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In Reply to: RE: Subwoofer Cables posted by frequentflyer on August 17, 2015 at 08:46:00
The best approach is to consider the nature of the REL subwoofer cable, and the various aftermarket for REL subwoofer cables to get an idea of what's involved in designing an appropriate high-level/speaker-level subwoofer interconnect. You will find aspects of both speaker cable and line-level interconnect design criteria. Quality of the conductor, insulation, geometry, are just as important, so consider such in the same manner as you would any other audio cable. That said, a high-level subwoofer cable does not require as much material to build as a large gauge speaker cable intended for loudspeaker applications tends to be, so a less expensive option is possible vs. that of your main loudspeakers. That said, mundane zip cord with PVC insulation will make sound, but a more sophisticated cable should be implemented for a serious application.
IME, when used for a high-level/speaker-level subwoofer cable, cheap speaker wire and any cable for that matter will impart its own sonic signature upon the presentation, so don't expect any wire will do, but current requirements are so minimal, a large aggregate gauge speaker cable that's designed for passive loudspeakers is unnecessary. The nature of a speaker-level subwoofer interconnect lies somewhere between a speaker cable and a line-level interconnect. Voltage drop may be an issue to address, so IMHO the aggregate gauge should follow the same rule as typical simple speaker wire advice (see online charts for minimum-gauge recommendations). 16 AWG aggregate gauge should suffice for most applications unless a very long length is involved. RFI and EMI issues are even more important to avoid than a speaker cable for a passive loudspeaker application, so look for cable geometries that offer noise rejection without the use of braided and/or foil shielding, IMO.
What are you using for the application, at this time?
Follow Ups:
Hi Duster
Thanks for the very informative response.
To answer your question up until recently I have been using Combak Harmonix HS-101 SLC cables on both the sub and main speakers.
I have now changed my main speaker cables to High Fidelity CT-1 along with IC's so you may appreciate why I am now asking for advice regards the sub cable.
Your help is really appreciated
Cheers
FF
From what I gather, the Combak Harmonix HS-101 SLC might be one of the few shielded speaker cables suitable for use as a speaker-level subwoofer cable. I would evaluate how dynamic the bass may sound via the cables in order to hear how the shielding might affect that aspect. However, it seems to be a stellar design, so the shielding might perhaps offer very high high-performance for the particular application. But that's just postulation on my part. Also, remember that a well-articulated bottom end is not the only listening cue to be aware of, since the soundstage including spatial cues and ambient information can be greatly affected by cables that don't get in the way of portraying accurate phase characteristics, from top to bottom.
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