• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Affordable speaker cables??

BmWr75

BmWr75

Top octave? pfffffftttttt
Subscriber
I usually just buy speaker wire and terminators the the local Shack and make my own speaker cables. Terminators are the threaded kind, not soldered.

Am thinking I should invest in a good set of 4 ft. speaker cables, but 6 or 8 feet will suffice, for my tube amp/preamp setup. Am looking for recommendations on affordable cable manufacturers. Thanks.
 
Register to hide this ad
I'd say you're on the right track by making your own. Just maybe step up the materials. I went from 12 ga rat shack bare wire connections to 8 ga soundking with vampire spades and am very happy. Still cost much less than boutique cables.
 
There was a 20-ft piece of unterminated Kimber 8VS from dew042 in Barter Town. Don't know if he still has it.

You could cut that in half and terminate as you see fit for a couple of 10-footers. It's roughly 9ga equivalent.
 
I just made a pair if 15 footers using Belden 12 Ga. OFC from Blue Jeans Cable. Nice folks to deal with, and I'm very pleased with the results. I'm using them to run the mid/ribbons on my MGIIIa's. I think I paid around .60 per foot if I'm correct and shipping was reasonable. I have also used SoundKing 12 Ga. OFC with good results, but I think the Belden has a smoother response.
Regards,
Jim
 
I read some good things about the power cord sold at Home Depot and others for out door lighting. Has three wires in it, use two for the negative, one for the positive. IMO copper is copper, wire is wire.
 
Google HD-14 speaker cable.

I'll back it. It can be a great bang for the $, and can look nice with some techflex. I made several of them.
 
Here is one I made... Sorry, Still attached to a RS super-tweeter. I was To lazy to take it off for the photo.
 
Last edited:
Rybeam said:
I read some good things about the power cord sold at Home Depot and others for out door lighting. Has three wires in it, use two for the negative, one for the positive. IMO copper is copper, wire is wire.
Click to expand...

agreed, genius use of home depot wire.... then all you need are connectors, :scratch2:

connectors should be serviceable anyways.....

i just got about 50 switchcraft 1/4" ts/ xlr connectors for 40 bucks... :banana::banana:

wired my whole studio with some extra cable i had lyin' around.

there are only 2 types of cables ones that work and ones that don't...


people need to spend more time worrying about their systems rather than what wire to use.:nono::nono:
 
jsmonroe@com said:
Affordable - not hundreds of dollars......say more like $10/ft and made with high quality wire and spade or banana plug terminators.
Click to expand...

If you're looking for something with fame and glory, then that Kimber 8VS in Barter Town is probably the best deal you're going to find.

You'll have to put some spades or bananas on it (personally, I don't like bananas, but anyway). That should put you near the $10/ft mark.
 
An acquaintance of mine uses computer ethernet cable. I haven't tried it yet, but a 25 ft. length of cable costs about 30 bucks. Computer recycling places sell them for about 4 bucks each.

Anyone care to comment on the viability of using ethernet cables?
 
Lots of print about it. Generally, the cables are made of a braid of several individual cables each using the multiple strands paralleled for + and - legs.

Personally, I don't put much stock into different cables with my gear.

However, I don't discount the possibility of some effect of cables that have unusually high values of R, C, or L; especially when used in conjunction with gear that has input/output characteristics that make it more susceptible to influences of cable R, C, or L properties.
 
I've recently been down this road. I've tried extension cord cable, I've DIY'd a pair of braided CAT5 cables, for a long time, I ran some bulk OFC in-wall speaker cable from my local hifi shop, then recently bought a pair of $325 DH Labs Silver Sonics used for $100.
The sound improved with each in the order I listed. I don't think I'd ever spend more than $100 on speaker cables, and used was a good way to go -you can't beat $0.30 on the dollar. Check used and demo page of the Spearit Sound website. They have a pretty active inventory of used cables.
If not used, I'd agree that the best way to go would be bulk Kimber cable and some cheap, but decent connectors.
 
sealy said:
An acquaintance of mine uses computer ethernet cable. I haven't tried it yet, but a 25 ft. length of cable costs about 30 bucks. Computer recycling places sell them for about 4 bucks each.

Anyone care to comment on the viability of using ethernet cables?
Click to expand...
don't ethernet cables have 6 wires? i guess you could make a stereo trs snake out of them? lol but the point is
wire is wire, as long as it carries the signal it doesnt matter
 
As I understand it, some amps don't react well to fewer strands of solid wire, as opposed to many finer strands that usually compose typical speaker cable. Is this correct?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom