Is it worth getting this wiring? I like the prices (most of them, anyways), and recently learned the hard way that some wire really sucks for subs.. I picked up some 10 gauge for my subs at radio shaq, and it ended up being like only 20 strands of thick copper.. Definately sounded worse... Now my real question is, will high-quality (monster, knukonceptz) speaker wiring make a difference over normal speaker wire? If so, how much of a difference? (Like the difference between using tsunami 16 gauge speaker wire, was very noticeably better than radio shaq cheapass 10 gauge speaker wire..would it be this dramatic between normal speaker wire and high end?)
I'm curious, how were you able to tell the difference between the 2 wires? You either have super ears or very $hitty wires. Unlike power wires, speakers DO NOT require high current. Therefore, 16 gauge will sound as good as 8 gauge. No difference that you can hear nor notice by ear. Sometimes it's all in your mind/preception.
Isaac, what I'm saying is, the 10 gauge wires are the ones that sounded worse. I just re-tested this, and the bass really does sound muffled. The 10 gauge wires, from Radio Shaq, are very stiff, and the plastic feels more like an extension cord than most speaker wire.
The wires I'm using, by the way, are powering six 12 inch subs.. (from a 1,600 watt RMS amp). Amp -> Box -> Box -> Box.
Seth, that doesn't make any sense. Can you measure the wires for conductivitiy? I've tested my sub with 16 gauge and 12 gauge. Applied close to 900w rms and it produced no distinguishable results by ear. If it's a real cheap wire/brand, maybe you should try something better. I wouldn't try those 8 gauge monster cables. It's a waste of money.
Isaac is right. The power going through your speaker wires is low voltage AC current. Size doesn't really matter, it takes pretty small wire, and pretty long runs to notice very big voltage drops.
Isaac, I guess I'm not articulating my question properly. I definately do not want 8 gauge monster wire for my speakers..
What I was saying is, this really cheap/crappy 10 gauge wire, is far worse than some ordinary 16 gauge.. Not saying a bigger size helps, heh. I was wondering if it's because speaker wires are somehow at least slightly shielded and htis isnt or..?
And most importantly, my question is this.. Is it worth using premium speaker wire, over the generic stuff that like Kragen carries?
Seth, the choice is up to you. It's not like you're going to be purchasing new wires every year. If the premium wire looks good to you and is at a reasonable price, then go for it. I've used both for testing. No difference what so ever. If someone else swapped the wires, I wouldn't know which was which by listening. Maybe you just got a bad wire with a cut somewhere.