onehaqq01
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speaker cables for my system?
commsysman
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onehaqq01 wrote:

hello all-

love these forums - set up my system based on recommendations from this forum! I have a Music Hall turntable, Monitor Audio 2s bookshelf speakers that are on stands. I was using $9 speaker wires from best buy but I need to move my speakers farther apart so need to buy new speaker wires and not sure which ones to buy. Also the $9 speaker wires seem cheap but I don't have much experience with other wires.

I see wires that say 16AWG or 14AWG or 12AWG - and I don't know the difference and what I should be getting. Do you guys have a recommendation for what cables I should get given my system? I've read about the Audioquest and the Monster cables - but again don't even know which of those I should get.

Preferably I want cables that enhance the sound, are white (I need to run them over the door with some hooks) and don't break the bank too much!

Thanks in advance!

If you need white cables, you are going to be a bit limited.

You can probably find some 14 gauge lamp cord in white, which would work fine, but make sure that it is 100% copper wire, NOT the CCA (copper-clad aluminum) that is often used.

I would suggest that you get Monoprice 14 gauge speaker wire, which has clear insulation (Monoprice #2748).

You could always run it over the door frame and then put a little bit of white paint on it.

commsysman
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commsysman][quote=onehaqq01 wrote:

hello all-

love these forums - set up my system based on recommendations from this forum! I have a Music Hall turntable, Monitor Audio 2s bookshelf speakers that are on stands. I was using $9 speaker wires from best buy but I need to move my speakers farther apart so need to buy new speaker wires and not sure which ones to buy. Also the $9 speaker wires seem cheap but I don't have much experience with other wires.

I see wires that say 16AWG or 14AWG or 12AWG - and I don't know the difference and what I should be getting. Do you guys have a recommendation for what cables I should get given my system? I've read about the Audioquest and the Monster cables - but again don't even know which of those I should get.

Preferably I want cables that enhance the sound, are white (I need to run them over the door with some hooks) and don't break the bank too much!

Thanks in advance!

If you need white cables, you are going to be a bit limited.

You can probably find some 14 gauge lamp cord in white, which would work fine, but make sure that it is 100% pure copper wire, NOT the CCA (copper-clad aluminum) that is often used.

I would suggest that you get Monoprice 14 gauge pure copper speaker wire, which has clear insulation (Monoprice #2748).

You could always run it over the door frame and then put a little bit of white paint on it.

commsysman
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commsysman][quote=commsysman][quote=onehaqq01 wrote:

hello all-

love these forums - set up my system based on recommendations from this forum! I have a Music Hall turntable, Monitor Audio 2s bookshelf speakers that are on stands. I was using $9 speaker wires from best buy but I need to move my speakers farther apart so need to buy new speaker wires and not sure which ones to buy. Also the $9 speaker wires seem cheap but I don't have much experience with other wires.

I see wires that say 16AWG or 14AWG or 12AWG - and I don't know the difference and what I should be getting. Do you guys have a recommendation for what cables I should get given my system? I've read about the Audioquest and the Monster cables - but again don't even know which of those I should get.

Preferably I want cables that enhance the sound, are white (I need to run them over the door with some hooks) and don't break the bank too much!

Thanks in advance!

If you need white cables, you are going to be a bit limited.

You can probably find some 14 gauge lamp cord in white, which would work fine, but make sure that it is 100% pure copper wire, NOT the CCA (copper-clad aluminum) that is often used.

I would suggest that you get Monoprice 14 gauge pure copper speaker wire, which has clear insulation (Monoprice #2748).

You could always run it over the door frame and then put a little bit of white paint on it.

Another thing you can do is put a threshold plate on the floor in the doorway and run the wires under it.

onehaqq01
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thanks for the response! i have been plugging my wire speakers by stripping them and then tying them into the screw plugs in the back of my amp/speakers. i noticed some people use banana plugs (or something else)? do banana plugs help with sound quality or are they there just for convenience? if you recommend them, which onese should I get?

thanks again in advance!

bierfeldt
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Monster makes a white speaker cable that is typically sold at Best Buy. I think it is 12 gauge and it is what I use in my home theatre. Out of convenience, I have purchased Monster Banana plugs and they seem fine. A lot of times, you can get Monster stuff for great prices at accessories4less

absolutepitch
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If you get the 12-gauge (12 AWG) wire, it may be too thick to attach by winding around the speaker binding post, so it does not clamp properly to get good tight connection. May be easier to attach the wire to banana plugs and then insert into speaker binding posts, and the amp at the other end. Banana plugs are supposedly not great at contacting, I heard, so a good mechanical, tight connection is preferred. Maybe a spade ended connector for the wire is better, but you may need to solder it to the wire.

I use 12 AWG wire now for a total run of 24 feet to each speaker, and it works fine. I also have 8-foot speaker wire at 10 AWG (larger than 12 AWG) and the last time I checked, there was a difference in sound between the two cables, 10 AWG being better.I constructed my cable by using a pair of single conductor 12 AWG wires which I paired by using wire ties along the cable at intervals of short distances. Then the pair is twisted around each other. I bought the wire at an electronics surplus supply store - don't remember how much as it was a long time ago. Monster cable may be pricey.

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