Okay, I have a relatively new Onkyo HTS-660 5.1 HT setup. It sounds great and am extremely satisfied. However, I've heard that the cheap thin guage speaker wires supplied with the Onkyo system (which I am using) aren't very good. And from doing a search I've read that using cheap/thin wires can deaden/dull speaker response, not to mention the extra heat it can cause the receiver to have, which may result in premature failure.
I noticed when setting up my speakers that the wires are colored coated for each speaker, but are the wires exactly the same? I'm about to buy a spindle of 16 guage wires from CC or Best Buy and I noticed that it's just one big spindle that's all the same. Do I just use a scissors and cut how much I want and connect to each speaker and back of the reciever?
Thanks, and sorry for the remedial question, I'm still learning all this HT stuff.
flyingdragon
11-02-03, 01:30 AM
The color coding is just there to help you not to get the polarity mixed up. Even if you buy 16 gauge speaker cables from CC or BB, they still markings of some kind if you look closely.
The best place to get your speaker cables is at Home Depot. Get the RCA premium 16 gauge cables as they work just as well as anything from BB or CC. At 50' for $24.99, there is no better deal.
NaturalMystic79
11-02-03, 07:04 PM
flyingdragon-
Thanks for the advice. I went to Home Depot but they were all out of the wires that I wanted. I ended up going to RadioShack and got 100' of 16 guage Radioshack brand wires (looks to be very good quality) for under $40. Hooked up my Onkyo HTS-660B and it works nicely. Receiver isn't as hot as it used to be after use. And that's after an intense workout with a Brotherhood Of The Wolf DTS track. Is the sound better? Hard to tell. Sounds a little crisper and dialogue sounds clearer, but then again it may be a placebo effect.
flyingdragon
11-02-03, 10:48 PM
RadioShack premium speaker cables are just as good. Whether it's a placebo effect or not, it's good to know that your cables aren't the bottleneck in your system.
bpm3k
11-03-03, 02:42 AM
I got this from HomeDepot "High-performance 100 ft. digital 16 awg speaker Wire" RCA brand DT100SW and it comes on a big spool. It was $25 but runs for $35 at amazon:
DT100SW at amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008X5DY/qid=1067844918/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-3117731-3303221?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846)
And here is the RCA.com link for it:
rca.com link for dt100sw (http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI700149-CI100039,00.html)
Is this the wire i want to keep or should i consider returning it?
Thank you.
bpm3k
11-03-03, 03:32 PM
I called onkyo support, I have the Onkyo HTS-760 6.1 HT setup. Girl on phone talked really quick and said that this ships with 22 gauge wire. And would reccomend going to 14 or 16 gauge.
NaturalMystic79
11-03-03, 04:16 PM
bmp3k-
I think she's right. The wires that came with my HTS-660 look to be around 22 guage, and are extremely thin. Your system is about the same as mine except you have an extra speaker, and I think your reciever supports DTS-ES, and DD-EX. I think if you went to 16 guage you'd be fine.
flyingdragon
11-03-03, 06:07 PM
bpm3k,
The ones on th rca link are the ones I also am using for my Boston Vr-m, though it is biwired (meaning two sets of wires for each speaker. I did a test with the Monster 16ga. xp wires and couldn't hear a difference.
heavywear
11-03-03, 07:41 PM
Was in Media Play today and they had 16 gauge "thx certified" 50 foot for $19.99. Seemed like a good deal
Buy: