OHM load and speaker wire

[MikeQ]

OK, you got me on this one too...

How do I know what the OHM load is?

Do I need MONSTER 12 gauge like the guys at the stores say I need.

OR can I go to Home Depot for half the price and get 12 gauge speaker wire in bulk for .50?

Thanks

[scott1094]

MikeQ
Home Depot. Don't lose any sleep over this, it's a no brainer.
Scott

[Lou-the-dog]

OK, you got me on this one too...

Do I need MONSTER 12 gauge like the guys at the stores say I need.

OR can I go to Home Depot for half the price and get 12 gauge speaker wire in bulk for .50?

Thanks

Home Depot or try Parts Express.

Randy

[MikeQ]

whew...thanks guys...

[MikeQ]

What about OHM load?

How do I know if I am 4,6 or 8?

[debron]

For ohm load, check the manuals for your speakers. Most home stereo speakers are rated at 8 Ohms nomimal impedance (they actually vary with frequency, etc.) but could be 4 ohm, or, less commly, 6 ohm. Most subwoofers are 4 ohm, though they could be 8 ohm.

If you get weird and start wiring speakers together in parrellel, your ohm load will drop, or if you wire in series, your ohm load will increase.

It's usually not an issue to worry about. Common off-the-shelf amplifiers and recievers are generally geared for 8 ohm loads but most will handle 4 ohms ok. At two ohms things start heating up.

If your subwoofer came with it's own built in amp it's geared to match the speaker driver whether 4 or 8 ohms. If you're building your own sub, all of the subwoofer amps I've seen will handle both. They generally put out higher power at 4 ohms than at 8 ohms, often twice as much.

Ron.

[MacG]

I had some bad experience with the Home Depot no name brand 12 gauge cable. See article at http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm
Although, they do carry some brand name cables that work fine. I ended up going with Parts Express. I also heard a lot of people go to Bluejeans Cable for their cable needs.

[jimsiff]

I have also seen issues with the 12 gauge generic speaker wire from Home Depot. I don't know if it was a bad batch, but I saw oxidation of the copper under the insulation, though not as bad as the example in the page Mac linked to. It took a few months for it to go from looking good to looking bad. I've used the Parts Express wire with no trouble for awhile now. It's about the same price as the Home Depot wire.

Generally speaking, 14 gauge wire is more than adequate for speaker runs less than 30-40' when the load is at least 4 ohms. While 12 gauge is overkill, if the price isn't bad, it doesn't hurt to use it.

[metalaaron]

i have some old monster cables around here. they have transparent shielding (sounds kinda funny doesn't it?). i can see what i'd describe as a rusty singe mark on the ends of two strands, near the terminations. it doesn't bother me because i have not used them in a long time. but, this thread sort of reminded me of them.

[scott1094]

Years ago I bought the then new Monster speaker cables for my high end audio system. After a few years I sold most of the gear and put the cables away in a drawer. Several years ago I pulled them out and found that instead of the bright shiny copper color they had turned a dark brown from end to end. I thought Home Depot stuff was of fairly high quality. From the experience others have had I think I would consider another source. But, you don't have to pay high dollar to get quality cables.
Scott