Fitting some speakers to my yacht this weekend and need to know just how long you can run speaker wire without effecting performance. I figure the run may be about 45'. The speakers are Pioneer TS-MR165.. 4 OHMS 120W Max Any advice appreciated.
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Lamp cord.
10 - 12 ga lamp stranded cord. Or convert Radio Shack 15-1540 A/V cable to speaker cable by running the center conductor with the shielding conductor as a single lead. But that run would only be 25 feet or so. Sounds good, but I've never tried it with a splice.
10 - 12 ga lamp stranded cord. Or convert Radio Shack 15-1540 A/V cable to speaker cable by running the center conductor with the shielding conductor as a single lead. But that run would only be 25 feet or so. Sounds good, but I've never tried it with a splice.
Get some Monster Cable.
That's the brand name. Or use any large gauge wire. Some of that stuff is as thick as your arm. I bought mine at Home Depot. I think it was 12ga. As with any DC current, any run, in any length of wire will affect performance. Again, it just depends.
But I'm sure you'll be fine.
That's the brand name. Or use any large gauge wire. Some of that stuff is as thick as your arm. I bought mine at Home Depot. I think it was 12ga. As with any DC current, any run, in any length of wire will affect performance. Again, it just depends.
But I'm sure you'll be fine.
Speaker current
is minuscule (sp) so don't worry about running a large cable. If you can, don't have any splices in the cables. Corrosion will eventually cause you problems.
is minuscule (sp) so don't worry about running a large cable. If you can, don't have any splices in the cables. Corrosion will eventually cause you problems.
NOT Miniscule
Ohms Law says that if you are looking for any semblance of Hi Fi you will need to handle 50 watt peak signals. Into 4 ohms this corresponds to 3.6 amps at 14 volts RMS. You do not want to loose more than 10% in the speaker leads so the total resistance should not exceed 0.4 ohms. Suggest using copper wire tables to calculate wire gauge needed. Remember to include for both the feed and the return wires. Also you will need to do this for each speaker.
Ohms Law says that if you are looking for any semblance of Hi Fi you will need to handle 50 watt peak signals. Into 4 ohms this corresponds to 3.6 amps at 14 volts RMS. You do not want to loose more than 10% in the speaker leads so the total resistance should not exceed 0.4 ohms. Suggest using copper wire tables to calculate wire gauge needed. Remember to include for both the feed and the return wires. Also you will need to do this for each speaker.
Speaker Wire
Use 12 gauge lamp cord. You will never notice the difference in sound fidelity if you used larger wire. The speakers you're using will sound just a good with 12 gauge as with 00 battery cables. I agree that you should avoid splicing it if possible.
Use 12 gauge lamp cord. You will never notice the difference in sound fidelity if you used larger wire. The speakers you're using will sound just a good with 12 gauge as with 00 battery cables. I agree that you should avoid splicing it if possible.
Monster cable is highly overrated
Unless you have a huge 500 watt amplifier, just use zip cord for speaker wire. I usually just find a sale on extension cords and cut off the ends. It is cheaper than buying wire by the foot. Try to avoid splicing and do your best to make good connections to avoid future problems. As to the power rating of the equipment, it will not likely ever be used at anything near the max output. The main reason to get a powerful amplifier is that it will have less distortion at the lower power levels. You will probably never use it at much more than 5 watts actual power.
Unless you have a huge 500 watt amplifier, just use zip cord for speaker wire. I usually just find a sale on extension cords and cut off the ends. It is cheaper than buying wire by the foot. Try to avoid splicing and do your best to make good connections to avoid future problems. As to the power rating of the equipment, it will not likely ever be used at anything near the max output. The main reason to get a powerful amplifier is that it will have less distortion at the lower power levels. You will probably never use it at much more than 5 watts actual power.
For home...
I have similar runs for a home installation and figured that 14 gauge, twisted pair, would provide good perfomance and minimize cross-talk for such a long run. Fair winds, Tom
I have similar runs for a home installation and figured that 14 gauge, twisted pair, would provide good perfomance and minimize cross-talk for such a long run. Fair winds, Tom
You will notice the difference at the low end...
...with wire too small to handle the load. If you like your bass, remember thats what draws the current. Low voltage needs thicker wire for longer runs. Agree, use wire tables, 10-12 ga. lamp cord does sound about right. alan
...with wire too small to handle the load. If you like your bass, remember thats what draws the current. Low voltage needs thicker wire for longer runs. Agree, use wire tables, 10-12 ga. lamp cord does sound about right. alan
Home (dedicated) vs. Boat (casual) listening
For my home system I use very heavy wire in short runs (amps are right next to the speakers). But for a boat, 10 to 12 gauge should be most adequate. Monster (brand) Cable should be adequate to the need.
For my home system I use very heavy wire in short runs (amps are right next to the speakers). But for a boat, 10 to 12 gauge should be most adequate. Monster (brand) Cable should be adequate to the need.
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