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speaker cables [message #21256]

Mon, 25 August 2014 11:57

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

What is suggested for wiring connecting amps to speaker cabinets? Everything I have read indicated that instruments to amp should be unbalanced and wiring to speakers either or. PA cabinets will have 50 ft lengths so before ordering the cables, I need to know what will work the best to reduce hum and outside noise.

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Re: speaker cables [message #21259 is a reply to message #21256]

Mon, 25 August 2014 12:37

stevem
Messages: 4733
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Balanced cables ( three conductor , hot low, and shield) are only used to feed signal to a low impedance input, although you can unbalance a balanced cable for regular guitar use by soldering the low side to the shield at the opposite end from the guitar.
The high current carrying needs of powering a speaker should only be through a 18 ga or better two conductor or multi conductor cable with out a shield.
A 25 ft speaker cord that will carry a constant 200 watts of power should be made of a 12 ga wire!

[Updated on: Mon, 25 August 2014 12:38]

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Re: speaker cables [message #21260 is a reply to message #21256]

Mon, 25 August 2014 12:40

chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

I can't think of any time I've heard of speaker cables adding hum or noise to a signal. But then there are a lot of things that I haven't heard of.

The important thing to look at with long speaker cables is the size or gauge of the wires. Wire has a resistance factor that can add up with long lengths, so the larger the wire the less resistance it will add to the load seen by the amplifier.

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Re: speaker cables [message #21261 is a reply to message #21256]

Mon, 25 August 2014 12:47

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

Crap on a cracker.............forgot about the 100 ft 16/2 speaker cable that I bought a while back. Was going to cut it in fourths and add plugs to run mains and monitors........couldn't I still use it with monitors since they will not ever be ran at full 200 watts power?

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Re: speaker cables [message #21263 is a reply to message #21256]

Mon, 25 August 2014 13:17

stevem
Messages: 4733
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Yup, cut it up!

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Re: speaker cables [message #21272 is a reply to message #21263]

Mon, 25 August 2014 20:51

pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Keep in mind that a 25' speaker cable has a total of 50' of wire. 25' of + and 25' of - wire.

pleat

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Re: speaker cables [message #21273 is a reply to message #21256]

Tue, 26 August 2014 00:02

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

Sounds like your saying that the 16 gauge is probably not even a good idea for even the monitors at 25 feet then? Why the @#%*! do they even make wire this length if its not practical to use? Double crap on a cracker.........anyone interested in 100 feet of speaker cable cheap? I did order a set of 12 gauge cables @ 25 feet, guess I need to order a couple more sets then.....what about cables from amp head down to cabinets that are used for instruments.......should those also be 12 gauge as well?

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Re: speaker cables [message #21274 is a reply to message #21256]

Tue, 26 August 2014 06:24

stevem
Messages: 4733
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

18 gauge is fine for the short 4 ft runs from amp head to cabinet.
You can use 16 ga for main PA runs over 25 ft and less than 50, but if you`ve got a 400 or 500 watts of power on each side and your using half that amount of power then the runs should really be 12 ga!

[Updated on: Tue, 26 August 2014 07:24]

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