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Thread: Speaker wire conundrum

  1. #17
    root Member DanceswithUnix's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Quote Originally Posted by Smudger View Post
    I think while I'm at it, I may as well replace the cables for my front speakers, they're looking a bit thin (in terms of protection) and old compared to what's about for not a lot of money. Amazon do 100ft of 16-gauge for under a tenner!
    I hope you are not tempted by: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Speaker-C...et/B006LW0W5Y/

    Read the small print, copper covered aluminium. You don't want CCA, you want copper.

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  3. #18
    Senior Member Smudger's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Quote Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix View Post
    I hope you are not tempted by: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Speaker-C...et/B006LW0W5Y/

    Read the small print, copper covered aluminium. You don't want CCA, you want copper.
    Yep, that was the one, see previous (edited) post...

  4. #19
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum


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  6. #20
    Senior Member Smudger's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Yep, that was the one I was looking at, just need to check my current cables

  7. #21
    Senior Member Smudger's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Ok, current cable has qed balanced design concept written on it and it looks a bit like this:


    Anyone know what cross-section area it is and/or threads?

  8. #22
    Senior Member Smudger's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Double post.

    Looks like it's qed original 2.5mm

  9. #23
    Laird Of The Glen jimborae's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Quote Originally Posted by Smudger View Post
    Double post.

    Looks like it's qed original 2.5mm
    It is, just buy some more of the same. Nice cable by the way.

    http://www.compassaudio.co.uk/QED-Or...p/c-qo-100.htm

    http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-4013-qed-...ker-cable.aspx

    http://petertyson.co.uk/index.php/qe...-original.html
    Last edited by jimborae; 05-01-2017 at 11:10 PM.

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  11. #24
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    I ordered the stuff Kalniel mentioned, but in the 2.5mm size, but changed my mind, attempted to cancel the order but it's too late now. Hmm. Would the QED be that much better than the AWG stuff?

  12. #25
    Laird Of The Glen jimborae's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    TBH as they're rear surrounds I doubt you'll notice much difference.

  13. #26
    Senior Member Smudger's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Well, I was planning to recable the fronts as well. The rears, as you say, are just surrounds and the length will only be <1m, but I suppose there's only going to be c1.5m per speaker...

  14. #27
    Bagnaj97
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    I'd crimp spade connectors on, that's probably swearing around these parts! I also use AmazonBasics speaker wire. I probably shouldn't be allowed near audio equipment

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  16. #28
    root Member DanceswithUnix's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    That looks like a decent wire, I'm sure you will be fine. Better than the stuff I am using from surround amp to some bookshelf MS10 speakers that I use as rears, and they sound pretty good.

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  18. #29
    Studmuffin Flibb's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    If your looking to do a rewire its worth looking for a bulk reel, then sell on what you don't need. You can get 100m of Labgear Philex 79 strand copper cable for around £40. Might order some myself for my AV setup.

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  20. #30
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Quote Originally Posted by Bagnaj97 View Post
    I'd crimp spade connectors on, that's probably swearing around these parts! I also use AmazonBasics speaker wire. I probably shouldn't be allowed near audio equipment
    lol, crimping and spade connectors is fine. Big contact area, and if you use a copper spade connector then you are copper on copper which is quite audiophile friendly.

    That Amazon basics speaker cable isn't the worst by any means, I just don't think it is good value. The use of CCA means it is about half as good as similar copper only cable, and a bit more delicate. So that 65 strand CCA is about as good as the 42 strand copper cable that ISTR I used for my rear speakers.

    Edit: This is the stuff to really avoid, 13 strands of coppery badness http://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-spe...0m-white/90735

  21. #31
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    Quote Originally Posted by Smudger View Post
    I ordered the stuff Kalniel mentioned, but in the 2.5mm size, but changed my mind, attempted to cancel the order but it's too late now. Hmm. Would the QED be that much better than the AWG stuff?
    Nope. One whole more strand (79 vs 78 for the 2.5 size), but supposedly smaller gauge for the QED (14 vs 13, but given same cross section the only explanation is that either the generic stuff I linked is a touch over 2.5mm^2 or they've rounded down for the gauge while QED rounded up).

    For all intents and purposes I'd say they were identical, the QED is just up to 4x the cost (At specialist shops. On Amazon only 2x the cost).

    I'm very happy with the thicker 5mm^2 version of the generic pure copper - it is completely overkill going for 128 strand AWG 11 stuff but the cables were going to be out of sight anyway and it was still cheaper than the QED 79. For runs where I would need cable flexibility/ease of tucking into carpet edges etc. I'd be absolutely fine with the generic 2.5/78 strand, especially for satellites. Flibs idea sounds good for a bulk buy too.
    Last edited by kalniel; 06-01-2017 at 11:25 AM.

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  23. #32
    Senior Member Smudger's Avatar
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    Re: Speaker wire conundrum

    To be honest, I don't remember buying the QED stuff, I might have just got suckered in when I was adding the rear speakers into the setup. I was trying to find the thread count for the AWG stuff, but couldn't see it. I'll just stick it in and see if I'm happy. It's going to be an improvement over the cable that's there anyway (on the front two) and for extending the rear surround by a couple of feet, I can live with the loss of a strand...

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