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Really Dumb Question Re Speaker Cable

JPhendrick

JPhendrick

New Member
Hi All,

I’ve got a Marantz 6300 turntable and 4240 Receiver, and just ordered myself a pair of KLH Model Fives to replace the crappy Marantz HD550’s I’ve been using forever. Hoping I’ll really get the sound I’ve always hoped for out of this system, or at least closer to it.

Anyway, I’m assuming the cables I’ve been using that had come with the HD550’s can probably stand to be replaced too.

My question - because in the words of Ruth Langmore, “I don’t know s**t about f**k” - do I need to splurge on some special speaker cables for these bad boys? Or just whatever 14 or 16 gauge cable I find?

Any other tips or suggestions for tweaking or improving this setup are welcome too!

Thanks.
 
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It's as important as the rest of a system. As a good friend of mine put it, "everything matters."

You'll probably get all kinds of recommendations from lamp cord on up. Some will say it doesn't matter and others will say it does. I know it does.

Again, buy what you can afford and is in line with the price points/quality of your gear.
 
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I still use 16 AWG Acoustic Research Pro Series II cables bought at Fry's years ago. Sounds better than similar Monster, heavy duty home made stuff with good wires, entry-level AudioQuest, Zebra Cables.

The AR stuff is inexpensive and very well made. It made a difference and sounds really good. I think 50 feet was $20 or so. Used them on everything. High-end vintage receivers, and separates. Old/new tube gear, new SS gear. Unless your system upstream is super hi-end, it won't make much of a difference.

I soldered the tips or put fancy connectors on.
 
You can start off with a basic 14 AWG or 12 AWG OFC cable and see how your system sounds. I prefer the 12 AWG but it may depend on what wire thickness your components will easily accept. There are many brands available on Amazon. One brand that is popular in Knukonceptz. It runs about $29 for 50 feet of 14 AWG OFC.
 
Cables and interconnects are a topic of great discussion and derision.

Yes they do make a difference, but how much of a difference is dependent on numerous other factors.

Good OFC 14-16ga($1‐ft +/-) wire will almost always sound better than cheap lamp cord but esoteric cables costing 10's or 100's of dollars per foot may not sound any better, YMMV.
 
Start with appropriately gauged oxygen free copper wire (OFC) and good solid connections at your binding posts. Listen. If you'd like to experiment with more esoteric, expensive boutique cables, buy them from someplace with a good return policy. Listen some more. If you hear a difference, the difference is real to you. If the difference you hear is worth the money to you, keep them. If you don't hear a difference, or if you don't like the difference you hear, return them. Repeat with differenct cables if you wish, or simply enjoy the 12g or 14g OFC once you've answered the question for yourself.

This is a very common discussion subject here and elsewhere, and it, usually, gets quite contentious. I'm in the "good quality corrosion free wire, good solid connections, and appropriate gauge" camp after years of listening, experimenting, building, and a lot of reading, but folks enjoy this hobby all kinds of ways and there's no reason not to do your own experimenting if you're interested and have some money to spend.
 
14 gauge copper wire is fine. If that's what you have already, you don't need to change them.

What is far more important is good solid clean connections on both ends. Contact area trumps everything here as a bad connection makes everything else insignificant.

If your speakers are more than 50 feet from the amp, you need 12 gauge wire.
 
With short runs you don't have to have welding wire, the 0 Ga stuff. You can as F1 said, pick a price point and go from there. If you are limited and want to just hook up wire, a quality 12Ga will be all you need but for a couple bills there should be some options out there. The Cable Company sells used cables and there might be others out there in the business. Easy to get something that isn't new retail priced. Not that many on ak would hear the difference or care to spend the money. It is your money do as you please.
 
I agree with the other posters here recommending 12 or 14 ga OFC conductor and good connections. You'll also want to insure that the banana or spade connectors have some gold plating (the more the merrier) as it is an excellent conductor.

As far as who's cables, well, that's part of the specification research you may want to perform. Don't be fooled by marketing hype nor assume that the higher the price, the higher the quality will be.

Good luck!
 
JPhendrick said:
Thanks everyone. This is all great info. Just needed a little guidance and you were all tremendously helpful.
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Go to Home Depot, buy some 16-4 OFC in-wall speaker cable, this will allow bi-wiring or bi-amping if so desired.

It will also allow you to determine if thicker cables matter, use one pair or twist them together, hear any difference?

I used to buy larger wire, still have plenty of #12 and #10 around. But being an electrical contractor I also had 1000's of ft of in-wall cable, we used it for our customers whole house systems.

I tried it with my systems yrs ago and never turned back, even to connect my 400W amps to low sensitivity speakers.

Using it right now to feed my 3.2ohm AR58S

IMG_20230205_113322171.jpg

Connected to this 360W beast
Screenshot_20220507-122943.jpg

20220512_214038.jpg
 
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Yamaki said:
I agree with the other posters here recommending 12 or 14 ga OFC conductor and good connections. You'll also want to insure that the banana or spade connectors have some gold plating (the more the merrier) as it is an excellent conductor.

As far as who's cables, well, that's part of the specification research you may want to perform. Don't be fooled by marketing hype nor assume that the higher the price, the higher the quality will be.

Good luck!
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Thank you! Is there upside/downside to just going bare wire on both ends? Found an old thread on here where the general consensus seemed to be that bare wire was preferred/optimal?

The Marantz receiver has spring clip connectors. Model Fives are binding posts it looks like?
 
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