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What is the difference in speaker cable gauge? Does the gauge even matter? This seems to be a common question that we get (and that several others get). First, let me explain how the gauge of the wire is classified. The speaker cable gauge, short for American Wire Gauge, represents the thickness of the wire. So, naturally you would think that 20 gauge wire would be thicker than 16 gauge wire; However, that is not the case. It is actually the opposite. The smaller the number the thicker the wire. (Just in case I wasn’t clear 16 gauge wire is thicker than 20 gauge wire.)

When it comes to speaker cables, you generally get cables that are at least 16 gauge. Now, that is just a general assumption and it can be broken down mathmatically to determine exactly what gauge cable you need according to the distance that audio travels. Except in extremely high power conditions, I can quickly give you a very conservative assumption without doing the math:

30 feet or less : 16 gauge
30-50 feet : 14 gauge
50-100 feet : 12 gauge
100 feet or more : 10 gauge

These numbers are just safe assumptions when it comes to the consistency of the audio. Many people will swear there is no difference in a 14 gauge cable at 100 feet and a 12 gauge cable at 100 feet. Some serious audiophiles will say that you should never use less than 10-12 gauge wire no matter what length the cable is. So, why does it matter? To make things simple – the thinner gauge wire (remember, the higher the number the thinner the wire) over a long distance will introduce its own impedance. This means reduced sound quality. Added impedance can drastically affect the overall sound and loudness.

So, am I saying that you should only buy 10-12 gauge wire? No. In fact, I would say that there is no need for anything other that 14 to 12 gauge speaker cables as long as the length of the cable is under 100 feet. I just wanted you to know the difference and the meaning of speaker cable gauge. Also, please realize that speaker cables, instrument cables, and microphone cables are all different. Thinner gauge wire is actually okay for instrument cables and microphone cables. Though, I would suggest for speaker cables you go no less than 16 gauge cable. (I typically use 14 gauge wire.)

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