Banana Plugs are a Plus, but What Speaker Wire Gauge should You Get?
14 AWG Speaker Wire
Hello again,
Should you select different speaker wire gauge depending on distance from the amp to the speakers and the application? Yes you should. Standard speaker wire is only 16 gauge and to be honest, that is not very thick in diameter.
I would go by this guide when selecting speaker wire:
- If the distance from the amp to the speaker is less than 80 feet go with 16 gauge speaker wire.
- Between 80 and 200 feet go with 14 gauge speaker wire.
- Go with 12 gauge for over 200 feet.
However, if you have a very robust/hardcore audio/video setup, I would just go with 14 or 12 gauge no matter what length. This is because the thicker the wire is, the stronger the signal is going through and the clarity will be there. If you just have a mediocre setup, 16 AWG should be more than adequate. Also remember, the thicker the wire, the lower the resistance which will lesson the load on the amp.
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