less gauge wire on suround speakers/center channel

can I kinda (cheap out) and get lesser gauge for these or should I just use the same thickness speaker wire for every speaker?

Considering the surround speakers will have longer distances, I would think going down on the ga. would not be a good idea. The three front speakers should all have the same length and guage even if some needs to be stowed someplace.

That depends on awg and wire length. What do you mean by "lesser guage" exactly? But no real reason to "cheap out" when you can get a 50 ft roll of quality speaker 16-14 awg wire for around $12. It would be best to use the same size for all if you can. But thicker guage would be best for quality in longer runs (20 ft. or more) for your rear speakers.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023902&p_id=2748&seq=1&format=2

should I keep it around 14 gauge? or could I go 18 all round?

It depends on the system. In general larger is better. If you are working with a fairly low power HTIB then 18 ga would be fine. If you are working with a TXH rated amp, then 14 ga would be better. If you are looking for cheap try Home Depot extention cords and cut the ends off.

should I keep it around 14 gauge? or could I go 18 all round?


It all depends on the length/distance of all the speakers and your receiver specs. I use 16 awg and it works great for me. My front and center wire runs are only about 8 ft. and my rears are around 20 ft each. The 16 awg was about the max awg I could go to run under my base boards without alterations, so it worked out perfect for me. I would recommend 16 awg for the longer runs if your situation is simular to mine. Especially if you crank you system like I do. Bottom line, don't use the cheapo 22 awg or whatever comes with most HTIB setups. Especially when you can get 16 awg for only $10 a 50 ft. roll. As long it isn't too hard to hide. Here is 100 ft of 16 AWG for around $10...

http://www.amazon.com/Recoton-SWR16100-Digital-Audio-Speaker/dp/B00006JQ2N

wow, not bad is that pretty decent speaker wire?

That is the speaker wire I use and it does the job quite well. I paid around $30 for a roll of it in a local store. It says "99% pure copper proffesional grade" on my roll, but not sure if that is the exact stuff but think it is. The monoprice stuff states the same and runs just a bit more, but that is for the 14 awg.

ok cool thanks, i'll pick that up from Amazon right now

No problem. Do you have banana clips already. If not, they make things a bit easier/cleaner when using thicker cable depending on the wire connection types on your speakers/receiver. If not, they are not a must by any means with 16 awg, especially since your looking to save money. They run about $2 a pair.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10401&cs_id=1040115&p_id=2801&seq=1&format=2

nah, I have screw in type inserts on my Polks Audios

nah, I have screw in type inserts on my Polks Audios

Yeah, I have the same type on my Velodyne speakers. I just use them on my receiver end. Sounds like you are good to go..

i was surprised to see 4 inputs on the back of my speakers and a bridge to join th 4, i've never seen that before. Is that so you can just cut out the tweeter or something?

Those are probably to set the polar/bipolar settings. Consult your manual.

the manual is a joke for my speakers

What are they? Some of the Polks are set up for bi-amping.

monitor 60's

According to the manual (Available here: Monitor 60 manual - pdf (http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/manuals/home/Monitor_Manual.pdf)) those are for bi-amping where you would use a separate woofer amp and mid/high range amp. With a receiver you would want to leave the jumpers in place.

With that level of speakers I sure would not cheap out on the wire ga.

Are you using those for your surround speakers?

i was surprised to see 4 inputs on the back of my speakers and a bridge to join th 4, i've never seen that before. Is that so you can just cut out the tweeter or something?

NO, that is for bi-amping the speakers. You would need a receiver/amp capable of doing that.

According to the manual (Available here: Monitor 60 manual - pdf (http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/manuals/home/Monitor_Manual.pdf)) those are for bi-amping where you would use a separate woofer amp and mid/high range amp. With a receiver you would want to leave the jumpers in place.

With that level of speakers I sure would not cheap out on the wire ga.

Are you using those for your surround speakers?


no they are my fronts, and I just have them hooked up normally, not bi amped. Is there any reason I should Bi amp it?

sorry i'm kinda new at this and still learning

no they are my fronts, and I just have them hooked up normally, not bi amped. Is there any reason I should Bi amp it?

sorry i'm kinda new at this and still learning

Bi amping is for audio purists and people who like to try out different configurations and see if they sound better. If your receiver is not capable (which I doubt it is) then you don't have to be concerned. If your receiver is capable, the choice is up to you but you may not hear any difference anyway.

Bi amping is for audio purists and people who like to try out different configurations and see if they sound better. If your receiver is not capable (which I doubt it is) then you don't have to be concerned. If your receiver is capable, the choice is up to you but you may not hear any difference anyway.


actually i'm pretty sure my receiver is (Onkyo 606)

they canceled my order for the 100ft.


will this be just the same basically, I think 25 will be good for me.

http://cgi.ebay.com/16-2-Speaker-Wire-25-Foot-Roll_W0QQitemZ360091729163QQihZ023QQcategoryZ14966 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Speaker wire is speaker wire right?