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Speaker Cable?

195.110.90.129
Posted on March 24, 2014 at 10:33:12
Audio Curious
Audiophile

Posts: 4
Location: London
Joined: February 24, 2014
 Hi All,

I've just put together my first vintage system. There's just one missing component - speaker cable.

I've got AR7's, Pioneer SX535 and Thorens TD160. Any advice on speaker cable would be appreciated. What I'm sure is obvious is that I'm on a limited budget so bearing that in mind I welcome your suggestions on something readily available for online purchase in the UK.

Many thanks,


Peter

 

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Should be easy enough, posted on March 24, 2014 at 10:57:24
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37650
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 to find some 14 gauge zip cord on amazon.co.uk for not too many pounds.

May want to buy some spade lugs for the speaker end and something appropriate at the amp end (spade/banana).

 

RE: Should be easy enough, posted on March 24, 2014 at 12:16:51
airtime
Audiophile

Posts: 11287
Location: Arizona
Joined: February 4, 2003
 I'm sure a local store will carry 14-16 guage speaker wire. That will work just fine with most any speaker/stereo combo.

If not then go to a local DIY store and lamp zip cord. Same stuff!

Enjoy
charles

 

RE: Speaker Cable?, posted on March 24, 2014 at 15:03:26
bean
 14-16 gauge wire stranded, make sure it is flexible

google "white lightning" or "white lightning moonshine" cables; well reviewed DIY cables. not sure of the availability of the particular extension cord in the UK, tho

 

Just responded to the specifics of the request, posted on March 24, 2014 at 16:00:03
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37650
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I may be a boomer, but I frequently buy stuff from Amazon I might be able to hunt down locally just for the convenience. Just yesterday, I ordered three CDs after hearing new music streamed on XM in the garage system and have already gotten ship confirmation for all of them!

 

RE: Speaker Cable?, posted on March 24, 2014 at 17:51:46
Eli Duttman
Audiophile

Posts: 10455
Location: Monroe Township, NJ
Joined: March 31, 2000
 I'm a tad more "anal" than the other posters. 12 AWG "rope lay", OFC, zip cord gets my nod. I've provided a link that describes the mentioned stuff. Obviously, you buy close to home.

Clean the contacts. For very good reason, 5% DeOxit spray is frequently recommended.


Eli D.

 

RE: Speaker Cable?, posted on March 25, 2014 at 09:26:06
Bold Eagle
Audiophile

Posts: 6936
Location: America's Heartland
Joined: May 27, 2001
 The gauge of wire used will depend on the length of the run from the amplifier to the speakers.

The recommendations from the others here are fine; but are in American Wire Gauge (AWG), and in the UK, you will be looking at Imperial or Metric equivalents. To further confuse things, in the US, as the gauge number increases, so does the resistance. Imperial run the same way; but are different, and Metric numbers run the other way - resistance decreasing with higher gauge numbers.

For runs under 12 feet, 16 gauge (AWG)is fine. That's equivalent to Imperial gauge 18, or Metric gauge 12
For runs under 25 feet, 14 gauge (AWG) is better and that's equivalent to Imperial 16, or Metric 16.
For runs greater than 25 feet use AWG 12; which is equivalent to Imperial 14, or Metric 20.

As has been noted by others, look for multiple fine strands and flexibility. If the Pioneer SX535 uses the same type of polarized plugs as the US model, try to crimp lugs onto the wire ends and beware of loose strands sticking out. I'm not sure what the AR7 uses for connections; but if it's the knurled nuts used on earlier AR's, try to get lugs crimped on the wire ends, and be sure the nuts are down really tight. Use pliers if necessary.

Jerry

 

RE: Speaker Cable?, posted on March 25, 2014 at 09:49:39
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 Period wire would be either lamp cord or the similar, original Monster Cable. Fulton cable (think garden hose) was also an early adopter. For more current stuff you can try the Cable Asylum, where there are more believers, however, I would avoid cable that has extreme capacitance or inductance. Your receive might not be able to drive it properly. It could even blow. I would also recommend you stick with lower priced stuff.

There is also the flat parallel stuff, if you want to run under carpet. I have had interest in this type, as of late because the inductance and capacitance cancel each other out. This type of cable measures like a Zobel.

Dave

 

I'd figure all the original Monster has turned bright green ..., posted on March 25, 2014 at 10:13:00
Dave Pogue
Audiophile

Posts: 11689
Location: DC Area
Joined: October 9, 2001
 ... by now, under its clear plastic covering. Mine certainly did, many years ago.

 

RE: I'd figure all the original Monster has turned bright green ..., posted on March 25, 2014 at 14:29:10
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 Any of the old Original Monster Cable would be green, like the stuff I had. However, I don't think it was due to the clear PVC cover. I think it was just poorly manufactured. I have lamp cord dating back to the 60's that my father used where the copper is still good. The newer version of the original Monster Cable fares much better and is still available. The newer knockoff seems to fare better too. A lot of inmates do not want to do business with Monster Cable due to their extremely aggressive and litigation happy trade mark protection. They now seemed to have backed off because of customer backlash. I expect the stuff that Eli linked to is just as good and is less money.

Dave

 

Better watch it, you guys will get sued! , posted on March 25, 2014 at 14:34:51
geoff
Audiophile

Posts: 3501
Joined: April 5, 2000
Contributor
  Since: September 10, 2003
 dissing the almighty monster

 

I have used lots of this brand., posted on March 25, 2014 at 19:35:28
sleeper
Audiophile

Posts: 1166
Joined: May 21, 2002
 I have worked with the 10, 12, and 14 AWG Dayton and Sound King speaker cables from Parts Express. Their product is well made, flexible, easy to work with, and "sounds" great.

 

Re Green Monsters, posted on March 25, 2014 at 21:29:13
unclestu
Dealer

Posts: 5851
Joined: April 13, 2010
 It is the PVC: Poly Vinyl Chloride. The chlorides eventually leach out and attack the bare copper. I thought it was environmental factors till I noticed the middle of a 30 foot run of Monster has green almost black and the ends were relatively pristine. Couldn't be air running along the copper insulation interface.

 

RE: Re Green Monsters, posted on March 26, 2014 at 09:53:51
elflow
Audiophile

Posts: 354
Location: Indiana
Joined: November 1, 2005
 Makes sense, When rubber insulation is used the copper is wrapped with a thin paper to seperate the copper from the insulation otherwise the sulfur in the rubber will oxidize the copper.
Monster cable using cheap PVC perhaps?

 

You mean like this?, posted on March 26, 2014 at 10:52:21
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37650
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I pulled these from Acoustat Medallion transformers years ago. :)



On the other hand, oxidation happens. Here is the cloth I recently used on all my *gold plated* jacks and connectors from the last two year cleaning using Deoxit. The upper left section is just from the unused jacks on an Audio Research preamp!

 

RE: Re Green Monsters, posted on March 26, 2014 at 11:28:53
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 I have read that it did have something to do with the composition of the PVC. Apparently some formulas are better than others.

Dave

 

Thanks Jerry for the ..., posted on March 27, 2014 at 10:23:39
Brian McGowan
Audiophile

Posts: 1635
Location: Wisconsin
Joined: December 16, 2004
 reminder!You emailed me several years ago about this same issue,& I'm glad you posted about it again!

 

RE: I'd figure all the original Monster has turned bright green ..., posted on April 14, 2014 at 15:05:38
Mushroom Soup
Audiophile

Posts: 310
Location: Western New York State
Joined: November 1, 2003
 I think that in order to have oxidation you have to have oxygen. I have no reason to believe this, but the Marshall (Mogami) Sound Runner cable that I've used miles of, might not oxidize like that, being low-oxygen copper.

For the OP the Sound Runner would be ideal. It's the same giant-zipcord format as the original Monster Cable but made out of extremely nice materials. And yes it does sound better than zipcord.

Too bad he's way over there. I've got plenty of it that I'm never going to use.

 

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