Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 946 Likes: 2
aficionado
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aficionado
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 946 Likes: 2 |
Re:What is "Rona"? Home building supply store similar to Home Depot. I think that they used to be called Revy Building Centers. I believe that they are a Canadian company?
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,654
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,654 |
Skerdi, the 5000UE is fine, especially if you're going to be installing it behind the walls; that's what it's rated for. The outer jacket is there to reduce the amount of HCL gas and acid given off by the PVC covering on the wire in case of fire. If you're not going behind the walls, using the regular 16ga lampcord without the outer jacket is fine.
Unless the type of banana plugs you get require soldering, no tools are necessary to put the wire in.
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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 93
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 93 |
Quote:
I am looking at some Belden 5000 speaker cables, any opinions? If I buy it as bulk, is it difficult to get it into banana plugs DIY without any advanced tools?
I just did exactly what you were describing and got my cable and connectors from Blue Jeans Cable. I decided to use the Canare 4S11 cable because I'm not planning to use the cables in-wall and because they are nice and thick and round which makes for an impressive looking cable. I also picked up some of the Locking Banana Plugs to terminate the wires. The plugs are of very nice quality and gold plated. Not like the garbage you can pick up at HD. I ran to my local Fry's to pick up some sleeving and heatshrink tubing. A couple hours later, this is what I came up with.
Since the Canare 4S11 cable has 4 conductors, and because I'm not a believer in bi-wiring, I opted to twist the two reds together and the two whites together to make for a nicer appearance once the heatshrink tubing was put on. The only tools I used were a utility knife, wire cutters, scissors, a small screwdriver, and a heat gun. I snagged the heat gun from my wife's craft closet (shhh... ) All told, I think these three cables cost me about $21 for the 5 foot cables and $28 for the 10 foot cable. A good value for 12 AWG cables with quality connectors and great eye appeal.
I'm new to this hobby, but diving in headfirst. I'm loving it so far and I haven't even ordered my speakers yet!! (Waiting for WAF on the speaker finish) Can someone tell DHL to hurry up with those samples?
Ken.
Ken.
VaSSallo Series M60v2, VP100v2, QS8v2
SVS SB12-Plus
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 639
aficionado
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aficionado
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 639 |
Looks nice! Now that you've got the sleeves and heatshrink tubing, you can turn around and sell those on eBay for $100 a foot!
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,494 Likes: 116
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,494 Likes: 116 |
You may want to tin the ends of your conductors with solder (so they don't fray) rather than using banana terminals. I haven't found any solder-free bananas for 12 gauge and solder-style bananas run about $6 a pair.
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 93
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 93 |
I misspoke on the wire gauge. The wire is 14 AWG, but I'm using two of those wires per connector, so not sure what that works out to be. With the bananas I used, I had no problem with fitting both wires, twisted together, into the connector and screwing down both of the set screws. I'm guessing these connectors would handle a 10 AWG wire, no problem. They are gold plated and were right around $5/pair from the Blue Jeans guys. They actually feel heavy like metal, compared to the super light plastic feeling ones I've seen elsewhere. I know heft doesn't always mean quality, but in this case it's probably a good thing.
Ken.
Ken.
VaSSallo Series M60v2, VP100v2, QS8v2
SVS SB12-Plus
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18,044
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18,044 |
It comes out to 11 gauge. I have the same setup on my speakers, although your cables are far, far more attractive than mine.
I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 364
devotee
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devotee
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 364 |
The example of the speaker wire with clear insuation is the same stuff that Home Depot is currently selling. Anybody have experience using that and having it oxidize and turn green like the picture?? That is what I was planning on using. Good to know I can go smaller diameter. I was planning on using 14 ga, but can use thinner stuff for a 20 ft run to the surrounds
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,155
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,155 |
Yep, I had some of that speaker wire. Yep, it turned green. I was cleaning the garage last weekend and found some more that I hadn't thrown away. Yep, it had turned green.
The Rat.
M80s, VP-150, QS8s,
SVS PC 20-39+, OPPO,
Onkyo 703s, Harmony 880
Sony 60" SXRD HDTV
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Re: Another interesting read on speaker wire
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,654
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,654 |
A little commentary on the green wire. First, it isn't oxidation; when copper oxidizes it turns an increasingly dark shade of brown(e.g. an old penny). This results from contact with oxygen in the air; it has nothing to do with the minute amount of oxygen which is added to copper wire during the production process to improve its physical properties, and hype about "oxygen free" wire is meaningless. For example, when I cut some additional lampcord(which I'd bought 17 years ago)recently in connection with changes because of adding the EP500, the copper which had been covered by the jacket was still bright and had no oxidation.
The green color is the result of copper combining with chlorine apparently released from an inadequately stable batch of polyvinyl chloride(PVC)in the jacket. Although it looks unsightly(unless your favorite color is green, maybe), it doesn't affect transmission if the surface in actual contact with the terminals is cleaned.
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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.
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