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Speaker Cable Definitions please...
- Thread starter Wardsweb
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Nakdoc
nakamichi spoken here
Shotgun is a model built by MIT company. These are priced in the stratosphere. The best ones are custom built to match speakers. The idea is to add an impedance matching box on the speaker end that controls the resonances created by the speaker "back EMF".
Bi-wire , which works by the way, uses 2 pairs of cables per channel. Your speakers need to be bi-wirable, that is they have 4 binding posts on the back, 2 for bass, and 2 for treble. Jumpers are typically used in non-biwire applications. The theory is that high current bass modulates the treble. Ya gotta have a high resolution system to hear the improvement.
Bi-wire with MIT Shotgun cables could buy you a Hyundai.
Bi-wire , which works by the way, uses 2 pairs of cables per channel. Your speakers need to be bi-wirable, that is they have 4 binding posts on the back, 2 for bass, and 2 for treble. Jumpers are typically used in non-biwire applications. The theory is that high current bass modulates the treble. Ya gotta have a high resolution system to hear the improvement.
Bi-wire with MIT Shotgun cables could buy you a Hyundai.
Phil H
Active Member
Searching for an answer on Google, I was lead into the realm of $1000 cables. The hair was standing on my back, since this is scary territory for me (OK I am cheap). The answer was elusive and I can only say that I have a general idea of what this terminology means. But all of the bi-wire cables had four conductors. But the shotgun cables had the two wires terminated on the same spade or plug (the conductors are connected in parallel). But there was some descepancy (can you imagine that in such high-end audiophile products). Some 'shotgun' cables have 4 conductor cable had 2 connectors on each end, while other 'shotgun' cables have 4 connectors on the speaker-end and 2 connectors on the amplifier end. The latter is intended for speakers with a strap that is removed for bi-amping.
I am really not clear on the exact terminology. But, I hope someone else has a good answer.
http://www.audioc.com/library1/connect.htm see solo crystal oval
http://www.analysis-plus.com/prod_spkrcable.html
I am really not clear on the exact terminology. But, I hope someone else has a good answer.
http://www.audioc.com/library1/connect.htm see solo crystal oval
http://www.analysis-plus.com/prod_spkrcable.html
shotgun is a generic term used by many cable companies, not just audio cables. I'm tying to determine if for speaker cables shotgun is one in and two out of a twin pair cable or is it two individual twisted pair cables?
Sometimes called double barrel, is it two cables where each cable is used for the + and the other cable for the - or the two + tied together and the two - tied together from each cable?
Sometimes called double barrel, is it two cables where each cable is used for the + and the other cable for the - or the two + tied together and the two - tied together from each cable?
I'm fully prepared to be corrected here, but I thought that shotgun cable means two cables, each with one or more conductors and shield, which are attached like the barrels of a shotgun. Shotgun cables could be regular (one conductor in each barrel) or biwire (two conductors in each barrel).
Biwire means cable that consists of four conductors, usually not shielded. There are usually two pairs of two, one pair (treble) is smaller gauge than the other (bass). Biwire cable is for speakers only.
I never thought it had anything to do with the connectors at either end.
Now, hopefully, some cable guru will explain the whole thing correctly...
Biwire means cable that consists of four conductors, usually not shielded. There are usually two pairs of two, one pair (treble) is smaller gauge than the other (bass). Biwire cable is for speakers only.
I never thought it had anything to do with the connectors at either end.
Now, hopefully, some cable guru will explain the whole thing correctly...
"Shotgun" means two cables, connected in the same way as one another - i.e., both + to + on the amp, and both + to + on the speaker.
"Biwire" means two cables (possibly in a single overall wrapping or sheath), connected together at the amp (i.e., both + to +) but separate at the speaker (i.e., one + to tweeter/high +, the other + to woofer/low +).
"Shotgun biwire" would mean more than two cables (again, possibly in a single wrapping or sheath), but used in a biwire mode (i.e., all + connections connected to + on the amp, two + connections to woofer/low +, a third + connection to + on the tweeter/high +).
More simply, "biwire" to having separate cable paths from high and low sections of a speaker to a single channel on the amp, and "shotgun" to two separate paths that are connected together at both amp and speaker ends.
Oh, and to the best of my knowledge, this terminology is independent of whether the geometry is twisted pair or not - it is about the independent electrical paths and how they are connected at each end.
"Biwire" means two cables (possibly in a single overall wrapping or sheath), connected together at the amp (i.e., both + to +) but separate at the speaker (i.e., one + to tweeter/high +, the other + to woofer/low +).
"Shotgun biwire" would mean more than two cables (again, possibly in a single wrapping or sheath), but used in a biwire mode (i.e., all + connections connected to + on the amp, two + connections to woofer/low +, a third + connection to + on the tweeter/high +).
More simply, "biwire" to having separate cable paths from high and low sections of a speaker to a single channel on the amp, and "shotgun" to two separate paths that are connected together at both amp and speaker ends.
Oh, and to the best of my knowledge, this terminology is independent of whether the geometry is twisted pair or not - it is about the independent electrical paths and how they are connected at each end.
I'm certainly no cable guru, but one mfg rep explained it to me, thus:
Shotgun = double run of wire into 1 connector at each end
Bi-wire = double run of wire, with 1 connector at one end (amp), 2 connectors at the other(speaker)
Bi-amping = two stereo pairs, i.e. two single runs of wire, each with 1 connector at each end.
He may have simplified it greatly, on my behalf, because I understood it, and have remembered it.
Stereo pair = 2 single runs
Shotgun/Bi-wire = 2 double runs, or 4 runs
Shotgun Bi-wire = 4 double runs or 8 single runs! For one set of speakers! A damn big pile of wire.
Shotgun = double run of wire into 1 connector at each end
Bi-wire = double run of wire, with 1 connector at one end (amp), 2 connectors at the other(speaker)
Bi-amping = two stereo pairs, i.e. two single runs of wire, each with 1 connector at each end.
He may have simplified it greatly, on my behalf, because I understood it, and have remembered it.
Stereo pair = 2 single runs
Shotgun/Bi-wire = 2 double runs, or 4 runs
Shotgun Bi-wire = 4 double runs or 8 single runs! For one set of speakers! A damn big pile of wire.
And Rich's post is so much more elegant!
Wardsweb said:
If I may ask the question a different way, what do you call it when you have
1) two pairs of conductors joined at the amp end and separate at the speaker end, with both pairs of conductors in the same outer jacket
2) two pairs of conductors joined at the amp end and separate at the speaker end, with each pair in its own outer jacket (so the pairs can be physically separated one from the other).
Are there inductry-standard terms to describe these two configurations?
1.) Bi-wire cables.
2.) Still bi-wire. Just separated jackets.
I've been very happy with these inexpensive but very nice sounding and high quality cables. Just bought a second set. http://hcmaudio.com/comp.asp?compID=61 They are offered in single or bi-wire configuration.
2.) Still bi-wire. Just separated jackets.
I've been very happy with these inexpensive but very nice sounding and high quality cables. Just bought a second set. http://hcmaudio.com/comp.asp?compID=61 They are offered in single or bi-wire configuration.
