Taking the last first, yes you can use a smaller cable for the high end if you biwire; whether you should is the subject of much debate. As a matter of fact there is little agreement about most of the questions you pose. My own view is that thin single strand wire does not do well in the bass. I think that this would be magnified by low efficiency speakers. The impedance of the SPEAKERS is an important factor in how much power is going to be transferred over the cable. The efficiency of my Spendor S 100s and my GamuT L5s are not wildly different but when I run the 100s with my CJ 350 the heat sinks get mildly warm while with the L5s they get quite hot. The Spendor is about a 6 ohm load while the GamuT gross below three ohms. This is not as relevant if you use tubes. I am sure Al could give you a good technical discussion of the factors involved; I won't try but confine myself to generalizations. First, heavy usually doesn't hurt; you will probably loose less power with bigger cable. Two, some thin cables work quite well, I have used OCOS and hear that Audience 24 is also good. It really boils down to your own system and the particular cable you have in mind.
Cable gauge and ohm load
Regarding speaker cables, I’m looking for a little clarification on wire gauge and power requirements. I’ve read on numerous sites that for very inefficient speakers, you need lots of
power – that makes sense. In order to get that high power from the amplifier, you need
to minimize power loss. This means minimizing the resistance in the speaker cable. (I’m not addressing capacitance and inductance since while factors, my understanding is that they are not as critical in this application).
1. The shorter the wire, the less resistance.
2. The shorter the cable and the greater the cable cross-sectional area, the lower the resistance.
3. The lower the speaker’s impedance, the greater the importance of the speaker cable’s resistance.
4. The thicker the wire, the lower the resistance. (silver has a lower resistance than copper)
Given these generalities, how is it that super thin, small gauge wire such as Speltz and thin silver
cables are getting very positive reviews? Are these favorable reviews in regard to high efficiency
speakers?
What are the generally accepted guidelines for super low-efficiency speakers driven by
high-power amplifiers for:
a. Cable length
b. Cable gauge
c. Cable metallurgy
Would the requirements be different for bi-wired speakers where you could have separate cable runs for bass and mid/tweeter?
Your thoughts are appreciated.
power – that makes sense. In order to get that high power from the amplifier, you need
to minimize power loss. This means minimizing the resistance in the speaker cable. (I’m not addressing capacitance and inductance since while factors, my understanding is that they are not as critical in this application).
1. The shorter the wire, the less resistance.
2. The shorter the cable and the greater the cable cross-sectional area, the lower the resistance.
3. The lower the speaker’s impedance, the greater the importance of the speaker cable’s resistance.
4. The thicker the wire, the lower the resistance. (silver has a lower resistance than copper)
Given these generalities, how is it that super thin, small gauge wire such as Speltz and thin silver
cables are getting very positive reviews? Are these favorable reviews in regard to high efficiency
speakers?
What are the generally accepted guidelines for super low-efficiency speakers driven by
high-power amplifiers for:
a. Cable length
b. Cable gauge
c. Cable metallurgy
Would the requirements be different for bi-wired speakers where you could have separate cable runs for bass and mid/tweeter?
Your thoughts are appreciated.
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- 4 posts total
- 4 posts total