This may sound like a super noobie question but I gotta ask, I am in the process of getting an old pair of AD1255/M7 (Philips) in shape. I thought of changing the cables since they are old to new.
Already bought regular copper electrical cables, about 2M to each side. They are around 14 AWG. Will this be good enough or should I use different wires for these speakers....?
Any suggestions will be grately appreciated.
Already bought regular copper electrical cables, about 2M to each side. They are around 14 AWG. Will this be good enough or should I use different wires for these speakers....?
Any suggestions will be grately appreciated.
The resistance of 2m (that's 4m there and back) of 14AWG cable is extremely small and will introduce an imperceptible power loss in the cable.
Go ahead and use it and stop worrying about any adverse consequences.
Go ahead and use it and stop worrying about any adverse consequences.
For my ears it doesn't seem to matter. I have used 22ga and at present 18ga cheap extension cords (with ends clipped off) and can't tell any difference. I also don't worry about skin effect.
14 AWG is good for nine to ten amps of power...800 Watts of music power will be the limit thru that diameter of wire....
So, no worries , this size of wire is far and away just fine to drive your vintage twelve-inch full-range.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Rick......
So, no worries , this size of wire is far and away just fine to drive your vintage twelve-inch full-range.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Rick......
I have always used 13 amp UK mains cable for my speakers and never had any problems.
Copper wire quality can vary in resistance but I have never had a problem.
Copper wire quality can vary in resistance but I have never had a problem.
Thank you everyone for all your valued replies. Today I rewired the speakers from the terminal with new wires removing those 60-year-old skinny wires that were in bad shape. The box had two open ports and two other drivers that are not in use. Removed all of them, sealed of the openings for those speakers, and kept a bass port at the bottom open.
It sounds so good, the new wires added a lot of difference... maybe it is placebo 🙂
It sounds so good, the new wires added a lot of difference... maybe it is placebo 🙂
This video really drives it home with charts, graphs, etc. Bottom line is that 14 is fine for your application, but this will get you to what you need to know for future reference as well. Warning, the first couple of minutes is "tongue in cheek".
Expensive Audiophile Cables Really Do Sound Better! - YouTube
If you like convenience of pre-terminated banana plugs, strain reliefs, and nice soft supple wire with high strand count copper, it’s hard to beat the premade ones $14 for 6ft 16ga with gold plated banana plugs on both ends. . I use this nowadays because adding quality banana plugs that don’t come off easily and have strain relief is no small feat.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I52I2PU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_TLu4FbGS1MGQ0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Cable gauge impacts what the amplifier “sees” in terms of overall speaker impedance and can affect the damping factor. I measured a difference between regular 16ga zip wire “lamp cord” vs this nicer supple stuff. The bass has a bit more authority due to higher damping factor.
However, for older higher Qts drivers, a thinner wire that adds resistance can sometimes increase bass extension. Many people use skinny wires like 22ga form Cat5 network cables for their fullrange drivers.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I52I2PU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_TLu4FbGS1MGQ0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Cable gauge impacts what the amplifier “sees” in terms of overall speaker impedance and can affect the damping factor. I measured a difference between regular 16ga zip wire “lamp cord” vs this nicer supple stuff. The bass has a bit more authority due to higher damping factor.
However, for older higher Qts drivers, a thinner wire that adds resistance can sometimes increase bass extension. Many people use skinny wires like 22ga form Cat5 network cables for their fullrange drivers.
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Flexible speaker wires are quite nice, my repurposed cheap extension cords not so much.
As an off topic comment I recall when power tools and small appliances had nice flexible cords but it was probably before most of you were born.
As an off topic comment I recall when power tools and small appliances had nice flexible cords but it was probably before most of you were born.
Well, not just 'that'. 😉 Although of course, you can certainly do that. But using narrow gauge or resistive wire is a perfectly valid alternative if it can handle peak current and provides the desired amount of series R, neither of which are beyond the wit of man to calculate. Why use an extra component if you don't need to? Two more joints, more hassle, potentially more expense, although since the latter can be pennies, it's unlikely to cause a swoon worthy of a Duchess in an 18th Century melodrama.
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To be precise, I meant resistors are for adding resistance. Two more joints? Yeah whatever. Using solid core Cat5 wire is asking for trouble, but if you want to be trendy, go for it. 🙂
Did I mention Cat5? Or 'trendy'? And there was me thinking the fashion world had hit rock bottom with the FCUK logo a few years back. No, if you care to read the post a second time, you will see I simply stated 'narrow gauge or resistive wire', and that said narrow gauge / resistive wire can (as in 'can', which is not a synonym for 'at all times': you will see I also noted requirements of calculating the desired R and current handling) allow somebody to achieve a desired objective without additional components and joints. Those are simply facts; whether you happen to like them or not is irrelevant.
I will however, disagree with X on one point. He noted 'older, higher Q drivers'. In my experience, you would more likely to encounter a situation where some series R was beneficial with lower, rather than higher, Q drive units -especially those created assuming use with a variable output impedance amplifier (as many were until the mid-late '50s) or amplifiers with an output impedance falling into a value range in roughly the 1.5ohm - 4ohm bracket, and would otherwise be overdamped on a typical voltage source amp with a low output impedance.
I will however, disagree with X on one point. He noted 'older, higher Q drivers'. In my experience, you would more likely to encounter a situation where some series R was beneficial with lower, rather than higher, Q drive units -especially those created assuming use with a variable output impedance amplifier (as many were until the mid-late '50s) or amplifiers with an output impedance falling into a value range in roughly the 1.5ohm - 4ohm bracket, and would otherwise be overdamped on a typical voltage source amp with a low output impedance.
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X mentioned Cat5. Planet10 advocates it's use for some unfathomable reason. Mentioning extra joints could make it appear like an issue to the easily influenced.
In turn:
-Yes, he did. I did not.
-Yes, he does; it's an inexpensive, and often free source of wire, and Dave follows Hawksford's views on EM which advocate thin solid core conductors. Not that it matters, I can't see a great deal to argue with on the former view (making good use of the things that we find, like music-loving wombles, and Cat5 is typically quite mechanically robust if a modicum of sense is used). I do not value Hawksford's paper however, which is no secret -frankly, I consider it to be drivel.
-Extra joints can, in fact, be an issue; connections are the bane of most electrical engineers / repair-mens lives, and have typically caused more problems than any piece of wire ever has, so the fewer you have, the fewer potential problems exist in the first place. While with a half-decent bit of soldering / crimp / screw & mounting it is rare, the potential is there.
Moreover, you also have to consider the application. We are talking about applying series resistance to a drive unit potentially (probably in this case) operating without low frequency filtering and subject to considerable current demands -far more than in a typical midrange or HF circuit for example. Ergo the mounting of the resistor needs careful consideration for thermal reasons. This is straightforward enough, and there are a number of methods of doing that, but you didn't mention the matter, so 'the easily influenced' as you generously describe them may not realise it is not devoid of potential issues. A piece of resistive wire typically has greater distributed surface area to dissipate heat than one of the more commonly encountered resistors used in loudspeakers, and is also less likely to be closely affixed to a surface. Again, you will note I am not advocating any approach, simply stating the fact that it is a perfectly valid alternative, whether any individual likes it or not.
-Yes, he did. I did not.
-Yes, he does; it's an inexpensive, and often free source of wire, and Dave follows Hawksford's views on EM which advocate thin solid core conductors. Not that it matters, I can't see a great deal to argue with on the former view (making good use of the things that we find, like music-loving wombles, and Cat5 is typically quite mechanically robust if a modicum of sense is used). I do not value Hawksford's paper however, which is no secret -frankly, I consider it to be drivel.
-Extra joints can, in fact, be an issue; connections are the bane of most electrical engineers / repair-mens lives, and have typically caused more problems than any piece of wire ever has, so the fewer you have, the fewer potential problems exist in the first place. While with a half-decent bit of soldering / crimp / screw & mounting it is rare, the potential is there.
Moreover, you also have to consider the application. We are talking about applying series resistance to a drive unit potentially (probably in this case) operating without low frequency filtering and subject to considerable current demands -far more than in a typical midrange or HF circuit for example. Ergo the mounting of the resistor
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Gentlemen, the question has been answered. The OP is new to this and probably doesn't require this level of insight.
nofacemonster, solder joints aren't an issue to worry about, your system is full of them, don't concern yourself with trivia. 🙂