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  3. 161281-107

Bought some 14/2 “speaker wire” from Home Depot

So I decided to amuse myself and on a recent trip to the Home Depot I bought some 14 gauge speaker wire. 25 ft for under $11.
I have what I think is a good system and my current speaker wires are analysis plus mesh oval 9 terminated in spades. My system is noted in my profile.
I substituted in the 14/2 I picked up- each leg is about 9.5 ft. Tinned bare wire at each end. I did use 4% silver solder.
Quite listenable, though perhaps not as extended at the high end. If someone told me I had to use the Home Depot wire I’d get along just fine. Leads me to one of 4 possible conclusions- 1- my hearing stinks; 2- my fancy Analysis Plus cables aren’t anything special; 3- my system isn’t resolving enough to make a difference; 4- given sufficient gauge, cable is cable. Of course, it’s also possible that my system is so good, any wire will allow that to shine through 
Your thoughts, comments, etc appreciated 

thanks
128x128zavato
wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
911 posts
 
The room is all the better for the print of “Ansel Adams, Moonrise over Hernandez New Mexico,”

It real, I hope it’s insured and you have the special plexi Adams was a proponent of. 

One of the all time great images; the second being your one you use!
zavato's avatar
zavato OP
1,391 posts
 
Moonrise is indeed special 


markw1951
51 posts
 
This may have already been noted but that Home Depot/Lowes type speaker cable has one side made of aluminum.  That's why its so cheep.  
barts's avatar
barts
688 posts
 
I switched to 10 gauge speaker wire around 1984, it was spec'd out by an
electrical engineer friend of mine and avid audiophile.  He needed to purchase at least 1000ft (I believe) to have it custom made. So I went in for 300 feet.  Been using it ever since in varying lengths. First was cut six 50 foot lengths and terminate them with soldered pin connectors (tri-amped system).  And (horror of horrors!) I coiled all the extra cabling and just stacked it up, coil over coil!  Then figuring this has to be doing something to the sound, at least inducing some voltage.  I turned off the mid and high amps, left the bass amps on and blasted some tunes. Much to my amazement not a peep, nothing, nada coming out of the mid range or tweeter.  Maybe this was not a good test, but that is what happened.

As far as listening is concerned, I'm sure we all listen to our systems in different manners at different times.  My rig sounds the best to me when it just disappears, by that I mean I'm not listening to the equipment, just the music.  The older I get the more the music wins. Regards.

Stay safe,
barts

 
jssmith
301 posts
 
#4
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