Is 14 or 18 gauge speaker wire better?
Wire thickness is identified by its American Wire Gauge (AWG) number. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. Thicker wire presents less resistance to current flow. Thick wire (12 or 14 gauge) is recommended for long wire runs, high power applications, and low-impedance speakers (4 or 6 ohms).
What is AWG for speaker cable?
American Wire Gauge (AWG) is the standard grading used on speaker wire. Used since 1857, it indicates the diameter of round, solid or stranded electrically conducting wire. Since thicker wire carries more current because it has less electrical resistance over a given length, thicker wire is better for longer distances.
How long can you run 18 gauge speaker wire?
20 ft
The manual states that up to 20 ft an 18 gauge wire is fine with 16 and 14 gauge for longer runs.
How far can you run 14 gauge speaker wire?
80-foot
Speaker wire of 14 gauge is good for an 80-foot run, and 12 gauge is good for 120 feet.
Is thicker speaker wire better?
A lower-gauge number indicates a thicker wire, while a higher-gauge number indicates a thinner wire. Speaker wires with lower-gauge numbers are better at carrying an amplified audio signal. However, for longer speaker wire runs (to another room, for example), it is better to use a thicker, lower-gauge wire.
What happens if you wire a speaker backwards?
Reversing speaker wire polarity is a common audio error. This action is known as making the speaker “out of phase,” and results in audio oddities. Although this is not dangerous to a speaker or amplifier, proper power delivery and speaker response is not possible with reversed speaker wires.
What happens if speaker wires touch?
What Happens If Speaker Wires Touch. A Speaker wire is basically like any other wire out there. Therefore, when speaker wires touch, this results in shorting out of the amplifier. This causes the side of the amplifier (channel) where the speaker wire is connected to die out.
How many amps will 18 gauge wire carry?
16 Amps
A conservative estimate for several feet of 18 gauge wire is 16 Amps. If you have only 12 gauge wire, the 18 gauge wire can handle more than 16 Amps.