Hi,

Ever since I decided to set up a home theater system, my budget kept increase as I look around, from 400-500 to 800-1000. I remember someone in this forum said, it's a desease. :(

Now the speaker wires, I just went to home depot. They have Carol 16 gauge for 15.xx/100 feet. Going up to 14 guage, the price more than doubled 36.xx. Would the improvement of sound quality from 16 to 14 be noticable, or worth the money?

I also saw some cheap looking rca 16 gauge for around $10/100 feet. I suppose their quality is not good. Right?

Thanks!

I use 16AWG for all speakers except the sub, for which I use 12AWG.

The sound quality change might be noticable to only the best of ears but remember your trying to put power down the line to the speaker.

You don't run a Big-block Chev V-8 on quarter-inch fuel lines do ya? ;)

Personally I'd take the 16 because i can't tell the difference between them, and I consider myself a better than average ear...that being said the difference in only $15/100...if you are the type of person that you need 'piece of mind' about a purchase and you think that you will ask yourself down the road if it would be a difference, save yourself the thought, and get the 14. I hope that helps.

-pedagogue

On my set up I use 12 gauge for the front 3 speakers and 16 gauge to the surrounds. 12 awg may be a bit of an overkill, but for pure music and CD listening I feel it hads a bit more dynamics to playback. If you were to listen to only movie I would say 16 awg would be fine. Mainly try both if possible and decide for yourself if you can hear any difference.

J

The electrons don't care

I believe THX certification requires 14g.
Even if you don't intend to be certified, I don't think it's a bad idea to take their advice.

Go for 12. I could tell a HUGE difference in sound when I switched from 16 to 12 gauge speaker cable. My wife could easily tell the difference as well. Much more dynamic sound with 12 gauge cable. Heck, it's darn cheap from places like partsexpress.com, why would you not go with 12?

Considering you are probably on a 20 amp or less circ. breaker for your entire system 16 will be more then sufficient its ampacity is 10 amps so half of what your entire breaker is rated for a 12 ga wire is 20 amps so if you want to be able to carry the whole load of that circ. then run 12 but a speaker will never see that load

Gauge of Speaker Wire
 

There are a few more things to consider as well when determining what type of speaker wire to purchase. One is the gauge of the speaker wire, also the quality of the type of speaker wire that you are using. Good terminators can also make a difference in how well your system works.

There are two major questions to answer in determining the gauge of the wire. First how far a run are you trying to make with the wire. Many time's people will buy really expensive 12 guage wire for their front speakers and then buy a 100 ft. spool of 16 gauge wire for their rear speakers. The gauge of the wire make's a big difference in how far and how good the signal will travel to your surround speakers. If you are traveling 15 - 20 ft. or more to reach your surround speakers you definately want better gauge wire for your surrounds. Don't underestimate the distance especially if you are running around the perimeter of the room it can be quite a distance. The second item to consider is how permanent is the installation of the wire. Is the wire running through the wall, is it a permanent part of the house wiring when complete. If you are installing the wire in your home it is too late to decide after you have it installed that you are getting a poor signal. Many times you can hook the spool of wire up to your stereo and to the speaker prior to installation and it sounds fine but installing it along with lights, and other electrical wiring which does not do well together inside your walls. Investing in 14 gauge or 12 gauge for in wall installation is a wise idea.

Also consider purchasing good terminators for the ends of your cable's this can make a big difference as well.

!2 and 14 gauge can be bought on the cheap if you look a bit. While you can occasionally find decent wire at Home Depot, you can find good specials on-line. Awhile ago many of us cleaned out http://www.recotondirect.com when they sold overstocked 12 gauge wire and 14 gauge flat wire for next to nothing. Check old posts here. Another place with good prices and really good closeout prices is http://www.accessories4less.com

I've bought from both and had no problems.

Also consider how to terminate your wires. Improperly terminated wires might act as the weak link in the chain...

Be sure to check the connectors on your speakers before using 12 gauge wire. Some speakers, particularly in-wall speakers, have terminals that are designed for 16 gauge wire, and won't accommodate thicker wire. You might be able to squeeze in 14 guage, but 12 guage isn't likely to fit.