Using solid copper Door Bell wire as speaker wire.

In the search for good speaker wire that doesn't break the bank, I came across a forum where one guy asserted that solid copper door bell wire would be the same as the solid copper wire that costs big bucks. The wire in question is 18 gauge. Can anyone out there confirm or rebut this assertion?

I've got Audio Research D-51 tube amp, Audible Illusions Modulus tube pre-amp, Rogers L2sa speakers, Oppo BDP95 CD and Project Expression III Classic turntable with Sumiko Pearl cartridge.

sprintz69905-03-2015 10:45pm

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stringreen Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,368 posts 05-08-2015 at 07:01pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Wasn't the older Anti-Cables thin, single copper wire....that got such great reviews from The Absolute Sound...
nonoise Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 10,543 posts 05-08-2015 at 10:49pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Yes, and Mapleshade as well (without the praise from TAS) although I believe Mapleshades were of an even smaller gauge. All the best, Nonoise
geoffkait Details Discussions Posts This discussion 23,365 posts 05-09-2015 at 12:35pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete The Mapleshade Omega Mikros are 54 ga. That's teeny tiny in technical terms.
almarg Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 9,670 posts 05-09-2015 at 03:24pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete 05-09-15: Geoffkait The Mapleshade Omega Mikros are 54 ga. That's teeny tiny in technical terms. Geoff, the second sentence of your post is certainly true. However I believe that a solid core (single strand) 54 gauge wire would have a diameter of less than 1/1000th of an inch. Not sure how one could connect such a wire to speaker and amp terminals without it breaking. Also, for any reasonable length it would have a resistance that would be absurdly high for a speaker cable application, in the vicinity of 400 ohms for the combined resistance of two 8 foot conductors. That being a good thing, because if its resistance were low enough to not severely limit the amount of current flowing through it, and to produce reasonable volume levels and sonic results, it would either melt or go up in flames as a result of the current it would be carrying. Perhaps it would do that anyway, though. You might want to re-check your facts on the Omega Mikros. Regards, -- Al "Pseudo-skeptic" ;-)
mapman Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 21,830 posts 05-09-2015 at 04:46pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I use dnm reason ics in my setup but shy away from using such high gauge conductors as speaker wire. That goes against the established practice of using smaller gauge wire for speakers especially for longer runs.