Speaker Wire

[giorgio1712]

I'm upgrading from my standard sound system in a mk2 golf this week and wondering what speaker wire I will need? I'm getting a Pioneer headunit and some Rainbow or Infinity Comps for the doors/dash. Any suggestions as I don't want to spend silly money on cabling?

[b4rks]

IMO - whatever's in the shop that looks half decent and fits your budget.......

If you're not building an acousticaly engineered recording studio with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of kit the type of cable you use really won't make a difference to the sound chap.  Don't rip yourself off and spend loads.

The fact you've got a big mechanical part (your engine) not feet away from your ears will illiminate any benefit expensive cable provided immediately.

Everyone else may well disagree and be able to justify expensive cable, but I've seen no benefit yet.  Just a good way for the manafacturers to make more money.

Ric.

[mk2mark]

With home audio 10% of your budget is reccommended for cabling, and I agree, it's definitely not a placebo thing or something only those with trained ears can hear. But in a car I reckon you'd get away with a little less than that because it's shorter distances and more noisy. I usually find better value in home audio places too.

[Heyho]

In the opinion of most people, provided the cable is copper strand, and of sufficient cross sectional area for the intended use, you will be unable to hear the difference between 2 different brands of speaker cable of the same size.  This is also borne out in blind tests.

Sometimes when people spend silly money on RCA and speaker cables, they merely convince themselves that they can hear a difference, to make themselves feel better about the cash they've just wasted.

If you are running speakers directly from the headunit, the standard wiring will be sufficient.

[mk2mark]

well to some degree at least, I agree that once the cable is reasonably good there's very little audiable difference between that and megabucks stuff - but on the other hand I've definitely heard noticeable improvements caused by cable, and I'm no audiophile. Even when the cable is badly oxidised on the speakers at home there's a definite difference when I cut the ends down to get a fresh connection.

[Heyho]

Of course there's a difference if the ends are oxidized, but I'm talking about equivalent sized cable with clean terminations.  That's not a difference in the cable, it's a resistance between the source and the speaker.

It's the same with RCA cables.  It's worth getting decent plugs, but the cable is of little consequence, provided it's shielded, and even the cheapest cables are shielded.  Copper is copper.

[mk2mark]

Ok we agree then I was only making the point that you can affect sound with the cable thats all.

[rowlers]

I must agree with Heyho on this, I am into my hifi at home, but don't buy into this 10% of your budget on cabling malarky. don't buy sh|te but don't waste ypur cash on fancy cables - home or car!

I'm sure there is a site/review somewher singning the praises of std household electrical cable whe used for speaker cable!

[mk2mark]

It does seem kinda high alright. maybe I should point out thats a home cinema figure for 6 speakers etc.