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General discussion

Speaker Wire - not a Monster question

Aug 2, 2005 7:43AM PDT

Pardon my ignorance.

I'm running Athena Audition Series speakers out of a Sony STR DE185 Amplifier. I bought it secondhand with some 14-gauge speaker wire. I recently bought more wire, but it was 16-gauge.

Can I use 16-gauge instead? Or will my amplifier, speakers, or apartment blow up?

Discussion is locked

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No Problem....
Aug 2, 2005 8:29AM PDT

...As long as the run from your amplifier to your speakers is under around 20' you should have no problem whatsoever, longer than that I'd stick with 12 or 14 guage. Just be sure the wire is copper on both sides and not some garbage like zinc or something which is not a good conducter.

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Speaker cable info.
Aug 11, 2005 5:09AM PDT
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Sanity at last?
Aug 29, 2005 7:59AM PDT

Hello Peter, I joined this group a couple of minutes back although I've had your name on file from this group for a couple of weeks because of your background. I have just read Roger Russell's ocean of sanity on speaker cables but belong to a group (I'd better not say which until I get to know you better!)where there has been a debate about what exotic metal to make jumpers for biwires from, claiming huge audible differences. I've always believed it was pure marketing guff (and who can blame them, the marketeers) but the exotic speaker cable makers think we're all gullible and, frankly, I feel a bit insulted by them. I have 40 years engineering experience (nuclear, broadcasting, computing and telecomms)and now think that I have the right to know what I'm talking about!

Good to meet you all and, having got that off my chest, will hold my counsel until I have something useful to say. Regards - Graham

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Sanity at last?
Aug 31, 2005 5:17AM PDT

Only for some people!!! There are thoes that want to belong to the P.T.Barnum Club and the Emperors New Clothes Society. Who want to belive that a $200 set of speaker cables will make there speakers sound better, or a $2000 power cord will make thier reciver sound better.
Here is a good link. John
http://www.audioholics.com/index.html