Understanding your speaker system’s wire thickness and length requirements is crucial to having a working setup. Cable gauges can vary depending on what the wire is used for. The sound quality of your speaker will suffer if the thickness is incorrect.
The thickness of the speaker cable should be no more than 5% of the specified electrical resistance of the speaker. Impedance, or electrical current resistance, rises with cord length, hence thicker cords are required for more powerful speakers. The British Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) of wires is between 7/0 (thickest) to 50 (thinnest).
Speaker Cable Thickness
A thicker cable can transmit more electricity and has less resistance or impedance. The needed wire thickness is determined by the electrical load required by the system to create best sound quality.
However, a thinner wire functions just as well across a shorter distance. If the area to be covered is only a few feet, a lower gauge wire will suffice.
Speaker Cable Length
The recommended speaker cable length for your system is no more than the length required to attach the cable comfortably. If in doubt, measure using a piece of string routed in the direction you intend to put the cable before purchase. Too long is not an issue; however, too short may be uncomfortable and costly, so measure twice and install once.
HIFI Systems
Most hi-fi and home cinema systems are typically setup with the equipment positioned between the front speakers. This has the potential to be beneficial. It implies that the cable length required for the speakers or front left, right, and centre speakers on a home theatre system may be reduced to a minimum. This implies that a high-quality speaker wire may be utilised to provide the finest possible sound quality without spending a fortune.
Speaker Wire Setup
When arranging the route of the speaker wire, avoid running it alongside any mains cables if feasible, and if you must cross a mains cable, attempt to do it at a 90-degree angle. However, the resistance of a speaker cable can affect performance, and the longer the wire, the greater the resistance.
