hcsunshine
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for inexpensive 10 gauge speaker wire... blue jeans cable?
wkhanna
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....it is worth $20 just to find out.

BlueJeans is the the 'working man's" brand of cables.
I recommend them for common sense, real-world wires that deliver good craftsmanship & value.

I use Mapleshade Double Helix.
Had them for 6 years.
I have a friend who reviews equipment all the time.
He has brought over all kinds stuff that I have tried in my own system.
One set was nearly $4k.
The difference was so minimal as to be essentially indistinguishable.
But that is just my experience.
I am sure there many others with differing views.

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an β€œON” switch, Please -

Demondog
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Low electrical resistance is the primary performance characteristic to look for in speaker cables, in my opinion. To put it very simply it's a combination of amplifier output and cable resistance, that along with the speaker impedance that determines the damping factor. I think this is why the owners manual that came with my speakers contained a strong warning to keep loop cable resistance below .07 ohms.

Thus I chose 10 gauge cables, for the 12 Ft length I needed. The nice thing about Blue Jeans Cable's version is the ability to specify ultrasonically welded terminals in spade or banana configuration. There is not a better terminal attachment method than ultrasonic welding, again in my opinion. I do have a background in this process, and my experience is that you get the benefits of a true weld without fillers, and without the adverse affects of more common metal welding processes. It's the best method if you find you do need terminals on your wire.

commsysman
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hcsunshine wrote:

I was only considering changing from 14 gauge (8 foot length) to a 10 gauge wire. someone on a different forum recommended blue jeans cable, (a dollar per foot) does anyone here recommend a different brand for some reason? (my speakers are 4 ohm) (I'm not even sure that I need 10 gauge wire, even though it would cost me "only" $20)

For an 8 foot run, 14 gauge wire is adequate. It would probably be a complete waste of money to buy 10 gauge wire.

You can buy 50 feet of pure copper 12 gauge speaker wire from Monoprice for less than $20 (Monoprice #2747). That is what I would suggest. It also is polarity-marked, which is helpful.

10 feet of #12 wire has .0158 ohms of resistance, which is infinitesimal compared to a 4 ohm speaker.

Most speakers and amplifiers have 3-way binding posts, which allow the stripped bare wire to be inserted through the hole in the post and tightened to make a firm connection. Using bare wire ends eliminates any concerns about termination.

hcsunshine
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I'm going to keep the 14 gauge wire that I'm currently using. folks in another forum said also that my wire for my conditions is "more than adequate". thanks, john

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