| Topic Review |
craig2003 Sony Enthusiant Joined: May 27, 2003
Posts: 26
From: Philly
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 10:48  
I was wondering if someone could help me out. I have the Sony DA7ES receiver, but I do not know what type of speaker wire connectors to get. Are the angled gold plated connectors better than the straight ones? They seem like they would be easiest to put into the back of the receiver.
Also, what gauge speaker wire should I use? I have the JBL Studio series all the way around.
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coreyh Sony Aficionado Joined: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 121
From: Arkansas
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 11:57  
Not sure about the speaker hookups, but I would suggest 16 gauge wire it seems to work the best overall.
Corey ----------------- Remember life is like a washcloth, ring it out as much as you can every day. For today may be your last chance, and tomorrow may never come!
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craig2003 Sony Enthusiant Joined: May 27, 2003
Posts: 26
From: Philly
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 12:23  
I was told 16 gauge was the bare minimum. 12 and 14 are much thicker and of a superior quality.
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coreyh Sony Aficionado Joined: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 121
From: Arkansas
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 12:44  
Sure if you can get that stiff and large of a wire to work for you. I don't think sound wise you will notice the difference though. I have a 14 by 24 foot room wired with 16ga. and it works great!! You are right though I would not go to 18ga 16 or lower.
Corey ----------------- Remember life is like a washcloth, ring it out as much as you can every day. For today may be your last chance, and tomorrow may never come!
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Maxxwire Sony Adept Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25735
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 12:47  
I would suggest using 12 gauge speaker wire. I used to run 12 gauge Pheonix Gold speaker wire ($1/foot) and it sounded about as good as the $10/foot silver clad 12 gauge speaker wire that I run now.
I cut a piece of the Pheonix Gold wire apart and found that there were 224 strands of copper wire inside. I consider it a lot of wire for $1/foot. It also connects nicely to $5/pair Banana Plugs.
-Maxx ----------------- A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
[IMG]http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/AQ/N.png[/IMG]
[url=http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26561&forum=51&start=540&select_page_number=37]The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930[/url]
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coreyh Sony Aficionado Joined: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 121
From: Arkansas
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 14:06  
10 bucks a foot!! Man I guess me and you are not on the same pay grade scale!! Sorry I thought he was talking about regular speaker wire from Radio shack or Wal-mart!! I guess you better get a better and more fuller sound for that kind of price.
Corey ----------------- Remember life is like a washcloth, ring it out as much as you can every day. For today may be your last chance, and tomorrow may never come!
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Craig_Nike Ultimate Sony Reviewer Joined: Apr 05, 2002
Posts: 2262
From: Australia
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 16:39  
What are the angled connectors ? I use straight banana plugs and they are great.
So easy to get in and out when you have to get back to the mess back there.
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slobeatz Sony Addict Joined: May 09, 2003
Posts: 223
From:
 | Posted: 2003-06-12 17:28  
I think angles connectors are basically astraight connectors with a 45 degree angle. Monster Cable sells them at circuit city and maybe best buy. Here's a link.
Angle Connectors ----------------- Sony STR-DA4ES, DVP-NS999ES, SCD-C222ES, DVP-NS400D, JBL: S310 II, N28 II(2 pair),SCenter II, S120PII; Infocus X1, Toshiba 27A41, Panamax 4300.
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Maxxwire Sony Adept Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25735
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
 | Posted: 2003-06-14 06:37  
Coreyh- The main speakers I use are the same model Studio Monitors that Eddie Kramer used to master all of Jimi Hendrix's Music. They are also the same Studio Monitors that Les Paul (inventor of the electric guitar and multi-track recording) chose to use in his home recording studio. George Martin gave him the Rogers Studio Monitors that he used to master the Beatle's Sgt. Pepper album with, but he doesen't use them.
The JBL L-100a Century is a true American classic and I wanted to wire t up the best I could, but since I couldn't afford the $1,000/foot Kimber Black Pearl speakerwire I went with the $10/ foot LAT International SS-800 silverclad speakerwire instead.
-Maxx ----------------- A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
[IMG]http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/AQ/N.png[/IMG]
[url=http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26561&forum=51&start=540&select_page_number=37]The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930[/url]
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jttar Sony Master Joined: Feb 28, 2003
Posts: 9156
From: Chicago,IL, USA
 | Posted: 2003-06-17 23:03  
Maxx,
After months of reading this forum and your posts I can now see where your nic "Maxxwire" comes from ($10.00 per foot). I really don't think that the price of the speaker wire is at all extravagant considering your speakers (JBL L-100a Century) I can only imagine how great your system sounds. Many years ago I had a friend who had these same speakers with the orange foam grilles. What a sound they had. Regards.
jttar
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JasonMonette Sony Buff Joined: Jun 24, 2003
Posts: 20
From: Kalamazoo Michigan
 | Posted: 2003-06-24 13:44  
Ok, I am a big DIY guy. I can give you some instructions on some awesome DIY Speaker wire.
If you are on a budget and don't want to do DIY, go to Home Depot or Lowes and get some 12 gauge all the way around. Make sure your 2 mains and your center wires are the same length and that the 2 (or 3) rears are the same length.
As for connectors, don't use any, use the bare wire sprayed with some Caig Pro Gold 5% spray. If you have any questions let me know.
----------------- JBM Audio
Escaping Reality Through Home Theater!
[ This message was edited by: JasonMonette on 2003-06-24 16:02 ]
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paulaceto Sony Legend Joined: Dec 14, 2001
Posts: 1211
From: Rhode Island, USA
 | Posted: 2003-06-24 15:18  
Why do you recommend having the wires the same length? At audio wavelengths, the length of the wire is insignificant compared to the wavelength. For example, a 20 KHz wave on an ideal cable has an electrical wavelength of 15 thousand meters. A difference in cable length of a few hundred feet wouldn't be noticed.
Also, if you spray bare wire with a dielectric, you will reduce the conductivity.
[ This message was edited by: paulaceto on 2003-06-24 15:19 ]
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JasonMonette Sony Buff Joined: Jun 24, 2003
Posts: 20
From: Kalamazoo Michigan
 | Posted: 2003-06-24 16:09  
I misspoke on the dielectric, i meant to type Caig Pro Gold 5% spray.
And as to the same lengths, it is just good practice when you are installing HT to keep the speaker wires the same length. ----------------- JBM Audio
Escaping Reality Through Home Theater!
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paulaceto Sony Legend Joined: Dec 14, 2001
Posts: 1211
From: Rhode Island, USA
 | Posted: 2003-06-25 05:37  
You didn't answer the question. Why is it good practice to keep the speaker lengths the same. We don't accept "its good practice" or "everybody knows" on this site. You have to justify your claim.
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JasonMonette Sony Buff Joined: Jun 24, 2003
Posts: 20
From: Kalamazoo Michigan
 | Posted: 2003-06-25 10:36  
The main reason to have the wires the same length has nothing to do with sonics. It is incase you change the configuration of your set up. If they wires are the same the lengths you have a better chance of being able to reuse them as opposed to buy new ones for your new configuration. That is why I say it is good practice.
For unequal lengths to affect the sound enough for you to be able to hear a difference, the cable run would have to be very long. ----------------- JBM Audio
Escaping Reality Through Home Theater!
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Maxxwire Sony Adept Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25735
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
 | Posted: 2003-06-26 03:25  
Not that there is anything wrong with Pro Gold 5% spray, but I prefer to use 100% pure Pro Gold G100L on my speakerwire connections, interconnects, and even my AC plugs.
-Maxx ----------------- A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
[IMG]http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/AQ/N.png[/IMG]
[url=http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26561&forum=51&start=540&select_page_number=37]The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930[/url]
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JasonMonette Sony Buff Joined: Jun 24, 2003
Posts: 20
From: Kalamazoo Michigan
 | Posted: 2003-06-26 10:08  
i should have put 5% or better. ----------------- JBM Audio
Escaping Reality Through Home Theater!
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Maxxwire Sony Adept Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25735
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
 | Posted: 2003-06-26 15:02  
The 5% spray is fine, but I find that the 100% liquid can be applied to smaller areas like interconnect terminations with greater accuracy and effectiveness.
-Maxx ----------------- A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
[IMG]http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/AQ/N.png[/IMG]
[url=http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26561&forum=51&start=540&select_page_number=37]The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930[/url]
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duncan Sony Legend Joined: Jul 26, 2002
Posts: 964
From: UK
 | Posted: 2003-07-01 08:01  
oh I must have missed this juicy thread .
I don't agree with good practice being to cut to the same length at all. I would have said it is good practice to plan your system and get cables to suit the length, wouldn't you agree? Having a pile of spaggetti behind you HT kit is going to do you no favours at all.
you could end up with 30 foot of unused cable before you know it even in a modest HT set-up...you could have just bought a tape measure and better cable or some DVDs perhaps. Extra cable just incase is like living in the Sahara desert and owning a Snow Plough.
And if things do have to be changed you will just have to tell the WIFE you can't do that as it will cost $10 per foot 
Sorry, got a bit carried away but you see my point?
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-W- Sonyphile Joined: Jul 04, 2002
Posts: 537
From: Sacramento, CA
 | Posted: 2003-07-02 00:13  
Greetings all:
Extra cable just incase is like living in the Sahara desert and owning a Snow Plough.
For the sake of enlightenment, let's say a continuing education audio/video/ HD enthusiast purchases "premium" speaker wire feeling that he/she is doing the right thing.
The run from the AVR (audio/video receiver) averages X feet. The length of the premium wire/cable is X +, say, 10 feet.
Option A: cut of any excess wire between the AVR and the speaker and dispose?
Option B: retain the whole wire/cable length with the excess wire bundled along the "run" possibly in loop form.
Question... Could it be that the excess speaker wire/cable bundled/looped might have adverse impact on the listening experience due some sort of electronic interference posed by the suggested "looping" of the speaker wire/cable?
Would best practice be just to go with necessary length and cut out the excess then?
or
----------------- [img]http://jammerbabe.com/images/Smiley/mug2.gif[/img]
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duncan Sony Legend Joined: Jul 26, 2002
Posts: 964
From: UK
 | Posted: 2003-07-02 03:28  
IMHO I would buy the cable to length any more is just a waste.
Looping any cable is never a good idea, magnetic fields and eventually heat on power cables. My main concern would be that most people would stuff the spare cable behind all their HT kit causing a mass of spaggetti.
On the other hand if you had already purchased the cable I can understand someone not wanting the throw away a few feet of it.
I suppose this is one of those "personal taste" issues...
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Maxxwire Sony Adept Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25735
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
 | Posted: 2003-07-02 13:26  
-W- The speakerwire should never be looped. If the wire is 10' too long and that extra length will never be used it should be reterminated.
-Maxx ----------------- A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
[IMG]http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/AQ/N.png[/IMG]
[url=http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26561&forum=51&start=540&select_page_number=37]The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930[/url]
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paulaceto Sony Legend Joined: Dec 14, 2001
Posts: 1211
From: Rhode Island, USA
 | Posted: 2003-07-02 13:41  
If it's going to break, it'll be at the ends, so I like to keep a little extra wire. That way I can strip fresh wire for a new connection without putting a stain on the wire.
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duncan Sony Legend Joined: Jul 26, 2002
Posts: 964
From: UK
 | Posted: 2003-07-02 14:41  
I bet Craig2003 never expected such a mass quality discussion..
Maxx, Paulaceto I think this ones about wrapped up (without looping that is ) I have question touching on this subject but I think I'll start a new thread 
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-W- Sonyphile Joined: Jul 04, 2002
Posts: 537
From: Sacramento, CA
 | Posted: 2003-07-02 20:36  
Greetings all:
Thanks for the informative comments regarding the excess length of speaker wire on the run from receiver to speaker.
Any more wire than necessary will be snipped away (with a few feet allowance) and the bare copper ends of the #12 gauge "dressed" with ProGold G100L.  ----------------- [img]http://jammerbabe.com/images/Smiley/mug2.gif[/img]
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Maxxwire Sony Adept Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25735
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
 | Posted: 2003-07-02 23:00  
The Pro Gold G100L is a nice touch. I just did my quarterly re-application of Pro Gold last week.
-Maxx ----------------- A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
[IMG]http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Maxxwire_Photos/AQ/N.png[/IMG]
[url=http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26561&forum=51&start=540&select_page_number=37]The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930[/url]
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