Image: VH Audio CHeLA (Counter Helical Litz Array) speaker cable: 24 conductors per leg, 48 conductors total (24 AWG per each) = nominal 10 AWG aggregate a.k.a. effective gauge, woven around a cotton core (implemented as a former and vibration damping device) http://www.vhaudio.com/speakercables.html
Hi ddanielsmith,
It's correct to say that typical consumer electronics marketed speaker cables are often 14, 12, sometimes 10 AWG. These are most often a 2-conductor parallel design (a.k.a zip cord) such as the original Monster Cable design. These cables implement a single conductor per leg, so it's true to say that a 14, 12, 10, sometimes even an 8 AWG conductor is involved. However, a 2-conductor speaker cable design such as this is not desirable to cable savvy audiophiles, as the most advanced high-performance speaker cable designs implement multiple conductors per leg, and involve more complex geometries (such as a woven braid, cross-connecting, various twisted geometries, et al) that improve performance vs. a basic parallel design.
When a multiple-conductor speaker cable's AWG is listed, the gauge size is actually an aggregate gauge a.k.a. effective gauge which is the sum of the individual conductors per leg. The cables are often based on a litz type design that factors in skin effect as one of the reasons why so much fuss is made over how many individual conductors are involved (a lowered noise floor and lower inductance are also advanced cable geometry benefits), so it's important to know whether or not a particular speaker cable's listed gauge is an aggregate/effective gauge to gain insight into what level of performance one might expect...
Cheers, Duster
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