Speaker Wire advise pls
 

Wally wrote:

Andy Hewitt wrote:

Blimey, I don't think I've ever seen such consistant replies on the
subject of speaker cable.

It probably won't last...


I just fitted up my Castles to the Yamaha amp with some cable from CPC
(aka Farnell), I got two rolls of 50m, but used 6mm/sq for the bass,
and 4mm/sq for the treble. It was cheap enough, and being on a roll I
just made the runs the same length. The whole lot was bout £50, and
they sound bloody fantastic. Indeed my mate has heard them and now
wants a similar system and he runs a recording studio (and uses the
cheapest and thickest cable he can get).

Is your set-up bi-amped?

No, although I have wired it to the seperate speaker outlets. I only
used this setup because the Castles didn't come with the connection
bridges.

--
Andy Hewitt
http://www.thehewitts.eclipse.co.uk/
http://web.mac.com/andrewhewitt1/

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

Eeyore wrote:

[Snipped Text]

Blimey, I don't think I've ever seen such consistant replies on the
subject of speaker cable.

I just fitted up my Castles to the Yamaha amp with some cable from CPC
(aka Farnell), I got two rolls of 50m, but used 6mm/sq for the bass, and
4mm/sq for the treble. It was cheap enough, and being on a roll I just
made the runs the same length. The whole lot was bout £50, and they
sound bloody fantastic. Indeed my mate has heard them and now wants a
similar system and he runs a recording studio (and uses the cheapest and
thickest cable he can get).

Many many years ago ( actually a couple of decades back ) UK pro-audio
magazine Studio Sound both auditioned and performed technical tests on
speaker cable.

One of the very best performers was British house wiring cable ( twin-and
earth ) !

Absolutely. Speaker cable does not have to be of any particular quality.
However, it could be useful to choose a cable that might be less prone
to oxidisation. It may also be preferential to have a good flexible
cable in some applications.

--
Andy Hewitt
http://www.thehewitts.eclipse.co.uk/
http://web.mac.com/andrewhewitt1/

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

ok, i don't get it.. I get the bit about use cheap cables, you all say
the same, what I don't get is how companies can get away with selling
£40.00+++ pm cable, when you all reckon go cheap.
If I go cheap is it better to bi-wire? most of the on-line reviews I
have read say bi-wiring is the best way to go, I am now very confuzzed.

Owain wrote:
Uncopyrightable wrote:
Have just upgraded to a Pioneer VSX1016 and Mordant Short 90X's
An considering going to bi-wiring, or should it be more expensive 2
core wire. want to spend around £20.00 per metre, too much? not enough?

If you want to spend £20 a metre who are we to say that's too much or
not enough?

Hint: the BBC and the world's finest recording studios and concert halls
do not spend £20 a metre on speaker cable.

plus banana clips, but I have never used them before, do they fit into
both amp and speaker or are they different sizes for either end?

If they're banana plugs then they're banana plugs. Also sold as 4mm
plugs in electronics places.

checked manual for amp and cannot find the size of the output
terminals for plugs. also do you need to solder the clips?

Depends on the style of the plug.

One other thing, the VSX1016 has phase adjustment,

Oh good, that's such a boon.

so I 'think' that means I do not have to have the same length for each
of the front set, so might save £'s there (1x1m 1x2m 1x3m)

You don't need to anyway.

Any recommendations on the wire? site links for reputable suppliers.

What cable are you using at the moment, and why do you feel the need for
anything "better" than some fairly hefty mains flex?

Owain

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

oh and forgot, what banana clips (if any) do I need? to solder or not to
solder

Uncopyrightable wrote:
ok, i don't get it.. I get the bit about use cheap cables, you all say
the same, what I don't get is how companies can get away with selling
£40.00+++ pm cable, when you all reckon go cheap.
If I go cheap is it better to bi-wire? most of the on-line reviews I
have read say bi-wiring is the best way to go, I am now very confuzzed.

Owain wrote:
Uncopyrightable wrote:
Have just upgraded to a Pioneer VSX1016 and Mordant Short 90X's
An considering going to bi-wiring, or should it be more expensive 2
core wire. want to spend around £20.00 per metre, too much? not enough?

If you want to spend £20 a metre who are we to say that's too much or
not enough?

Hint: the BBC and the world's finest recording studios and concert halls
do not spend £20 a metre on speaker cable.

plus banana clips, but I have never used them before, do they fit
into both amp and speaker or are they different sizes for either end?

If they're banana plugs then they're banana plugs. Also sold as 4mm
plugs in electronics places.

checked manual for amp and cannot find the size of the output
terminals for plugs. also do you need to solder the clips?

Depends on the style of the plug.

One other thing, the VSX1016 has phase adjustment,

Oh good, that's such a boon.

so I 'think' that means I do not have to have the same length for
each of the front set, so might save £'s there (1x1m 1x2m 1x3m)

You don't need to anyway.

Any recommendations on the wire? site links for reputable suppliers.

What cable are you using at the moment, and why do you feel the need for
anything "better" than some fairly hefty mains flex?

Owain

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:10:04 GMT, Uncopyrightable wrote:

ok, i don't get it.. I get the bit about use cheap cables, you all say
the same, what I don't get is how companies can get away with selling
£40.00+++ pm cable, when you all reckon go cheap.
If I go cheap is it better to bi-wire? most of the on-line reviews I
have read say bi-wiring is the best way to go, I am now very confuzzed.

I quite agree. How DO they get away with it?

No, you don't need to bi-wire. Period.

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:12:01 GMT, Uncopyrightable wrote:

oh and forgot, what banana clips (if any) do I need? to solder or not to
solder

If you mean banana plugs, you need the size that fit. But why are you
obsessed with using banana plugs?

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

Andy Hewitt wrote:

Is your set-up bi-amped?

No, although I have wired it to the seperate speaker outlets. I only
used this setup because the Castles didn't come with the connection
bridges.

So, why are you using two runs of cable to each speaker?


--
Wally
www.wally.myby.co.uk
Things are always clearer in the cold, post-upload light.

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

Laurence Payne wrote:
On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:10:04 GMT, Uncopyrightable wrote:

ok, i don't get it.. I get the bit about use cheap cables, you all say
the same, what I don't get is how companies can get away with selling
£40.00+++ pm cable, when you all reckon go cheap.
If I go cheap is it better to bi-wire? most of the on-line reviews I
have read say bi-wiring is the best way to go, I am now very confuzzed.

I quite agree. How DO they get away with it?

No, you don't need to bi-wire. Period.



They get away with it because cables can sound different.Many expensive
cables are made deliberately to sound different.Not necessarilly
better,but people are easily fooled into believing that different is
better.[which within the context of their system,room acoustics and
hearing could be true]

Many here will maintain that cables do not sound different.Many others
disagree.
You should decide for yourself.Ignore the thought police.

A good way of testing this is to try two sets of cheap cables-one
stranded copper like 79 strand and one 2 core solid copper[house
lighting wiring for example].
To my hearing these cables sound obviously different.If you can hear a
difference that is good.If you can't then that is also good.You should
get a friend to swap the cables over while you listen though[blindfold
listening].
If you do hear a difference though and prefer one type,don't make the
mistake of thinking that price has anything to do with sound quality.In
my experience it certainly doesn't and I have friends with very
expensive systems who use cheap 2 core cable after trying various
expensive cables.

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

Wally wrote:

Andy Hewitt wrote:

Is your set-up bi-amped?

No, although I have wired it to the seperate speaker outlets. I only
used this setup because the Castles didn't come with the connection
bridges.

So, why are you using two runs of cable to each speaker?

Not sure I understand your question! Are you testing me, or do you not
understand the principle of biwiring?

--
Andy Hewitt
http://www.thehewitts.eclipse.co.uk/
http://web.mac.com/andrewhewitt1/

Speaker Wire advise pls
 

Uncopyrightable wrote:
ok, i don't get it.. I get the bit about use cheap cables, you all say
the same, what I don't get is how companies can get away with selling
£40.00+++ pm cable, when you all reckon go cheap.
If I go cheap is it better to bi-wire? most of the on-line reviews I
have read say bi-wiring is the best way to go, I am now very
confuzzed.

It's all bull**** designed to sell a few ounces of copper at outragous
prices. The magazines play up to it because they get lots of advertising
revenue from the chancers that want to flog the cable. No point in
advertising in a mag that says your cable is no better than decent mains
flex - since the readers have all been told not to bother, they're hardly
going to flock to your snake oil stall, are they? So the mags maintain their
bread and butter by spouting the appropriate bull**** in their reviews.

When newbie punter comes along and wants to get a decent hi-fi, he gets a
few mags or goes online for some reviews, does some reading, and is left
thinking that he has to get a certain standard (at a certain price) of
speaker cable.


--
Wally
www.wally.myby.co.uk
Stress: You wake up screaming and realise you haven't fallen asleep yet.