Using solid copper Door Bell wire as speaker wire.

Smaller gauge wires work fine for speaker cable, you just need to use a lot of them.

HT used 19, 24 awg OCC copper wires insulated with air formed polyethylene, per leg, in their Pro-11 plus cable. In their new line of cables, including the new version of Pro-11, they have taken to using multiple, individually insulated wires in a range of sizes from 20 to 24 awg. Not all that different from cables that could be made using multiple doorbell wires.

Al, I used to work with Pierre who runs Mapleshade and am quite sure of my facts. The Omega Mikros are the brainchild of Ron Bauman. I was exhibiting at the CES with Mapleshade and those 54 ga cables way back when. You might have missed my post where I mentioned I accidentally stepped on those particular cables. ;-). Follow?

Geoff, yes, I apparently missed the post you refer to. And your comment that you asked if I follow is subtle enough to go over my head, although my guess would be you are saying that you accidentally stepped on them and they broke.

In any event, I'll add to my previous comments that a consequence of the approximately 400 ohm combined resistance of two 8 foot lengths of 54 gauge wire would be, if used in conjunction with an 8 ohm speaker, that approximately 2% of the power being put out by the amplifier at any instant of time would be delivered to the speakers. The other 98% would be dissipated in the wires as heat. And for a 4 ohm speaker only 1% of the power output of the amp would be delivered to the speakers, with the other 99% being dissipated in the wires as heat.

Although the wires would perhaps be able to dissipate that heat without overheating, because the maximum amount of power the amplifier would be capable of putting out would be reduced from its 8 ohm power rating by an amount approaching 98% in the case of a solid state amp, or a bit less than that in the case of a tube amp.

Disclaimer: I use a Mapleshade maple platform, and Isoblock footers :-)

Peace and regards,

-- Al
"Pseudo skeptic" ;-)

Nice response Al. You almost made me believe it. Lol. Funny how science works -- if you calculate things or make decisions based on measurements in order to decide which audio things to buy you'd probably miss a lot of the really good stuff.

If a system or the owner of that system cannot hear a difference between solid core and stranded wires,then spending big bucks on expensive name brand wires is a waste of money.

Cheap bell wire used as speaker wire should sound different(less boomy)than cheap stranded wire.

All amps do not sound the same ,all wire does not sound the same.
All tubes do not sound the same, all fuses do not sound the same.
And on and on, as it should be.

If everything sounds the same, then stick with what you have and enjoy the music.

If a poor recording sounds the same as an expensive 45rpm reissue, then stick with the system you have.

If cd's sound as good as vinyl, stick with what you have.

If everything sounds the same and it's pleasing to your ears, then stick with what you have and invest no more money.

If that 1970's solid state receiver sounds better than todays best, then stick with it,and by all means use your trusty 18 gauge lamp cord for those press-wood multi drivers.

If you rely on the specs then don't even buy an audio system. Just read the sheet music.

Remember your ears are easily fooled,and snake oil is everywhere.