Gauge Limit for Speaker Wire? (for a given reciever)

[Mozhoven]

Hello,

In my quest to build a better speaker cable, I decided to go with one of the TNT variants (Cat 5e - 6 build). In all the reading about the "bigger the gauge, the lower the resistance", I've become obsessed with the biggest gauge Cat 6 wire and the maximum number of braidable
cables paired together.

Specifically, the TNT Triple T build that incorporates 3 pairs of Cat5e cable joined as a triple braid. (I'll be using Cat 6 instead)

So, my questions is this: Can you have too many wires (i.e. too big of a gauge) for a given system's output?

I'll be using these with an Onkyo TX-SV444 with a output of 65watts per channel with Monitor Audio 302's.

Can/should I got with 6 wires, or stick to 4?

[Budgie]

Bigger is okay.

[Mozhoven]

So, just so I'm clear. There is no gauge limit (within reason) that will work against me with my setup? Am I correct?

Please keep in mind that Cat 6 wire has 4 pairs of 23AWG wire in it, and I plan on grouping as much as 2 cables per binding post. (4 Cables for woofers, 2 for the tweeters) That's sixteen 23AWG wires twisted together and then terminated in a banana plug per post (woofers) in the end, there will be forty-eight 23AWG conductors going to each speaker. I'm not sure what this all works out to gauge-wise, but I would think that it would be 10AWG or bigger.

Is bigger still ok?

P.S. Sorry to be so insistent, I'm about to order a buch of this stuff and don't want to buy more than I'll need. Thanks in advance!

[JimSmiley]

Kinda sounds like overkill to me. How long is the run?

[thebikingengineer]

You can most certainly cram more wire gauge into your receiver than you would conceivably need. You could theoretically use 10AWG solid copper power cord if you wanted. More is not necessarily better, but it's definitely not going to take anything away.

[labrat]

[quote=Mozhoven;4143483]
So, my questions is this: Can you have too many wires (i.e. too big of a gauge) for a given system's output?

QUOTE]


Yes, and no.
You can have too many wires!
But having a too big gauge I don't think does much trouble.
There is not only impedance you have to think of, too many, big, wires braided together will also make you a lot of capacitance!
The output from your amplifier does not neccessary make much difference here, but introducing a lot of capacitance in the signal chain between your output amplifier and the loudspeakers does!

[Mozhoven]

Thank you for the advice all. I think I'll be more conservative amd go with the 4-cable braid. That's three for the woofers, and one for the tweeter. My system is definitely middle-class, so my speaker wire should match.

Besides, it'll cost me another $80 to get enough for 6 cables! Money always helps me make my decisions in the end...

[zipdisk]

Beyond some minimal size, conductor gauge is going to be less important than capacitance (and possibly shielding). If you want to make your own speaker cables, you might want to search for more information about the subtleties of speaker cable design. It isn't as straight forward as might appear at first glance.

[sahwnfras]

iv got to ask, why are you using Cat5 for something like this? You could just get some speaker cable, they come in a variety of types. From what i get you want to bi-wire you speakers. So all you would need in some 16-4 wire basiclly, it would just then depend on the quality of cable you want. I understand that Cat5 can be used for many different audio purposes, but i dont get this.

[classicalguy]

The only problem with thicker cable is getting it into the connectors. You need thicker cable for long runs. I don't think it makes much difference for short runs. I been using 14 gauge. I don't like thin stranded cable, but that's just me.