Speaker Cable

eon

eon

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Any ideas on speaker cable? I am sinking cables into the walls and want something half decent and not to expensive for my 7.1 setup. I will need around 100 meters for 2 setups, thinking ahead and laying cables in different positions in case I change around. So each run is about 50 meters each.

Would like pure copper preferable oxygen free OFC, and not CCA copper clad aluminium.

The longest cable run is 10 meters, what thickness AWG would people recommend?

Are these any good?

OFC Speaker Cable 2 x 79 Strands (20m Coil) | City Electrical Factors

Philex Speaker Cable 2-Core x 79 Strand 100m White | Security & Speaker Cable | Screwfix.com

QED QX16/2 2 Core Speaker Cable Pink (LSZH) - 100m - FutureShop.co.uk

Buy Multicore Speaker Cable S2Ceb-Groupe Cae 100m 2 Core Multicore Speaker Cable, 1.5 mm² CSA PVC, PVC S2Ceb-Groupe Cae 4030.6150 online from RS for next day delivery.
 
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Go for the QED i have the QED Silver anniversary edition had it now for well over 8 years and its stood the test of time should do though at nearly £7 a meter
 
eon said:
£7 a meter hehe that would be over £700 in cable I need lol.

I have had my eye on the QED cable above but just not sure, another I seen last night is this

Fisual Dualcon Bass Enhancement Bi-Wire Speaker Cable - By Brand - AudioVisual Online - Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists
Click to expand...

Look at some of the comedy prices in that FutureShop site!

Unless you have a 4-channel amplifier and two speakers where you can disconnect the crossover then I wouldn't bother with 4-conductor cable.

Just get some 2.5mm figure-8 :).
 
Spectre said:
Look at some of the comedy prices in that FutureShop site!
Click to expand...

Is futureshop a dodgy site?

Spectre said:
Unless you have a 4-channel amplifier and two speakers where you can disconnect the crossover then I wouldn't bother with 4-conductor cable.
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I have an onkyo tx sr607 which is capable of of bi wire on the front speakers but I wont be using it as it would sacrifice the 7.1 for 5.1

I was thinking about the above cable that I could split the cable down the middle and make it into 2 core, so if I ordered 50 meter of 4 core, split it ang get 2 x 50 meters of 2 core.

Spectre said:
Just get some 2.5mm figure-8 :).
Click to expand...

Any recommendations? lol
 
eon said:
£7 a meter hehe that would be over £700 in cable I need lol.

I have had my eye on the QED cable above but just not sure, another I seen last night is this

Fisual Dualcon Bass Enhancement Bi-Wire Speaker Cable - By Brand - AudioVisual Online - Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists
Click to expand...

I did not need quite as much around 30 meters at the time my Home cinema system setup cost around £8000 so scrimping on some £0.99 cable was not an option, as they say you should budget around 10% of your system cost in cable so budget that into the fact, But at around £80 for 100m of Qed i would not hesitate as some of the cheaper 99p a meter crap will not do the system justice when its run in properly
 
digi247 said:
I did not need quite as much around 30 meters at the time my Home cinema system setup cost around £8000 so scrimping on some £0.99 cable was not an option, as they say you should budget around 10% of your system cost in cable so budget that into the fact, But at around £80 for 100m of Qed i would not hesitate as some of the cheaper 99p a meter crap will not do the system justice when its run in properly
Click to expand...

My set up is not as expensive as that lol, my amp cost me £600-£700 I think new a few years ago from richer sounds. So my set would justify 99p stuff but as its going in the wall and im thinking about future upgrades of amp and speakers I would like to get some decent stuff but the more I look the more im unsure what to get.

Decisions decisions
 
Had a quick look on RS and Farnell but didn't see any particularly chunky figure-8, will see where some I have at home came from if I can.
 
Been using 2.5mm mains cable for years after switching from QED79 and not noticed any difference.
 
I have to agree with @oneman and @Spectre, decent 2.5 will do the trick unless you have an exceptionally powerful system. There is a lot of "naked king" syndrome when it comes to inter-connects. I'm not saying the super-expensive stuff isn't 'better', but it does come down to diminishing returns, and of course whether or not you can hear the difference. Anyone who has paid exorbitant amounts will of course claim it's like night & day.
 
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eon said:
Silver plated any good? Not sure about the thickness tho

Fisual Covert Ultra Silver Plated OFC Speaker Cable 30m Reel - By Brand - AudioVisual Online - Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists
Click to expand...

Pure sales flannel lol!! "and also [the silver] prevents the copper from oxidising"- hello? (a) it doesn't matter a jot if the copper oxidises, it's only a few microns on the surface. And doesn't silver tarnish? Aka oxidising!!

A good while back, Richer Sounds used to let you 'borrow' cables to let you try them at home, might be worth asking if they still do, even if just to prove one way or the other if dear ones are indeed better or if it's pure snob value. I know which one my money is on!
 
QED reference did the job for me (I had them running through the walls as well) and after a few years still going strong
 
Spectre said:
Here @eon, they might do a cut-to-length service :).

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Hahaha, I will try them see what they say. See if the will do me a bit of discount and do me 100 meters for £120,000
 
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eon said:
Hahaha, I will try them see what they say. See if the will do me a bit of discount and do me 100 meters for £120,000
Click to expand...

I found that the 2.5mm stuff I have was given by a friend and it was Maplin power cable, nowt special :). It was well under a quid a metre but it was from years ago.
 
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