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Can one use assymetric wire gauge for speaker cable construction?

Hello,

I am trying to build a DIY speaker cable, but while doing so I have one question that needs to be answered. I am using a cable which is essentialy made up of multuple individually insulated cables of smaller gauge.

So can I use more strands for the positive wire & lesser strands for negative wire, essentially an asymmetric gauge design. But length of both positive & negative wires will be same (and between left & right channel).

 

Can someone please help me answer this question?

 

Regards,

Saurabh

128x128audio_phool
elliottbnewcombjr
5,461 posts
 

I think this will be helpful regarding bi-wiring, the reason for different guages

 

I chose to believe in small diameter individual strands, so I make my own speaker wires using cat 8: 8 22awg = 13 awg, each strand insulated; each pair foil wrapped, those 4 pairs insulated, ofc copper. two different colored legs, thus red = 8 positive, black = 8 negative = 13 awg. double your length of each color for a pair, add some slack, cut in half, cut the factory ends off, pure copper spades ...

oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 

Shielding can sure kill the sound of a speaker IC. I'm prone to mini solid core individually insulated with teflon and then a weave 8-24 strands, I like ribbons too. Actually one of my favorites is the combination of the two, The weave is OCC with Teflon and the ribbon is OCC/silver clad with teflon.. I also add a stinger of 99.99% tungsten in an air tube of silicone on the + side only..

Who cares I'll try almost anything... :-)

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,820 posts
 

I use solid core 14 gauge UP-OCC copper in Teflon. It's perfect for me. You might try it as a control against which to judge yours.

fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,624 posts
 

@oldhvymec

Nailed it. Try anything is ​the answer to the OP's query.

That's the only way he can determine if it works for him.

He can try rolled up EMF fabric if he wants to.

 

 

reubent
7,004 posts
 

@audio_phool  - About 15 years ago, or so, there was an article in The Absolute Sound, where the reviewer made a pair of speaker cables using a 3 wire, 14-gauge outdoor extension cord from The Home Depot. He used 2 of the 3 wires for the + side and the remaining 1 of the 3 wires for the - side. It caused quite a stir back in the day. I built a pair and used them regularly for temporary use in my system. I never terminated them, just used the bare copper ends, so they were not as convenient as my purpose built speaker cables with BFA style low-mass banana plugs.

Yes, you can build an asymmetric cable and it will sound fine. Of course, you could use the same type of extension cord and just use 2 of the 3 conductors and have a symmetric cable.

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