spielightdude

Hi everyone,

I have done a lot of research on a lot of things but I
don't know much about what to look for in power, speaker
or signal cables what's good bad or ugly.
I'm looking to build a system with 1 10" sub and a set of
components running off an amp.
Any input or advice would be great.
Thanks,
Joe

VWdude

when it comes to power wire make sure to select the right gauge. My general rule is that if the amp is under 500 watts then use 8 gauge. over that use 4. if you are running dual amps and the total is over 1500 then run 1/0. the price will range greatly from brand to brand. honestly, wire is wire...well sort of. Copper is a great conductor but is now pricey, so cheaper wire tends to be made of cheaper metal. Also, better wire will have more strands which makes it more flexible. this is important in a car because that makes it easier to route around stuff.

for signal cable the better stuff is shielded which reduces the risk of noise induction. also, twisted cables will help reduce noise as well. this is all important in a car because you have lots of power and ground cables everywhere throughout the vehicle.

speaker cable is similar to power. you want copper with lots of strands for the flexibility. i use 16 gauge for components and 12 for subwoofers.