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Can speaker cables be too thick?

Hi folks, I've tried several speaker cables in the past, like the MIT MH-750, Wireworld Gold Eclipse, Ridge Street Audio, Pure Note Paragon and Cardas Golden Eclipse. I've been using these expensive cables until I replace them with ordinary 2x6mm2 OFC copper cables consisting of multiple small gauge solid conductors. These cables have the best tonal balance and they match very well with the speakers (Dunlavy SC-V). I use them in biwire fashion (each cable is 5 ft in length). What would happen if I replace them with even larger gauge copper cables, like 2x8mm2 or 2x10mm2? Would the sound improve further with the larger gauge cables? What sonic characteristics can be heard when the speaker wire is "too thick"?

Chris
dazzdax
gs5556
1,234 posts
 
Look inside some expensive speakers. The wiring from the terminals through the drivers are as thin as hair compared to the garden hoses some use on the other side. Why, then, after countless hours and dollars on R&D with respect to cabinet construction, custom driver specs, crossover layout and testing ad infinitum would a manufacturer decide to play it lazy when it comes to the guage of the internal wiring? It certainly seems easy to lay a fat cable in there if it made a difference; but maybe knowing the audiophile and his obsessions, they figure what is out of sight is out of mind. Just a thought.
rwwear
2,867 posts
 
I think everyone here has heard the argument that if something is not heard it's because either we can't hear as well or our equipment isn't resolving enough. That's just too easy and only someone with little confidence in their own judgement will fall for it.

I certainly will not argue that one should not waste one's money. That is up to the individual. Even cable makers need to eat but should they eat better than everyone else?
A lot of the cables out there are the same with different names and prices.
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Thick speaker cables are horrible on my system. I don;t care what shape they come in. I have tried the MIT and Cardas you mention. Pick your poison. I cannot believe the trash heavy insulation randomly inserts into the signal path does not deteriorate all systems. I think in most you can't hear it particularly.
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dazzdax OP
599 posts
 
The question is not whether one can hear differences between cables: this subject has been discussed so many times. The question is: do we need very thick copper cables (that is the conductor, not the insulation) for proper transmission of signal, because according to a well respected Swiss manufacturer..., etc. And if one is using "too" thick speaker cables, let's say 4 AWG or thicker, would that give negative impact to the sound? According to Muralman thick speaker cables do have negative impact on his system, but he didn't specify what is getting worse. What is relevant here is not the total speaker cable size due to insulation (it might be as thick as a wrist) but the cross sectional area of the (copper) conductors. Have any of you used 4 AWG or thicker speaker cables btw?

Chris
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