Speaker Cabling ... on a budget!

OK - I was wondering what the different factors involved in a speaker cable was, obviously there is resistance - lower the better although are there any others?

Just I have been powering my Warfdale Lintons through some makeshift cable ... called Mains lead (lol) and 3meters of this stuff has a similar resistance to some high quality (QED I think) cable that I have downstairs, I've been told that mains cable will significantly lower quality although I've been scouring the internet and I can't find very much information on what the properties of a 'good' speaker cable is (apart from expensive) so I was wondering if someone could enlighten me.

Also if I bought higher quality cable with practically the same resistance - how does it improve your sound quality?

[hornydragon]

their is an italian site that has loads of DIY tips including Cat5 based speaker cable cant think of it but search the forum DIY section for a link tnt-audio i think

[hornydragon]

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diycables.html

[buns]

there was a great big thread on here about this where all the various important issues were discussed by Nic Rhodes, i have looked but am having difficulty finding it (it was some time ago).

Mains flex has been suggested as a good solution, i think i read that quad used a rake of it at a recent hifi show. The only thing against it i think is it may not have a low inductance like some of the cat5 design cables...... then again it wont have a big capacitive load either (a bad thing for some amps, naim for example).

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[RichardH]

The Quad thing - I understand that was just to supply power to their speakers, not the signal.

[buns]

Originally posted by RichardH
The Quad thing - I understand that was just to supply power to their speakers, not the signal.

ok in that case i retract my comment, i may well have misunderstood.

That said, mains flex isnt the worst idea in the world, it will be a million times better than cheap freebie cable

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[RichardH]

Quite agree. I'm using solid core mains cable (i.e the stuff electricians use within the walls) for my rears at the moment.

[Mylo]

Mains cable will work as speaker cable, no reason it shouldn't.
Why not use Maplin 79 strand cable if money is tight?

[Mylo]

Any multi strand cable can be used.
Solid core cable is meant for AC voltage, I personally would not use it for speaker cable.

[alexs2]

there are a few solid core cables on the market,(DNM's cable being an obvious example),so using mains cable will work,but I'd doubt the quality compared to some of the decent budget speaker cables,and also the contact area at both ends will be a bit less(for whatever that may be worth!)

[Mylo]

I based my comments on my electronics training, not anything I have learnt about AV.

Alexs2, I am currently experimenting with 812 strand OFC DC cable for my speakers. It makes for a twisted cable that resembles towrope but sounds very good to me. I read somewhere that you can have "too thick" a speaker cable.

What is your valued opinion?

Cheers for all your replies and I've had more of a look around the forum and as I'm on the tightest budget in the world anyways I don't see the need to change!

I might try a CAT5 trick talked about tho - I have miles of the stuff anyways!

[hornydragon]

Originally posted by mylo
Any multi strand cable can be used.
Solid core cable is meant for AC voltage, I personally would not use it for speaker cable.

Solid core is good for HF thick cable is good for LF hence if you have a bright sounding amp and speakers, like me the thickest cable you can get will tone it down a bit.

[Mr.D]

At the risk of starting a flame war .
I can understand the importance of decent interconnects but speaker cable has always left me a bit skeptical.

I've used all sorts of speaker cable : mains cable, bellwire, budget speaker cable more expensive speaker cable . I couldn't hear any difference whatsoever. I've been in world class motion picture dubbing theatres and seen cheapo cable on the speakers and heard nothing but mockery for expensive cable from audio engineers.

As long as its reasonably well made conducts a signal and isn't all hairy and short circuits I'm a little non-plussed at the improvements claimed by using another bit of copper in a fancy sleave.

(althogh I may run some flat cable in my home cinema shortly)

[Mylo]

You are not alone Keith, that is why I started playing about with this new cable.