need some wire

Posted by: Joe Petrik on 09 January 2001

A guy at work recently bought a home theatre system and is looking to find some good but relatively inexpensive wire to connect the 57 speakers that seem to come standard with these things.

He's not using Naim amps -- I think it's a Sony 5-channel receiver -- so he doesn't need NAC A5 to keep the amp from oscillating... and probably wouldn't pay that much anyway.

Can anyone recommend good budget wire that's relatively easy to find? He, like me, lives in that consumer Mecca known as the U.S. of eh. All the same, I understand that the entire world's output of goods doesn't show up on our doorstep.*

Joe

* Anyone's who's tried to find good tea in this country with attest that the leaves the Brits wouldn't give to their swine shows up in most grocery stores in the form of Lipton, the Brisk tea.

Posted on: 09 January 2001 by John G.
"Can anyone recommend good budget wire that's relatively easy to find?"

Hi Joe,

I'm using two 65 foot lengths of Tributaries 12 gauge wire right now in my main system and it seems to be doing fine. My original plan was not to be using my main system in this setting with this wire but things kind of evolved this way once I finished my basement. I was gonna originally use the wire with a Marantz reciever and NHT Super One speakers. I really had a hard time justifying buying 130 feet of speaker wire at $5 a foot for that kind of system. Now that I'm using the Tributaries with the main system, I still do have a hard time thinking of shelling out $650 for wire.

The 12 gauge cost me 75 cents a foot. I think they also had a 16 gauge equivilent at 35 cents a foot. With the long runs I used I went for the 12 gauge. The cable is directionally marked and is OFHC. It's also made in the US so you shouldn't have a hard time finding some. I know a dealer who has some if you can't find any.

Regards,
John

Posted on: 09 January 2001 by Joe Petrik
Jonathan,

Thanks for the suggestions but I think even the cheapest cable on your list is more than he wants to spend. He needs quite a bit and he's not an audiophile, so you need to recalibrate what's considered expensive by the average guy. Think cents per foot.

By the way, I'm not American; I'm just living here, eh. Proof of Canadian citizenship follows:

* I can tell you which leaves make good toilet paper

* I find -40C just a little chilly

* I've worn a Halloween costume over a snowsuit

* I've cleaned grease off the barbecue so bears won't prowl on the deck


John,

Is Tributaries 12 a speaker cable or wire you've used as speaker cable? I haven't heard of it.

Joe

[This message was edited by Joe Petrik on TUESDAY 09 January 2001 at 16:52.]

Posted on: 09 January 2001 by Pete, Mad Bad and Dangerous to Know
Hi,

Back in the good old days they used to make speaker cable from "RS" 46 strand 4mm CSA cable twisted together, if you get hold of some stranded cable 2.5mm or thicker and lightly twist it,that should be within his price range, get it from electrical wholesalers they should be the the cheapest.


pete

Posted on: 09 January 2001 by John G.
"Is Tributaries 12 a speaker cable or wire you've used as speaker cable? I haven't heard of it."

It's a hi-fi speaker cable. I think I'm using SP12 but SP16 is cheaper. See:

http://www.tributariescable.com/tributaries.html

[This message was edited by John Gilleran on TUESDAY 09 January 2001 at 18:44.]

Posted on: 09 January 2001 by Edwin
Quote


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Anyone's who's tried to find good tea in this country with attest that the leaves the Brits wouldn't give to their swine shows up in most grocery stores in the form of Lipton
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Ain't that the truth. I have to get M&S to ship my teabags over from old blighty! Tea in Canada ain't worth s__t. Orange Pekoe?!?!

Posted on: 09 January 2001 by Arthur Bye
Joe:

Try your local Home Depot/Hechingers/Lowes for speaker wire. You can get 250 foot rolls pretty cheap. I've got my Sony home theater set-up with it and it works fine. It's about a 10/12 guage multi-strand with copper on one conductor and steel on the other. Seems to work fine for home theater.

If you want all copper, just go to a local electrical store and get a big roll of large guage lamp cord. It's cheap and works fine for home theater. Make sure the lamp cord has a marker for the " + " connection side.

It amazing what low expectations can do.

Arthur Bye