According to the wire ga chart on this site, if my amp puts out 70w RMS, my speaker wires should be about 16ga, correct? I have a couple of questions.
#1- Where do you dind speaker wire that large? The largest I can find locally is 18ga.
#2- The bulky insulation on the larger ga speaker wire makes it almost impossible to route under the scuff plates. There isn't enough room in my car to run them anywhere else where they'll be protected from abrasion. Any suggestions?
#3- Is primary wire a suitable substitute for speaker wire?
Replies (6)
swez on 01/12/2005 09:50:38
Primary wire...meaning lamp cord or such? Yes, that will work. You can buy this in bulk at any hardware store. Just note the type of cable you choose as many have some form of ID (voltage rating, p/n)or ribbed on one wire for polarity ID.
Speaker wire can be purchased in spools of 25,50 and 100 foot lengths as well. Most Radio Shacks will have this... but call ahead to make sure they have #16 on hand.
Swez
gearhead on 01/12/2005 09:56:09
By primary wire, I meant the type for wiring most general automotive components, lights, gauges, cigarette lighters, etc.. It generally has a lot fewer strands than speaker wire.
ttocs on 01/12/2005 10:58:14
it will work, but is not recomended.
There are alot of sites online that sell it cheaper then you could find it in person if you are interested.
As for the insulation being too thick, the only cars I have had issues with are newer high end imports(bmw, mercedes, ect). should have no problems running it under the carpet.
gearhead on 01/12/2005 11:12:28
Where under the carpet? Fire extinguisher and console/armrest are mounted to the floor on the exhaust system hump. It's a family car and it gets a lot of foot traffic both front and rear, so putting it under the carpet anywhere will result in abrasion from foot traffic.
uochronos on 01/12/2005 13:36:30
any car audio shop should sell speaker wire all teh way down to 12gauge.....
as for hiding 16 gauge under the carpet 16 gauge is pretty small stuff. i have around 12 differnt wires 14 gauge running under my carpet it gets steped on all the time i'm sure by both me and passengers and it still looks basicaly brand new. i wouldnt worry about damage from foot traffic too much unless you buy really cheap wire.
only issue i have ever had is i ran it under the cluctch pedal once and it was rubing the wire and finaly rubbed threw but that was metal on the insulation...
Chronos
danielm87 on 01/13/2005 00:33:57
If you want good, quality, OFC, high strand count, shielded & twisted speaker wire for a good price in any guage you need, shop at KnuConceptz.com's Ebay Store! I use their 8GA. twisted speaker wire on my AW1206T and i really can tell a difference. Quality counts when it comes to AC wiring.
If you want some cheap quick-fix Jap-made speaker wire, Wal-Mart's requirements of in-stock wire are 16 & 18 GA. spools. If not found there, go to Lowes or Home Depot, i have seen some decent wires in those stores. A local audio store should have something if all else fails.
#1- Where do you dind speaker wire that large? The largest I can find locally is 18ga.
#2- The bulky insulation on the larger ga speaker wire makes it almost impossible to route under the scuff plates. There isn't enough room in my car to run them anywhere else where they'll be protected from abrasion. Any suggestions?
#3- Is primary wire a suitable substitute for speaker wire?
Replies (6)
swez on 01/12/2005 09:50:38
Primary wire...meaning lamp cord or such? Yes, that will work. You can buy this in bulk at any hardware store. Just note the type of cable you choose as many have some form of ID (voltage rating, p/n)or ribbed on one wire for polarity ID.
Speaker wire can be purchased in spools of 25,50 and 100 foot lengths as well. Most Radio Shacks will have this... but call ahead to make sure they have #16 on hand.
Swez
gearhead on 01/12/2005 09:56:09
By primary wire, I meant the type for wiring most general automotive components, lights, gauges, cigarette lighters, etc.. It generally has a lot fewer strands than speaker wire.
ttocs on 01/12/2005 10:58:14
it will work, but is not recomended.
There are alot of sites online that sell it cheaper then you could find it in person if you are interested.
As for the insulation being too thick, the only cars I have had issues with are newer high end imports(bmw, mercedes, ect). should have no problems running it under the carpet.
gearhead on 01/12/2005 11:12:28
Where under the carpet? Fire extinguisher and console/armrest are mounted to the floor on the exhaust system hump. It's a family car and it gets a lot of foot traffic both front and rear, so putting it under the carpet anywhere will result in abrasion from foot traffic.
uochronos on 01/12/2005 13:36:30
any car audio shop should sell speaker wire all teh way down to 12gauge.....
as for hiding 16 gauge under the carpet 16 gauge is pretty small stuff. i have around 12 differnt wires 14 gauge running under my carpet it gets steped on all the time i'm sure by both me and passengers and it still looks basicaly brand new. i wouldnt worry about damage from foot traffic too much unless you buy really cheap wire.
only issue i have ever had is i ran it under the cluctch pedal once and it was rubing the wire and finaly rubbed threw but that was metal on the insulation...
Chronos
danielm87 on 01/13/2005 00:33:57
If you want good, quality, OFC, high strand count, shielded & twisted speaker wire for a good price in any guage you need, shop at KnuConceptz.com's Ebay Store! I use their 8GA. twisted speaker wire on my AW1206T and i really can tell a difference. Quality counts when it comes to AC wiring.
If you want some cheap quick-fix Jap-made speaker wire, Wal-Mart's requirements of in-stock wire are 16 & 18 GA. spools. If not found there, go to Lowes or Home Depot, i have seen some decent wires in those stores. A local audio store should have something if all else fails.
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