Yes you can use electrical wire for speakers.
Is electrical wire the same as speaker wire?
The only difference is that speaker wire typically has clear outer insulation, while electrical wire might be black, brown, white or some other color. That similarity isn’t an illusion; the wires are very much alike and can be used interchangeably in many circumstances.
What wire can I use as speaker wire?
The most common audio speaker wires are 12 Gauge, 14 Gauge, 16 Gauge, and 18 Gauge. Stranded wire is more flexible, easier to route, can withstand vibration and flexing than solid wire; therefore, it is more commonly used in audio speaking wiring.
Do you need special wire for speakers?
Thick wire (12 or 14 gauge) is recommended for long wire runs, high power applications, and low-impedance speakers (4 or 6 ohms). For relatively short runs (less than 50 feet) to 8 ohm speakers, 16 gauge wire will usually do just fine. It’s cost-effective and easy to work with.
Can you use 12V wire for speakers?
As we now know, you can run 12v power through your speaker wire and the only factor to consider is the gauge of the speaker wire. The wire gauge will allow for a certain amount of electrical load to be carried across it based on the wattage of the electrical device. What is this?
Can you use any gauge wire for speakers?
Generally, for short speaker wire runs, a 16-gauge wire is sufficient. However, for longer speaker wire runs (to another room, for example), it is better to use a thicker, lower-gauge wire.
Can I use extension cord for speaker wire?
Yes, you can. Some audiophiles will surely disagree, but I would feel comfortable using almost any insulated wire for my speakers. The wires in an extension cord are likely to be 16 gauge or thicker, and that should work well enough for most speakers.
Can you use house wire for car audio?
Possibly. Car wiring is low voltage, flexible (usually stranded instead of solid), and heat resistant if used in the engine compartment. You can always use a wire rated for a higher voltage if it meets the other requirements.
Can I use telephone wire for speakers?
Using existing telephone wire and powered speakers, it’s fairly simple to connect speakers throughout the house via existing phone lines. This will work only if the lines have 3 extra wires, such as when no land line is in use, or if the house has 6 (very common) or 8 strand telephone wire.
Can you use normal copper wire for speakers?
Copper is the most widely used material for speaker cable due to its low cost and low resistance. However, copper does oxidise so it needs to be well covered and insulated.
Can speaker wire affect sound quality?
The reason for this is that the longer the run of your wires, the greater the impact on the sound quality. If you cannot avoid longer distances, be sure to use speaker wires with a lower gauge, providing less resistance and diminishing the risk of power loss.
Can I use lamp cord for speaker wire?
If you’re doing longer runs you may need a thicker gauge , but if you’re just running it a few feet from your receiver/amp to the speakers, lamp cord is more that good enough and disgustingly cheap.
Can I use regular wire for subwoofer?
Yes, you can use regular speaker wire for a subwoofer.
People do it all the time. But, just because lots of people are running regular speaker wire to their subs, it doesn’t mean they should. Read more: Best 15-inch Subwoofers – Top 8 Picks of 2022 Review & Buying Guide.
What is the best way to wire speakers?
The positive speaker terminal (red) on the receiver or amplifier must be connected to the positive terminal on the speakers, and the same applies to the negative terminals on all the equipment. Technically, the color or labeling of the wires doesn’t matter as long as all the terminals match up.
Can you use regular wire for subs?
Using regular speaker wire to connect your subwoofer to a receiver will allow it to function properly. The only potential issue is that the cable could potentially pick up radio signals and output them via the subwoofer if it is not adequately shielded.
How many volts is speaker wire rated for?
The voltage on a speaker wire depends on amplifier power; for a 100-watt-per-channel amplifier, the voltage will be about 30 volts RMS.
How many watts can stock speaker wires handle?
Factory speaker wires are very thin, with high electrical resistance, so they can cause noticeable power loss when higher wattages try to get through. But amplifiers of 75-watts or less aren’t really affected by this, so running their outputs through factory wiring remains a practical and convenient solution.
Does it matter which wire you use on a speaker plug?
Good news is, with speakers it doesn’t really matter which one you choose as your positive and which as your negative, just so long as you are consistent. Ultimately, what you want is for the wire that connects to the red terminal on your Amp or Receiver to connect to the red terminal on your speaker.
What happens if you use the wrong speaker wire gauge?
Wire gauges can vary based on what a particular wire is used for. Having the wrong thickness will affect the sound quality of your speaker. Speaker wire thickness needs to be at most 5 percent of the speaker’s rated electrical resistance.
What size speaker wire for 50 watts?
For example, if your amp is in the trunk and you’re sending 100 watts to your front speakers, 14-gauge speaker wire is a good call. But if the amp is only 50 watts, 16-gauge would be fine.
What happens if wire gauge is too big?
If a wire gauge is “too big” then it is a lot more expensive and is harder to bend, as well as more difficult to attach with wire nuts or to switches.
Does the length of speaker wire affect sound?
When long runs (of either interconnects or speaker cables) are used, cable quality becomes extra important. Due to the additional signal losses longer runs impose, the better the cable is at “protecting” the signal, the better will be the sound.
Does it matter how long speaker wire is?
Best Performance can be achieved by moving the amplifiers closer to the speakers. For example, 18 gauge wire connected to an 8 Ohms speaker should not exceed more than 32 feet in length from amp/receiver to speaker. If you have a wire that exceeds its recommended length, the audio signal and quality will degrade.
What happens if I use instrument cable for speaker?
An instrument cable has a signal wire and a shield for carrying instrument level signals. A speaker cable has two identical wires for carrying speaker level signals. Using an instrument cable as a speaker cable can be damage your equipment. Using a speaker cable as an instrument cable will cause excessive noise.
Can I use electrical wire in automotive?
Never use wire intended for household use in vehicles, it is not designed to handle the heat, vibration, and chemical exposure.
Is there a difference between automotive wire and house wire?
The main difference between the two is the temperature range. A cross-linked automotive wire can withstand much higher temperatures. Regardless of insulation material, these wires have a voltage rating of 50V. There are three main wires for both insulations, all of which are primary/general use wires.
Can Cat 6 wire be used for speakers?
the CAT6 cable can be used as internal speaker cable.
Do you need banana plugs for speaker wire?
Even after you’ve installed your speakers, if there is even the slightest chance of them being knocked over by pets, kids, or anyone else, banana plugs are a must. They will keep your cables from tearing or being ripped out, which could damage your cable and equipment.
Can you use house wire for car audio?
Possibly. Car wiring is low voltage, flexible (usually stranded instead of solid), and heat resistant if used in the engine compartment. You can always use a wire rated for a higher voltage if it meets the other requirements.
Does speaker wire have voltage?
Speaker wires carry whatever level of current comes out of the amplifier. A typical 100-watt amplifier powering an 8-ohm speaker would produce about 4 amps at 30 volts, which most people would not feel.
Can I use extension cord for speaker wire?
Yes, you can. Some audiophiles will surely disagree, but I would feel comfortable using almost any insulated wire for my speakers. The wires in an extension cord are likely to be 16 gauge or thicker, and that should work well enough for most speakers.
Can I use solid copper wire for speakers?
There are no technical problems with solid copper wire as speaker cable from a sound quality standpoint.
