Why are speaker cables so expensive?

Cables inherently have a little inductance and capacitance, but since the ultimate goal is to have all frequencies arrive at the speaker at the same time, more expensive cables go the extra mile and take these factors into account. – Conductor material. The purer the conductor, the more it costs.

Do expensive cables sound better?

A different, working, cheap cable is all you need. But, to repeat: an expensive USB cable isn't going to make your audio sound better, your pictures look better, or your printouts look sharper.

How much should speaker wire cost?

Audio cables: $10–$1,700.

High quality, heavy gauge speaker wire or optical speaker wire. On average, you'll pay $300 or less.

What is special about speaker cable?

It has three key electrical properties: resistance, capacitance and inductance. Resistance is by far the most important property to look at. Low-resistance wire allows more of the source's power through to the speaker coil, meaning more power and more sound.

Do expensive interconnects make a difference?

If you have a modest system, investing in expensive cables may not be the best way to spend your money. Cables make a difference, but it's a smaller difference than upgrading speakers, electronics, or turntable systems. If you already have a really good system, cables are the next logical upgrade step.

Do Expensive Speaker Cables Sound Better than Cheaper Cables?

Can audiophiles really tell the difference?

Audiophiles can really tell the difference in quality as they're more knowledgeable and know what to consider. Since sound waves are physical, it's not conjectured to say that we all can hear them when there's a difference in sound quality and accuracy. That allows them to judge which sounds better.

Is oxygen free speaker wire better?

According to tests, oxygen-free copper also runs cooler than other conductors. It's more resistant to shorts, more durable and long-lasting, and is far less likely to corrode, due to the reduced oxygen content—at least, that's the common wisdom.

Is silver speaker wire better than copper?

While there is nothing wrong with copper conductor cables, silver has much more conductive properties and interacts with impedance* differently. Most times when people compare a copper to silver conductor cable, their ears immediately pick up that the silver seems audibly brighter.

Can I use regular wire for speaker wire?

Electric wires can be used as speaker wires, but there are limitations. Stranded electric wires are a better choice for speaker wires because they're flexible and have a better sound effect. Electric wires with solid conductors are not only stiff, but they can also damage connectors.

Why is speaker cable unshielded?

Cable Purposes and Functions

Amps put out a lot of power. Therefore, there is less of a need to keep out RF interference, as the signal is already powerful enough to resist the phenomena on its own. This is why speaker cables are generally unshielded.

Are high quality RCA cables worth it?

Yes, quality RCA cables will provide a noticeable improvement over cheap cables.

Is 12 gauge speaker wire good?

Thick wire (12 or 14 gauge) is recommended for long wire runs, high power applications, and low-impedance speakers (4 or 6 ohms). For relatively short runs (less than 50 feet) to 8 ohm speakers, 16 gauge wire will usually do just fine.

Are speaker cables balanced or unbalanced?

Generally speaking, unbalanced cables are used for instruments or speaker connections, while balanced cables are used for microphones and pro audio equipment.

Do gold plated cables sound better?

Myth: Gold-plated connectors sound better than connectors made with tin or nickel. Fact: Gold does not tarnish, and tarnished connectors can cause problems, but there is nothing inherent in gold that makes it sound better than a clean connection using standard materials.

Do banana plugs affect sound quality?

Banana plugs do not affect the sound directly, but there are several reasons that they do preserve and improve sound quality in the long term. The most common reason is that the banana plugs prevent the wires from being exposed, which reduces the risk of wear and tear, preventing loss of sound quality.

Why are audio cables braided?

tends to sound smoother, but if too thick can suffer from other types of signal degradation. Litz allows for the signal to pass from one end to the other of the cable while avoiding most of the distortions that are unavoidable with regular stranded cable.

Is 16 gauge speaker wire good for subs?

The speaker wires. If your sub system is going to put out more than 1,000 watts RMS, you can use 12-gauge speaker wire. But 16-gauge speaker wire works well for most installations.

Is telephone wire good for speakers?

Unless he is using some DIY thing that involves combining a few telephone cables for each speaker, this is not a good idea. Telephone wiring is usually 22 gauge or smaller, which really is not adequate, especially for longer runs, or lower impedance speakers. Not a good idea.

Is solid copper wire better than stranded for speakers?

A stranded cable will be much more robust when repeatedly coiled up and unwound. The many strands of thin copper can withstand more bending than a single solid core copper wire.

Does the length of speaker wire affect sound?

Electrical currents travel through speaker wires at the speed of light, so each speaker doesn't need identical speaker wire lengths. Different lengths won't create a discernible sound difference. Keeping speaker lengths exactly the same doesn't improve amplitude, prevent time delays, or improve sound quality.

What is the best speaker wire material?

Most of the best speaker wires are made from copper, since copper is a wonderful conductor of electricity. For the best quality wire, looking for something made with 100% copper is highly recommended.

What happens if you wire a speaker backwards?

What happens if speakers are wired backward? Wiring speakers backward, causes them to be out of phase. Phase cancellation results in certain frequencies being reduced in the output, and it is detrimental to the audio quality. It also negatively affects the stereo imaging of the speakers.

Whats better CCA or OFC?

CCA stands for Copper Clad Aluminum, an alternative to the more vaunted OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) cable. On the whole, CCA is a source of continuing controversy, especially among the old-school 12V crowd and car audio purists, given OFC is a far better conductor of power.

Is pure copper the same as OFC?

The oxygen content for OFC is typically in the range of 40 parts per million (PPM), while normal grade copper is approximately 235 PPM, about six times less. The result is that OFC has approximately 400 grains or crystals per foot, as opposed to 1500, or about four times less.

Is aluminum good for speaker wire?

Since the speaker impedance is only a few ohms, you want the wire to have only a small fraction of that so as not to waste power. Copper is a good wire material due to its high conductivity and agreeable mechanical properties. Aluminium is cheaper and lighter but difficult to connect electrically.