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After spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on premium audio components it may seem absurd to spend an equal amount on speaker cable. The short take: it is absurd, don’t do it.
Not all speaker wires are the same, and if you’re installing a professional-level sound system, built for professional experiences (say for a studio or live venue), then you’ll want spend the money for premium parts. However, if you are simply installing a sound system for home or mobile use, then most any speaker wire will do just fine.
The best speaker wires come in various gauges; as the AWG (American Wire Gauge) number decreases, the size of the wire increases. For example, a 12 AWG wire is bigger than an 18 AWG wire. These numbers come into play when building out the wire runs for a system.
If the run between receiver and speakers is on the shorter side, less than 50 feet or so, an 18 AWG or 16 AWG would work well. As the distance between receiver and speaker grows, impedance increases within the wire, and to assure proper power, a larger wire is needed such as a 12 or 14 AWG.
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. However, if you’re looking to save a bit, copper-plated or copper-clad aluminum wire is a fine substitute, and there is no noticeable difference in sound quality.
Moral of the story: don’t buy cheap, don’t buy expensive; like Goldilocks, find the wire that is just right. Our list will give you a great head start.
