Surround sound speaker wiring
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Posted by David on November 23, 2004, 12:16 am
Please log in for more thread options I am newer to the home-theater setup and have a couple of questions about the wiring I should use. I currently have a decent 5.1 system and looking to possibly go with a 7.1 higher end system in the future. What gauge should I use for the surround speakers and main speakers? I was thinking 12 gauge. Should the wire be solid copper or stranded? I assume that the wire needs to be rated for in wall. As I have a ton of extra 12-2 NM from the regular wiring, could this be used? Thanks for your help, David | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by L Alpert on November 23, 2004, 6:07 am
Please log in for more thread options If your runs are in the wall, 16 ga. should be good enough, 14 for longer runs. Depending on where your placement is, you may want shielded wire. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Dmitri(Cabling-Design.com on November 24, 2004, 7:51 am
Please log in for more thread options David wrote:
> Hello,
> I am newer to the home-theater setup and have a couple of questions
> about > the wiring I should use. > I currently have a decent 5.1 system and looking to possibly go with a
> 7.1 > higher end system in the future. > What gauge should I use for the surround speakers and main speakers? I
> was > thinking 12 gauge. > Should the wire be solid copper or stranded?
> I assume that the wire needs to be rated for in wall. As I have a ton
> of > extra 12-2 NM from the regular wiring, could this be used? > Thanks for your help,
> David
Technically the copper is the same, but the power cable is not listed for speaker use. For NEC compliance you should be using CL2 or CL3 cables. Besides, 12 gauge copper may be too stiff for tight spaces. I suggest that you save the electrical cable for that vanity light your spouse will want to install couple years from now ;-) Don't worry about the shield: the speaker current is too strong for the cable shield to have any effect at all. -- Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD http://www.cabling-design.com Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for premises cabling users and pros http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling Residential Cabling Guide ------------------------------------- ##-----------------------------------------------## Article posted with Cabling-Design.com Newsgroup Archive http://www.cabling-design.com/forums no-spam read and post WWW interface to your favorite newsgroup - alt.home-theater - 31 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------## | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Robert Bass on December 6, 2004, 5:15 am
Please log in for more thread options > What gauge should I use for the surround
> speakers and main speakers? I was thinking > 12 gauge. For the mains use 10 or 12 AWG. For the surrounds 14-gauge will be fine. > Should the wire be solid copper or stranded?
Stranded. Solid wire is less flexible and harder to work with. > I assume that the wire needs to be rated for in
> wall. That is correct. Jacketed in-wall cable will bear the appropriate marking. > As I have a ton of extra 12-2 NM from the regular
> wiring, could this be used? Yes, but it will be somewhat bulky and less convenient for connection to the speakers. You could run the NM to the vicinity of the in-walls and connect short, stranded pigtails between the NM and the speakers. -- Regards, Robert L Bass =============================>
Bass Home Electronics
2291 Pine View Circle Sarasota · Florida · 34231 877-722-8900 Sales & Tech Support http://www.bassburglaralarms.com =============================>
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>
> I am newer to the home-theater setup and have a couple of questions
> about the wiring I should use.
>
> I currently have a decent 5.1 system and looking to possibly go with
> a 7.1 higher end system in the future.
>
> What gauge should I use for the surround speakers and main speakers? I was
> thinking 12 gauge.
>
> Should the wire be solid copper or stranded?
>
> I assume that the wire needs to be rated for in wall. As I have a
> ton of extra 12-2 NM from the regular wiring, could this be used?
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> David