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A newbie with a speaker cable AWG question.

Hi there. I'm new to this addiction so please go easy on me! Is there a point at which a speaker cable gets too big (AWG) for a bookshelf monitor? I'm looking for cable for my B&W N805. I am considering biwiring, double runs. If I use double runs of a 10AWG cable is this "overkill" for a small speaker? Should I be considering my amplifier strength also when choosing cable? My system - Classe int. CAP80, Meridian CD, B&W N805. I listen mostly to acoustic music. Room size is 14'X24'X9'. Sonically, I'm looking for speaker cable that will warm up, flesh out the sound a bit. Thanks in advance for any insight!
tooter
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
Tooter:

With short runs of speaker cable, it is less likely that the electrical characteristics of the cable will have an audible effect. However, cables that are better designed will -- in all likelihood -- sound better than cheaply designed cables. You didn't indicate what your budget is for speaker cables, but there are a lot of good choices in the moderately priced range. Again, I suggest that you look in the A-gon archives for specific comments about the better cable brands and models, and then (if possible) find a dealer that will let you audition the ones that interest you.
eagle
154 posts
 
See this link midway in the page with the paragraph that starts with "There is a common misconception that loudspeaker cable must be large in diameter ...":
It works for me.
tooter OP
85 posts
 
Hi Sdcampbell - thanks for the response. I'm getting a better grip on the concepts involved here. I have (and will continue) to search the forums for cable recommendations. I started this thread primarily to get a better understanding of cable AWG and its relation to length and monitor size. My budget is around $400. So far I'm considering used Cardas Cross in a single run, Cardas quadlink (double runs) or Acoustic Zen Epoch and Satori. I will also look into the Audience cable that Stehno and Eagle are recommending. If you have other recommendations I'm all ears. Thanks again!
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
Hi, Tooter:

Given your budget, I suggest you also consider (and audition) the Alpha-Core Goertz MI2 (copper) speaker cable. Alpha-Core makes a very good speaker cable that is not heavy, and they offer a free 30-day home trial. For more info about their speaker cables, see their Web site at the following link:
http://www.alphacore.com/mispeaker.html
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