Speaker cable advice

[jayc89]

Running 4x ceiling speakers from the en-suite/Wardrobe to my imitation systems room (cupboard under the stairs). Speakers are IP6 rated, so good for the en-suite. Longest run is approx. 12m.

 

Sonos suggests 16AWG cable is good for up to 15m runs, should I go for 14AWG to be on the safe side? Any recommendations on a certain brand of speaker cable?

Amp is 2 channel; left and right, so I assume I'm best running a feed from each speaker back to the amp, rather than any sort of daisy chaining? 

[TonyT]

In the commercial world, we use 1.5mm2 core mains flex, the audio snobs will advise it has to be oxygen free made by leprechaun’s at the end of a rainbow.

 

 

[Pocster]

I went through this . Bought cheap ‘speaker’ wire off eBay all good . 

[joth]

The main reason for thicker cable is improved bass response, and in ceiling speakers in a wardrobe are neither going to deliver or require that so keep with AWG16 or 1.5mm2 flex as suggested.

 

The only reason I specified QED QX/16 was the pink jacket looks the biz and avoids risk of mixup in the wiring cupboard. (Also it's nice to work with, but mains flex would have been fine)

 

[Thorfun]

I'm a sucker so I bought 14AWG cable in 2 core and 4 core. these to be precise https://www.fscables.com/14awg-speaker-cables/c-183.html. I had some quite long runs so wanted to try and maintain as good a signal as possible so figured the 14AWG was worth a punt.

 

like @joth I liked the purple colour and it's easily differentiable with the thousands of other cables running to my comms room!

[jayc89]

Flex looks massively cheaper. I'll go with that

[Mattg4321]

I’ve run in loads of flex as specced by av guys on site

[Nickfromwales]

47 minutes ago, Mattg4321 said:

I’ve run in loads of flex as specced by av guys on site

Yup. The AV guy on one site was looking at me in disbelief when I suggested using 2-core flex for the speakers. The fact that I'd wired up many night-clubs / colleges etc previously, whilst working for established sound installation companies who used nothing other than that type of cable for decades, wasn't something/I felt he would appreciate.

The cable he got the OP to buy was £tear-inducing. Doubt you'd actually hear the difference over short runs tbf.