Hi, Im doing something for school that has to do with the wiring of home theater systems and for some reason I can't find any specific reasons as to why cheap speaker wire is cheap?..

What are the technical differences between a cheap 12-gauge vs a really expensive speaker cable?

and what are the diffences in sound quality?

Dude - alot of guys who work in elite stereo city places will tell you there is a huge difference, but I don't hear much - as long as you don't hear a buzzing or humming in your speakers - you're fine. I'd say purchase like 20 ft of nice speaker wires and see if it makes a difference to your ears. If not - don't listen to those snobs. Interconnects on the other hand are a bigger deal.

As long as the gauge is the SAME, there is no difference. Copper is copper, unless of course your high end cable is platinum.

SOME of the higher end speaker cables offer an 'oxygen free' flavor that will resist corrosion over time. IMHO the oxy free is the only thing worth buying higher end copper cables over standard copper lamp cord from home depot. Over time the copper will turn green from corrosion, especially in a damp room, and this can make your connection to the speaker/amp degrade a bit.

You will be hard pressed to find any unbiased litertature on the net on this subject because too many companies stand to lose too much business if the truth gets out an dis believed by many

I agree. Gauge is more important than anything.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by 4KRG:
As long as the gauge is the SAME, there is no difference. Copper is copper, unless of course your high end cable is platinum.

<HR>

Don't forget about shielding. Some wires have better shilding over others which results in a cleaner signal. A good shielded wire will not allow any interference from other electronics and thus give you better sound.

If your interested these are some of the best deals around for cable:
http://www.recotondirect.com/cgi-bin...t/View/SW1230B
http://www.recotondirect.com/cgi-bin...ct/View/HT361B

The 1st one used to be 40ft of 12AWG for $2.49, but this is still a good deal

quote:<HR>Originally posted by SirPablo:
I agree. Gauge is more important than anything.<HR>

I believe the proper term is "girth"

"Girth Does Matter."

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PatCave ;HT Pix ;Pat's DVDs

I've upgraded all my cables (all Monster):
- Optical and Coaxial Digital (MLS/MD)
- Analogue (ILR2)
- Video (MV2)
- Speaker cables (MP3)

and if there was ONE upgrade that was really worth it: the speaker cables! The bass improved tremendously and dynamics were better too. All the other upgrades where not that exciting.

Don't ask me for a reason, just my own experience.

I'll go the other way and advise you to buy the best cable you can afford.

Remember electricity travels on the surface of copper, not through the center of it. Cheaper cable may have down to a quarter of the strands that expensive cable has.

The copper is also generally more pure the higher the prices goes.

Shielding is usually better with price.

Your speaker cable will still be speaker cable after five years if you get quality stuff, not spaghetti... You may not hear much difference now but you might well have a big difference in five years!

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Regards...

John 3:16