There's a school of thought that small-gage wire is better-sounding overall; I've linked the thread.

I don't agree or disagree...I guess I'm sort of in the middle.

I wound cable for the bass/MR part of my triamped DIY systems...

They're 97dB sensitive and I use a 2.5WPC Music Reference EM7 amp to drive the B/MR sections (and another to drive the 2 treble sections). I used all-OCC-copper conductors--one 18g., Teflon-insulated and one-each 20g. and 26g. enameled, netting to c. 15-1/2g....per pole. I wound these 2 trios (plus 2 dielectric-bias conductors) around a 4g. Teflon tube in opposite directions. If you'd like more pics, e-mail me at jeffreybehr(at)cox(dot)net.

To answer your specific question, I'd use a single 18g. per pole as minimum, but others would use smaller or larger--read that thread. :-)

BTW, for bass only, where one wants the least resistance for better driver damping, I use 4-times-14g. (nettting to 11g. per pole) home-AC, solid-conductor wire. (On the left in this pic.)

Works and sounds great AFAIK, but I've never compared its sound to that of anything else.

-------------------------------------------------------
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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - What's the smallest wire AWG that you feel confident using for speakers? - Quiet Earth 09:11:36 04/01/07 (21)

I used one strand of a CAT5 cable to drive a sub. - GTF 16:43:46 04/02/07 (0)

It depends on how many amperes the cable handles. - cheap-Jack 13:16:34 04/02/07 (0)

Well Then - Cappy 21:57:24 04/01/07 (1)

That's OK. Par for the course. - Quiet Earth 22:47:29 04/01/07 (0)

Re: What's the smallest wire AWG that you feel confident using for speakers? - rwiley 17:31:39 04/01/07 (2)

That's a good idea - Quiet Earth 22:26:18 04/01/07 (1)

Re: That's a good idea - rwiley 10:44:32 04/02/07 (0)

14. Also the largest gauge. - Al Sekela 16:17:25 04/01/07 (3)

Re: 14. Also the largest gauge. - JimBop 16:47:41 04/01/07 (2)

Also, try stores that sell military surplus electronics. - Al Sekela 11:26:26 04/02/07 (0)

Here - Cpk 11:05:30 04/02/07 (0)

Don't know its "gauge" but the Mapleshade... - EBerlin 15:55:13 04/01/07 (0)

Re: What's the smallest wire AWG that you feel confident using for speakers? - Dawnrazor 15:23:59 04/01/07 (1)

Another vote to experiment first. - Quiet Earth 22:58:28 04/01/07 (0)

There's a school of thought that small-gage wire is better-sounding overall; I've linked the thread. - jeffreybehr 12:00:45 04/01/07 (3)

Thank you for that link. It was helpful. - Quiet Earth 22:43:48 04/01/07 (2)

Well, it may LOOK complicated, but from an amp's perspective, it's not. - jeffreybehr 09:50:31 04/02/07 (1)

less complicated without a crossover and bandwidth limited too - Quiet Earth 11:29:45 04/02/07 (0)

Re: What's the smallest wire AWG that you feel confident using for speakers? - Cappy 11:02:20 04/01/07 (0)

Small gauge wire for speaker cables - Metralla 10:55:19 04/01/07 (1)

Re: Small gauge wire for speaker cables - some young guy 14:23:08 04/02/07 (0)

Follow Ups

There's a school of thought that small-gage wire is better-sounding overall; I've linked the thread. - jeffreybehr 12:00:45 04/01/07 (3)

Thank you for that link. It was helpful. - Quiet Earth 22:43:48 04/01/07 (2)

Well, it may LOOK complicated, but from an amp's perspective, it's not. - jeffreybehr 09:50:31 04/02/07 (1)

less complicated without a crossover and bandwidth limited too - Quiet Earth 11:29:45 04/02/07 (0)

There's a school of thought that small-gage wire is better-sounding overall; I've linked the thread.

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