12 Gauge Speaker Wire

When it comes to speaker wire, the gauge is an indication of the thickness of the wire. When we speak about speaker wires, a lot of the quality of sound that is transmitted through these wires is dependent on its thickness, i.e. gauge. There are many other factors involved, but generally, the thicker a wire is, it will produce a better sound quality. 

The 12 in the gauge specification refers to a formula that the American Wire Gauge uses to specify the gauges of wires. According to their formula, there is an inverse formula between the thickness of the wire and its gauge. Thus, a 12 gauge wire will be thicker than a 14 gauge wire. 

Here are some specifications of 12 gauge speaker wires: 

• Diameter = 0.0808 inches or 2.053 mm  
• Turns of the wire = 12.4 per inch or 4.87 per cm  
• Area = 3.31 square millimeter  

One thing that you must know about any kind of speaker wire is that their effectiveness depends on their length. A wire that has a shorter length will be able to carry a lesser load, while a wire that has a greater length will be able to carry a heavier load, provided the gauge of the wire is the same.  

With a 12 guage speaker wire, a 30 feet wire will be able to carry a resistance of only 2 ohms, a 60 feet wire will be suitable for 4 ohms, a 90 feet wire will be suitable for 6 ohms and a 120 feet wire will be suitable for 8 ohms.  

Hence, if you have a speaker that has a greater resistance, you will need a longer length of wire. The wires that are provided with the speakers are already according to these specifications, but if you are planning to do the connections yourself, you should know about these points. 

12 gauge speaker wires are available in spools. The 100 feet spools are the most common, which are obtained for most of the common stores for about $30 to $40. They are available in different qualities. The best ones are the finely stranded wires, which are made of copper conductors.  

To increase the conductivity of the wires, the copper conductors are subjected to chemical processes that make them free of oxygen. The conductors are twisted over each other, which makes them twisted pair conductors and then covered in an insulating material. The wires need to be highly flexible so that they can be easily carried from one point of the home to the other. 

Most people consider the 12 guage speaker wires to be the most optimal gauge wires that can be used for almost every residential electrical purpose that needs cabling. For speaker wires, this gauge is capable of transmitting the complete dynamic range, which makes sure that a very high audio quality is passed. 

If you are purchasing 12 gauge speaker wire in a bid to do the wiring yourself, you need to ensure that these cables meet the standards set by THX. This is a confirmation that what you are intending to purchase is of good quality and spells value for money.

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