[dizzyrapper18]

I'm getting ideas on some wires and plugs to use for my first HT. I do not want the cheap stuff but I do not want the best stuff. I was also thinking of just going to bestbuy or abt or frys, any electronic store would be easier. Obviously pre-made ones would save time and effort but are they better than ones you make yourself?? Links would be great. s regular wires better than using bannana plugs or you still get the same power either way? Thanks for the input.
denon 2113ci avr
monitor 60 series 2 towers, cs1 center, monitor 30 rears, and a psw505 12" sub.

 

[tonyvdb]

Monoprice :T Dont get anything anywhere else.
Some people like banana plugs other prefure the old fashion way of just putting the bare wire into the binding post. there really is no "best way" to do it.

 

[dizzyrapper18]

do you still get the same power output from the bare waires or does the plugs add some extra juice? i know the plugs keeps the look cleaner. but do you still get a very solid contact with the regular wire and what gauge would i look for? 14?

 

[tonyvdb]

Its much more important to use the correct awg speaker wire and 14 is great. banana plugs look cleaner but in my experience they dont make the connection better if you really make sure that the 14awg wire is properly clamped into the binding posts.

 

[ALMFamily]

What I found with the bare wire is that it can be a hassle to get them in when all the binding posts a tight together. I use the banana plugs from Monoprice - super easy to put on and they make connections easier and cleaner.

 

[jgourlie]

I second or third monoprice for all your cabling needs....I use banana plugs for all my speaker wires. It just makes it so easy to hook and unhook my stuff if I need too...as for awg I am a fan of biggest is best so I went with 12 gauge in my theater....but 14 is just fine if money is tight.

good luck. As for premade one's I made my own

I used the speaker wire from monoprice and grey techflex I bought on ebay and the black cable pants and nakamichi banana plugs from ebay as well.

I think they turned out awesome

 

[bamabum]

you can get 12 AWG wire and banana plugs at monoprice for about the same as just 14 AWG at a retailer.

Some say 12 may be overkill but based upon your question of loss of power you should go with 12 and sleep easier. If on a budget plenty here have said 14 will work fine.

I also like Amazon Prime for some of the cables / accessories when I need shipping in 2-3 days. Monoprice is best when you have longer to wait (patience) otherwise their rush shipping will kill your savings.

 

[NBPk402]

Monoprice :T Dont get anything anywhere else.
Some people like banana plugs other prefure the old fashion way of just putting the bare wire into the binding post. there really is no "best way" to do it.

I agree... Monoprice is the only place to buy your wires!

 

[AudiocRaver]

I vote bananas over bare wire for consistency, neatness, convenience when you need to unplug/replug/move/rearrange/troubleshoot, plus it seems easier to avoid the possibility of that one stray strand poking out threatening to short an output. Connection resistance specs are usually around 0.01 ohms per connection, about like adding 1 m of cable (14-gauge).

14-gauge speaker wire seems plenty heavy for home theater (0.14 dB loss, 25 foot run, 8 ohm load).

Monoprice is a terrific source, never been unhappy with anything from there.

For audio cables, I like Hosa. Heavier gauge than the cheap stuff, decent price, reliable (I have never had one fail), ends are often labeled (tip, ring, etc.), good variety of styles and lengths. Available from Amazon, Musicians Friend, Zzounds, most music supply sources online. Monoprice probably has a better range of available lengths, but I have not used their audio cables, no experience there.

RadioShack audio cables - expensive, the premium grades appear to be good quality, selection is limited to fairly standard varieties and lengths, expensive, a possible resource for "you need one right now" emergencies.

Another emergency audio cable resource is your local Guitar Center, good selection, good quality, price not outrageous.

Nothing wrong with building cables yourself, have done so, getting lazier, now almost always buy premade.

 

[dizzyrapper18]

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10239&cs_id=1023902&p_id=2791&seq=1&format=2
http://www.amazon.com/AH14100SR-14-...359306615&sr=8-1&keywords=14+awg+speaker+wire
whats better? i know amazon has rca which is a known brand to me and monoprice is new to me. amazon is also cheaper with options for a package like the one at the bottom with the sub LFE cable and plugs.
I want to know suggestions and links to what is cosidered best for my setup that i will be installing in a month. Thanks.

 

[bamabum]

Are you running them in wall?

You probably want something fire rated like

http://www.amazon.com/Cmple-14AWG-C...9&sr=1-5&keywords=14+awg+speaker+wire+in+wall

 

[AudiocRaver]

I agree with the previous poster. The other Amazon cable you were looking at was not pure copper, it was copper coated aluminum, with a 66% higher resistance per foot than pure copper. The Monoprice cable you were looking at is pure copper, a nice cable, but the Amazon in-wall cable, also pure copper, is definitely the way to go, even if it costs a few more dollars.

 

[dizzyrapper18]

i will more than likely not be putting it in the wall. i would just last the wire on the floor for the rears. instead of have the wire go left side since people walk in and out of there i would put it up against the other wall on the floor. I can obviously use the inwall wire outside of the wall rright? it already has the rubber jacket on it and less prone to having a fire id imagine. but i see in wall is less expensive. anyone know why?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10239&cs_id=1023902&p_id=2791&seq=1&format=2
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10239&cs_id=1023902&p_id=2820&seq=1&format=2
still stumped on what to get. i can always get the regular wire and put a jacket over it myself ?

 

[bamabum]

Do you have a picture of the room? There are wire channels for walls and you can also go under or behind baseboards. I would still go with coated pure copper. IMHO

 

[AudiocRaver]

Both of the Monoprice cables linked to in your last post are pure copper, that is the main thing. The in-wall cable is cheaper because it uses insulating materials that don't look as pretty as the cable that is expected to be more visible. Both are tough, the in-wall better suited for construction purposes, both will perform the same, it comes down to aesthetics, how hard you want to work to hide them and what you want them to look like when they do show. The clear plastic looks better to me where it will be visible.

Big question for you: how bad do you want your wires to be invisible? I have cables all over the place, doesn't matter so much to me, drives my wife nuts. It will be your theater, what do you want it to look like and what are you willing to do to get it there (time, expense)? A lot of these HTS guys go to extremes over tiny visual details because it matters to them. How much does it matter to you?