every other product manufacturer out there, I disagree completely that speaker wire is all the same.

Buy whatever you want, but speaker cables ARE different from company to company and mine have added a definate difference in my system.

John

I don't understand how you can speaker wire is different, it's all made the same way, can someone please tell me what makes $1000 speaker wire different from $20 wire other than the cost of marketing the sleeve and look.

Absolutely nothing it is all made from the same material and most likely the same company.

[uniquetreatone]

Last year I brought monster speaker wire from radio shack.The price was around $30 for 100 feet.When I noticed I did not have enough wire after setting up my speakers in different postions I went out to best buy because it was a little bit closer.Best Buy had the same wire for $90.Needless to say I drove to extra mile back to radio shack.I have no idea what gauge they are come to think about,it's just a thick wire in a clear cover.

[Twitch9]

Originally Posted by DonRSD

12 gauge wire is 12 gauge wire across the board.

its all woven the same way

so if you pay 5 bucks or 500 its the SAME WIRE.....copper is copper!

as far as 'other stuff'....sleeves, fire retartant.....its all the same too.

just cause it costs more doesnt mean its better......a $2000 bose system is 'high end'? now you see the point here.

companies get rich off of suckers. speaker wire companies are no different

+1

People who spend all this money on cables have to defend there purchase. I know the owners of a hi end speaker shop and they have told me there biggest money maker is cables, on most cables there is a 200% mark up, you can't tell me this is not a scam.

How can wire make a difference in sound it's a electrical current, the only factor with this is resistance and a thicker gage wire will help this problem not your fancy over priced cables that you payed extra for a name.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

How can wire make a difference in sound it's a electrical current, the only factor with this is resistance and a thicker gage wire will help this problem not your fancy over priced cables that you payed extra for a name.

With respect, you're clearly speaking from a position of ignorance (and I don't claim to be an expert). Resistance is not the only factor at play: you're forgetting about capacitance and inductance, not to mention cable topology and dielectric type.

What you're saying is that you've never actually listened to different cables, and refuse to do so becuase there'd be no point 'cause "they all sound the same", whereas I and others are arguing from the position of first hand empirical observation. I know you're wrong stating that cables don't make a difference, because I've heard it for myself. There's no self-deluding going on here.

How about you try this: go to a decent audio specialist and ask to listen to different cables in one of their systems. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. And no, Best Buy et al do not count as audio specialists.

[D1-2005]

Originally Posted by fireman325

People may be getting a little too carried away here. I agree that the proper sized speaker wire will make an improvement, but with the Onkyo HTiB speakers, I think 12 or 14 gauge wire will be too big. The Onkyo speakers use spring clips instead of binding posts and I don't think wire that big will fit in them. And I used to own a set of Onkyo speakers so I speak from experience here.

I would think for spring clips 16 guage would be just about right.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by D1-2005

I would think for spring clips 16 guage would be just about right.

I was thinking the same.

[rded]

This thread is about speaker wire guage for an onkyo HTIB. By all means spend no more than $50 on speaker wires. Given that this system is not the most articulate and sensitve, over spending on cables is not prudent. This is the time I'll recommend monoprice. Hell, even monster!
As for the previous posts by other memebers, I would have to diasagree and argue that a speaker wires are the same and copper is copper. From my perssonal experience, going from generic Belkin 12 guage for my L/C/R to my current Red Dawns was a giant leap in sonic fidelity.

[JJ]

Back when I had a Samsung HTiB, I switched it from the 22AWG wire it came with to 14AWG with pin terminals to fit into the spring clips and noted a definite difference in the sound quality. Bass was deeper, details clearer, and the sound "louder" - volume 25 was now what volume 45 used to be. Even in home theater in a box systems, upgrading the wire a few thicknesses makes a big difference. Use pin terminals if the wire is too big to fit into the spring clips.

And I'm sorry, DonRSD, but you are a wee bit mistaken, if not horribly, on the subject.

[CasualKiller]

This is mostly in response to the monster vs coat hanger comment above but it will prove an interesting read to all involved here. The Wall Street Journal conducted its own blind test to see if people really could tell the difference, well read for yourself:

http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/null/65929