Speaker wire size quick guide For most low power home or car speakers (not subwoofers) 18 gauge (18AWG American wire gauge (AWG), also known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, is a standardized wire gauge system used since 1857 predominantly in North America for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire. Dimensions of the wires are given in ASTM standard B 258. The cross-sectional area of each gauge is an important factor for determining its current-carrying cap…American wire gauge
What are the best car speaker wires for audio?
The best car speaker wires are those with thicker gauge wiring, capable of transferring power to the speakers without any issues. Can I Use 9 Conductor Speaker Wires for Car Audio?
What is the best wire gauge for audio speakers?
The best wire gauges follow the AWG standards. So if you’re on the hunt for a proper wire gauge for audio speakers, look for one that strictly maintains this standard. AWG ratings also specify how much power the wires can handle.
Do you need gauge wires for car audio?
It is recommended that you only use high-quality gauge wires for car audio. In this article, our editors have explained 4 of these top-rated gauge wires for the car audio system. Along with this, we have added a detailed buying guide for gauge wires in 2021. You will know what a gauge wire exactly is, and what its function is.
What are speakers wires used for?
Speaker wires are used to connect speakers with amplifiers or radios. They are responsible for transferring electricity to the speakers, and although they don’t produce sound, they contribute very significantly to speaker performance. But, which speaker wires are the best for car audio?
What gauge are factory speaker wire in a car?
The speaker wires are all metric 0.75 mm2 so that's the equivalent of about 18.5 AWG (pretty small but it's relatively low power.
What gauge wire is best for car audio speakers?
For most low power home or car speakers (not subwoofers) 18 gauge (18AWG) is fine. 18AWG wire is good for about 50 watts for 4 ohms and 100 watts for 8 ohm loudspeakers up to 50 feet (15 m) or 100 feet (30 m) respectively. For higher power systems or longer lengths, 16 gauge is a great choice.
What gauge wire is used for stereo speakers?
between 12 to 16 gaugeSpeaker wires that are anywhere between 12 to 16 gauge are most commonly used for connecting speakers to an amplifier or an Audio/Video (A/V) receiver. A lower-gauge number indicates a thicker wire, while a higher-gauge number indicates a thinner wire.
How thick should car speaker wire be?
Thick wire (12 or 14 gauge) is recommended for long wire runs, high power applications, and low-impedance speakers (4 or 6 ohms). For relatively short runs (less than 50 feet) to 8 ohm speakers, 16 gauge wire will usually do just fine. It's cost-effective and easy to work with.
Can I use 22 gauge wire for speakers?
If you use 22 gauge wire for a 40-foot run the wire has a higher resistance than the speaker, so more power will be delivered to the wire than the speaker; that is not good. You need 14 gauge wire to ensure that at least 90% of the amplifier output reaches the speaker.
Is 16 gauge speaker wire good for subs?
The speaker wires. If your sub system is going to put out more than 1,000 watts RMS, you can use 12-gauge speaker wire. But 16-gauge speaker wire works well for most installations.
What thickness of speaker cable do I need?
Speaker wire thickness needs to be at most 5 percent of the speaker's rated electrical resistance. Impedance, or electrical current resistance, increases with cord length, so more powerful speakers require a thicker cord. The AWG of speaker wires is between 10 and 22, with 10 being the thickest.
Is 12 gauge speaker wire too thick?
The longer the cable, the thicker wire you need because length negatively affects the resistance. For example, if your speakers are low impedance (4 or 6 ohms) and need long wire runs, thick wire (10 or 12 gauge) is better.
Is 10 gauge speaker wire overkill?
To me 10 gauge is extreme overkill (14 AWG would be fine) but if you don't mind the small extra cost and have the ability to install that heavy a cable, then why not. It certainly can't hurt as long as you can obtain the connectors to allow hookup to speakers and receiver.
What happens if speaker wire is too thin?
The only problem with using too-thin wire is that if you put enough current through it that it melts, then your amp won't be too happy. The amplifier will be quite happy if the wires melt and fuse, leaving an open circuit with no load.
How many watts can 10 gauge speaker wire handle?
For up to 20 ft of cable length a 10 gauge cable can handle 2000 watt and a 12 gauge speaker wire can handle 1960 watt.
How far can I run 14 gauge speaker wire?
80-footSpeaker wire of 14 gauge is good for an 80-foot run, and 12 gauge is good for 120 feet.
What size speaker wire do I need
18 gauge wire is suitable for most typical home or car speakers up to around 50 watts. For higher power speaker like subwoofers, 16 and even 12 gau...
What gauge is speaker wire?
Speaker wire comes in a wide range of standard sizes based on the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard. Speaker wire is most commonly sold in sizes r...
Which speaker wire is positive?
A positive speaker wire can be identified in most cases by 1) a printed line, text, or symbols, 2) a different color insulation, 3) a copper color...
What is copper-clad aluminum vs copper speaker wire?
Unlike pure copper wire, copper-clad aluminum uses an aluminum wire core with a thin copper plating to save the cost of pure copper wire. However,...
Why are wires important in car audio?
Wires are a crucial part of our audio system because a good wire can affect the audio quality of your audio output and your audio system’s durability.
Why are wires with individual strands more durable than solid wires?
Thanks to their numerous different strands, you won’t experience a significant loss in power transmission if one strand breaks. Whereas a single wire in a substantial wire gets busted, the power handling can decrease significantly. The single cables also tend to break when exposed to constant vibration.
Is a solid wire flexible?
If you use a wire with individual strands instead of a solid wire, you will find it is more flexible . This is very helpful because the wire can be curved and bent to your desire when installing it, as it can be twisted easily with your hand. Solid wires are tough to bend in any direction and can be challenging to install, and more rigid to make connections.
What is speaker wire?
Most speaker wire follows the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard that uses a chart of different gauges. It assigns a number to each standard size & electrical conductor rating. Likewise, each size is rated for a certain amount of electrical current capacity.
What tool to use to strip speaker wire?
A wire stripper can cut & strip most wire while a crimp tool can strip and also crimp connectors for wire. Wire cutting pliers are very handy for cutting small to large wire. Automatic wire strippers make stripping wire super easy. There are a number of affordable tools for cutting or stripping speaker wire.
What is the AWG wire chart?
The American Wire Gauge standard, also less commonly known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, is a standardized wire gauge system used since 1857 for the diameters of round electrically conducting wire. AWG wire charts use a numbering system where a smaller number is larger wire with more copper conductors.
What is the difference between solid wire and stranded wire?
It’s very hard to bend & curve, it can break when exposed to constant vibration, and it’s also harder to make connections with. Stranded wire (right) is tremendously easier to deal with. Stranded wire is made up of a large number of tiny copper wire strands, making it very flexible and also easier to strip, crimp to connectors, and work with by hand.
What is the best way to connect wires?
Using crimp connectors. Soldering is a bit harder to do, but the benefit is it’s the most reliable way to connect wires. You’ll need a soldering iron (at least 15W, although I recommend a 25W or higher one), solder, electrical tape, and a tool to strip the wire. A crimp tool (left) is often affordable and easy to find.
What is CCA wire?
Copper clad aluminum (CCA) wire has, in the last few years, become more and more common as the price of copper wiring has gone up. It’s one of those “little things” you might not know when buying that companies aren’t telling you.
What is a positive speaker?
Here’s a list of the most common positive speaker indicators: A printed line or series of lines is on the positive wire. One wire’s insulation is red or a different color than the negative wire (most often red is used) One wire has a copper color and one has a silver finish.
What is the most common wire used for speakers?
24 AWG can also work fantastic sometimes. But if you want to know which wire is the most popular in all types of speakers, then the answer is 16 AWG wire. If your speakers are long and are of low impedance, then you can go for smaller numbers.
Why use copper wire for car speakers?
The reason is that the copper provides high conductivity to the current. It is one of the best and cheapest material to buy for your car speakers. On the other hand, you may find aluminum or other materials too used in wires, but they are not as effective as copper.
What does AWG mean in electrical?
It also describes how much resistance wire can show against the voltage. The thickness of the wire and the AWG numbers are inversely proportional to each other. If the number of AWG is higher, then it means the cable is getting thinner. The higher the number will go, the thinner the wire will be.
What is oxygen free wire?
Oxygen-free copper wire is such a wire which is refined electrically, leaving a deficient level of oxygen particles present inside. Luxtronic AWG is among the high-quality gauge wires for car audio. Such types of cables are long-lasting as they can do well in scorching temperatures.
What is the most important thing to check when installing speakers?
Impedance. Impedance , one of the most important things you must need to check is if the wire is good enough to handle the impedance of the speakers. The impedance is the property of the speakers, which lets a certain amount of current to pass through it. The impedance must match both the speakers and your wires.
What is the difference between stranded and solid wire?
There is a difference in stranded and solid wires. Stranded wires are more in diameter than the solid ones. We calculate the length of solid wire by calculating its distance, while we measure the cross-section area of the strands of the stranded wires.
How many ohms does a speaker have?
The impedance must match both the speakers and your wires. A typical speaker can handle impedance of 4 to 16 ohms, most likely, so we must choose a wire that can handle such type of impedance accordingly. It will provide you a much better quality sound output with zero or less distortion.
What Gauge Is Speaker Wire
Speaker wire doesnt have just one size . Most speaker wire follows the American Wire Gauge standard that uses a chart of different gauges. It assigns a number to each standard size & electrical conductor rating. Likewise, each size is rated for a certain amount of electrical current capacity.
Recommended Power And Ground Cable Sizes & Speaker Wire Size And Length
Recommended Car Stereo Wire Gauge Sizes, Power, Ground, Fusing Chart, Speaker Wire Size by Load and Distance Although wire gauge sizes smaller than 10 gauge may be acceptable for the amount of current draw, we recommend using 10 gauge as the smallest wire size for any amplifier of 100 watts or more.
Cable Length And Distance
Your decision should also be based on the length of the cable run and the impedance, or power requirements of your speakers. Measure the distance from the amplifier to each speaker in the system and make sure to include approximately 4 to 6 feet of extra cable slack at each end. Once youve determined the length, now choose the wire gauge size.
Stranded Vs Solid Wire
Solid wire is a terrible choice for speakers & audio systems. Its very hard to bend & curve, it can break when exposed to constant vibration, and its also harder to make connections with. Stranded wire is tremendously easier to deal with.
Do Expensive Speaker Wires Make A Difference
Well-made and top-of-the-line wires can be expensive, but you can expect them to serve your car sound system for a long time.
Lets Talk About Car Audio Wire Size
Specialty mobile enhancement installation technicians couldnt upgrade the audio systems in our cars and trucks if they didnt have access to high-quality, correctly sized wiring. Whether they are connecting a pair of speakers to a radio or running large power and ground wires from a battery to an amplifier, wiring and its size is crucial.
Everyday Use & What To Know
In most cases like average listening & typical power levels, its not really a problem in day-to-day use. However, if youre going to drive speakers at higher power levels or want the absolute best for your money, youll need be sure to look for packaging that specifies wire is 100% pure copper.
American Wire Gauge (AWG)
Most of the world uses the American Wire Gauge ( AWG ), which is the US standard measure for the diameter of electrical conductors. It’s based on the number of dies originally needed to draw the copper down to the required size. So, the lower the number, the thicker the wire gauge.
Make Sure You Secure The Wire Connections Properly
Using a wire gauge guide is necessary for getting the right size, but connecting the wires securely is also critical when installing any audio equipment as it will ensure you get a good, solid connection.
Grounding Connections
Grounding connections are needed for all electrical devices installed into a car. A ground is a negative electrical connection that powers up the unit, and it will mostly be connected to the chassis of the car. A bad grounding is probably the most common cause for car audio problems, so make sure you get this right.
Wiring an Amplifier In Your Car
Your amplifier is one of, if not the most energy sapping pieces of audio equipment, and the bigger the RMS your amp can push, the bigger the power cable you will need.
Other Wires Running From Amplifier to Receiver
You can get amp wiring kits with all the wires and connectors in, which are a good idea as you can keep hold of them in case you need to replace any wires further down the line.
Speaker Wires
Running speaker wires, whether it’s directly from your head unit or from your amplifier, allows your speakers to receive the audio signal, so they can reproduce those amazing sounds we all love to drive along to.
Crossover Wiring
Using a crossover gives you more control over your sound system, but many people get confused with the electrical wiring.
What Is the Best Speaker Wire for Car Audio?
Generally speaking, the best speaker wires for car audio are these specifically designed for car audio.
Does Speaker Wire Size Matter in Car Audio?
Size or the wire gauge used for car speakers is directly affected by the speakers’ power, which means if more powerful speakers, the thicker speaker wires should be.
How Long Can Car Speaker Wires Get?
The shorter the speaker wire distance from the amplifier to speakers, the better the sound quality.
Does Speaker Wire Affect Sound Quality?
Speaker wires are often treated as not important, but the truth is that they will affect the sound quality.
How to Choose the Correct Wire for Car Speakers?
If you want your car speaker wires to last long and sound good, make sure they carry enough power from the amplifier to the speakers. Different cables have different internal wire resistance, and if wires are too thin, they can overheat and burn out.
Which Wire Is Best for Car Speakers?
Wires that I use, and I am delighted with their quality, and flexibility are the KnuKonceptz. They are not the cheapest ones, but I have found them well worth every dime spent.
Is Thicker Wire Better for Car Speakers?
Thicker wires may be advantageous in some car sound systems, especially when connected to powerful car audio speakers.
What Speaker Wire Gauge Do You Need?
A speaker wire’s AWG number (American Wire Gauge) indicates its thickness. The thicker a wire is, the lower the gauge number, and vice versa. The thinner a wire is, the greater resistance it provides to current flow.
What Elements Make a Good Quality Speaker Wire?
There are a variety of elements and components that give a speaker wire gauge great quality. One of the most important aspects is a core that has a low resistance. This means the less resistance a core has, the more signal that will be able to reach the speaker from the amplifier.
Different Types of Speaker Wire Gauge & The Best Ones For You
The most common sizes for a speaker cable are 12, 14, and 16-gauge. These are the ideal sizes for wiring in stereo music systems, home theaters, and other non-industrial/commercial products.
What Materials Are Best?
When it comes to the materials featured in a high-quality wire, there are three main conducting ones available:
How Much Should You Spend on Your Speaker Wire?
As a general rule of thumb, experts recommend that you spend at least 5% of the overall cost of your sound system or home theater. Some people may opt to pay 10% more. However, it is all up to your personal preference.
What Does Gauge Mean in Relation to wires?
Why Is A Wire Gauge Important?
- The AWG is essential because it means you can be sure what size of speaker wire you are getting and its uses. It helps us to distinguish different types of cables and their usages. We can be sure what we need for a particular device, and we can get just with the help of a number. Conductivity: There are a variety of speaker cable types that you can...
Which Is The Best Gauge Speaker Wire For Your Subwoofer?
- If you use the wrong gauge speaker wire for your subwoofer, it will surely dampen your subwoofer’s performance. It could cause humming and lead to a lengthy process of troubleshooting. This is why it is crucial to use the correct gauge wire for your subwoofer. Subwoofers usually use lower gauge wire, and the most common speaker wire gauges for subs …
How Much Wire Do You Need?
- To determine how much speaker wire you will need a string or a measurement tape to measure from the amplifier location to each of your speaker locations. You can measure it and then go to the retailer and buy it from there but make sure always to buy a few extra feet as it will make it easy for you to connect it to your gear.
Everyday Use and The Know-How
- If you are an average listener and a good system isn’t your top priority, it is not a problem for your day-to-day use. However, if you’re going to drive speakers at high power levels and want the best possible audio quality, you should go for the OFC cables or check your packaging to see if it is 100% pure copper wire. In case you are going for CCA wires due to any such reason, then we su…
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does speaker wire affect sound quality? If we are talking about low-wattage systems, it doesn’t affect the performance or the sound quality. But the resistance that the speaker will offer to the current flowing through the cable and the distance it needs to travel are two crucial things to keep in mind. A wire with a better core means more power can pass through and provide a cleaner an…
Conclusion
- As we know that sub-wire gauges are critical if we want to set up our audio system in our vehicles properly, it allows your gears to perform at their best. The right gauge is the right choice. Please make sure the product you are purchasing is what your equipment requires. And be sure to check if it is 100% copper or not and also to avoid CCA wires. Stranded wires over solid wires because …