Question about Speaker Wire..."In Wall" vs. Regular

[YoungClayB]

So I am building my home theater and I have ordered regular ole plain jane 14 GA clear speaker wire.

I will be running this wire up my wall and through the attic to my surround speakers.

Whats the difference between regular clear speaker cable and the "in wall" variery?

Is there any reason why I shouldnt use "regular" speaker wire inside my walls?

Thanks,
-Clay

 

[infinitesymphony]

Pulled from an AVSForum thread about this question:

Quote:

When in doubt, always go with a CL-rated cable. Odds are that you'll probably never have to worry about the cables once they're in the wall. However, if you do have a fire, your insurance company can refuse a claim if they determine that your construction was not compliant with any codes.

You might want to consider going with something from Blue Jeans Cable. They perform as well as any cable you're likely to find for under $1,500/1.5 meters, and they're only $0.38/foot.

All of their Belden speaker wire is rated for in-wall use. CL3R for 12 AWG and CL2 for 10 AWG.

 

[YoungClayB]

Awesome. Thanks for the link. I think that I'll place my order now

 

[tbonner1]

Most "in wall" wire is sold in bulk and has plain jane looks.

If you are running the wire in long lengths look for adequate GA for your application.

I do not care for the trend towards in wall speakers as I prefer to place the speakers out away from reflections.

 

[threEchelon]

I think in-wall is teflon insulated while other stuff is normally pvc insulated.

The two types of insulation have different melting points... and also different dielectric constants, but maybe we shouldn't go into that.

 

[funch]

One hint. If you have to run your speaker wire anywhere near electrical wiring, don't run them parallel with each other if you can help it, otherwise you'll pick up hum from the magnetic field of the 120v wiring. If you have to cross electrical wiring, cross at right angles, that way you won't pick up hum.