Does different speaker wire gauge for different lengths matter?

[hhkim2]

I just ordered ascend 340 center and 4 170s and anxious to receive them. I ordered speaker wires through amazon and bought 14 gauge 50 feet speaker wires. As it turned out, I needed additional speaker wires to sufficiently place my surrounds in the appropriate places. I ordered more speaker wires from amazon, and as it turned out, I ordered the 12 gauge instead of the 14 gauge like my first time. So my question is this. If I were to use the 12 gauge for my surrounds (the longest distance to my receiver compared to my center and mains), and the 14 gauge for my mains and center, would it damage or distort any sound quality as compared to using same gauge for the entire wire setup? Thanks!!

Henry

[audibleconnoisseur]

The runs are not of sufficient length for your ears to notice. Ascend recommends anywhere b/t 12g & 16g for the wires that you use on their speakers. This being said, the 12g would be the best to use as the more surface area, the more is transfered technically. 12g or 14g will work fine for both. Since you are using a long run for the rears, it would be a toss up. 12g would be best to get the best sound to them at this distance. However, that would leave 14g for the fronts and remember that more is better here but 14g is plenty. On the flip side, 12g for the mains would make the best possible input for them to reproduce the best but don't forget the run is sooo short that you will not notice the difference. All this compiled and thought about... I, personally would still use the 12g for the fronts as I usually use 2.0 or 2.1 stereo sound for my music. I would use the 14g for the rears as much less information is sent to them most of the time so less is necessary to still perform very well.

Last thing to consider... if you are using 5.1 or more for stereo most/all the time, you would want to run the 12g to the rears/surrounds and the 14g to the mains due to the distance of the surroung run distance.

Aren't you glad I kept it simple!? :D

[drewface]

use larger gauges for longer runs. i think that's what audibleconnoisseur was trying to say... ;)

from what i've read around the internet, 14 gauge is plenty thick for any run up to 100 ft. 12 gauge if you go over that.

[audibleconnoisseur]

drewface,

Yes, for the most part, that is what I said. I was having a little fun with the post as well which is why it would seem confusing a little. There are just a few ways to consider. To keep it simple there are two trains of thought here:

1) long runs to rears and one will be using 5.1 or more for stereo surround most often

or

2) long runs and 5.1 or more will be used sparingly and only for surround duty while the mains will be used for music in either 2.0 or 2.1 listening

If 1) is true, I would certainly use the 12g for the long runs to the surrounds for clarity and best possible information being passed properly and 14g for the fronts b/c the run distance is short and there will be very little that is lost

If 2) is true, I would use 12g for the fronts and 14g for the surrounds b/c the best sound and information can be transfered with the 12g and the surrounds will not carry near the information the mains will.

So with the above, FOR ME, I would use 12g for the mains and 14g for the surrounds as I listen to a lot of music in 2.0 oe 2.1 and the surrounds are for just that... surrounds. If you want to keep it simple, usually the thicker wire is better for long runs but you are not going to be able to tell a difference in the sound b/t 12g & 14g on the runs you have - it shouldn't matter :cool:

[drewface]

yeh, i know you like to be wordy with your posts. i was just teasing a little. ;)

i understand what you're saying about it depends on what you're going to be using your setup for, but from all the many different web pages (and even a book!) i've read about it, there is virtually no loss of signal when using 14 gauge wire at a length under 100 feet. so you're right when you say you won't be able to tell the difference.

i've got all my speakers hooked up with 14 gauge wires (340s are bi-wired across the front), with the rear runs being 50 ft simply because they are not in a permanent setting yet, so i don't want to cut them to exact length. i've got some spare... i'm using regular car audio speaker wire for the rears because it was about half the price of the same thing with a different package in the home electronics section.

anyways, point is it doesn't really matter which one you use at these short distances. it's up to the individual user to decide how they want to go about wiring their system. just make sure you aren't using >16 gauge for long runs!

[audibleconnoisseur]

drewface,

Yea, sorry about the wordiness. I would prefer to be that way with little question than the other with any questions...

I got a reality check as I was brain dead when I installed and accidentally put 16g in the walls to the rears and center rear THINKING it was thicker than 12g. I am a little miffed about it but to change it now is not an option! I will have to live with it but in the future, I am running 12g inwall to all sets.

Wire size is like golf, the lower the better/bigger! James told me that anything b/t 12g & 16g is acceptable and will work FINE and there is very little difference that will matter for most peoples needs. However, 12g is still superior to the 16g if you have the chance.

[Gov]

I use 18g and have suffered no ill effects. All of my runs are under 40 feet. I think with the Ascend speakers being so easy to drive, any decent speaker wire will work fine

[audibleconnoisseur]

Gov,

Not that you are correct or incorrect, but James at Ascend actually told me they would rec. 12g-16g but would prefer to see 16g at the MINIMUM. If you can change them at all (not that you should), you would get best performance from them. You might be able to tell a difference if you dropped to 12g from 18 and I bet the sound quality and amount you can push through would even help them produce more quality. Just thought you should know...

[Gov]

Well I appreciate the advise, but it would be a bit of a pain in my arse to do it. It could be done, maybe someday. My father is an electrican and told me for my application, 18g would be completely fine. Well, he is retired now and just veggin off the land, so maybe I will have him over to pull some 12 or 14g stuff :D I am not sure if I would gain anything noticable.

[audibleconnoisseur]

No need if it is not easy. I am only passing along the Ascend advise to you and others. I put 16g in mine thinking it was 12g... :mad:

Anyway, maybe in the future I won't make that mistake again but mine is behind the sheetrock and drill holes through the studs like power wires so I ain't gonna do's it!!! Enjoy it and maybe in the future!?