What type of gauge wire?
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=38420
Printed Date: July 06, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Topic: What type of gauge wire?
Posted By: pumara_iep
Subject: What type of gauge wire?
Date Posted: August 31, 2004 at 6:07 PM
What would be the best gauge for wiring up my speakers and sub? I have the infinity kappa perfect 6.1 components @ 100w rms. For the Subs i have the Xtant x1244 @ 500w rms. Can anyone tell me what would be the best wire gauges for performance and what exactly is necessary? Does anyone know the ranges of watts should each gauges of wire? Im pretty new. thanks
Replies:
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: August 31, 2004 at 6:10 PM
You can pretty much use 16 gage wire for any speaker as the current is relatively low. If want to use 14 gage for your subs. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: heavilymedicate
Date Posted: August 31, 2004 at 7:01 PM
I am using 14 for my components (50w rms) and 12 for the subwoofer (250w rms). I have used bigger wires (when people insist) and smaller when I use the factory wiring in a vehicle. I have never heard a difference in the sound that I can attribute to the wire size. What Dyohn posted is a solid wire size IMO. If you want to impress your friends go ahead and get big-arse wires. Just know that the ones that count the most are the positive and ground wires to your amp.
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: August 31, 2004 at 7:25 PM
You should know this about wires in your car audio system: the simple Ohm's law formula that says Volts X Amperes = Watts. Better known as P = I X E. Which means the more voltage you have the less amps are needed to produce power. A large wire is necessary to get power for the amp from the car's 12 volt system, because the amperage can get high to make up for the small amount of voltage available. But the amplifier's job is to make more voltage. With more volts, the amperes are less to get the Power in watts (P=I*E). So that's why speaker wires can be smaller than the power and ground wires that feed the amplifier. Amperes (or amps) is the name for current, and that's what flows through the wires. High voltage/low current = small wire. Low voltage/high current = large wire. 16 gauge for any speaker is all you'll ever need, especially in short runs where resistance is not much of a factor. If anything, use the larger wire in the longest runs, like to the fronts, where the length of the wire would start to play a role in its ability to transfer the current. But oftentimes, people will use a large wire in a short run from the amplifier to the sub...just for looks. It never hurts to do that, it's just not necessary. See also https://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp ------------- Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.
Posted By: Francious70
Date Posted: August 31, 2004 at 11:14 PM
I run 12AWG for my subs, and 16AWG for my full range.
Paul
Posted By: pumara_iep
Date Posted: September 01, 2004 at 12:35 PM
I had a friend tell me that a 22 gauge wire is necessary and that a 18 gauge isnt. Is this true? he said that 18 is too thick and that it requires more power to run this gauge wire. what happens when your gauge wire is too small?
Posted By: djv1
Date Posted: September 01, 2004 at 2:44 PM
you don't have the sound quality or the power to make them pound
-------------
JVC deck
6.5in MB Quarts
Rockford 3001M amp
2 12in Kicker Comps
Sirus Sattilte Radio
Posted By: Teken
Date Posted: September 01, 2004 at 5:04 PM
pumara_iep wrote:
I had a friend tell me that a 22 gauge wire is necessary and that a 18 gauge isnt.
That is dependant upon the run / length the wire has to travel, and amount of current the circuit will carry.
pumara_iep wrote:
he said that 18 is too thick and that it requires more power to run this gauge wire.
Your friend needs to spend some more time reading the facts, and asking people who know. The lower the number, the thicker the wire diameter.
ie. 22 guage is smaller, compared to 18 guage which is larger in diameter.
The 22 guage wire would impose more resistance, causing more comsumption of current, and creating more heat.
pumara_iep wrote:
what happens when your gauge wire is too small?
If the wire is asked to flow more current than it is designed to carry. Then, either the wire will break open, start on fire, or fuse together.
Fusing is one factor, the insulation being used on the conductor is the secondary factor which affects the current capability of the wire. Wire diameter and the metal used is the primary factor which affects current flow.
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
Posted By: pumara_iep
Date Posted: September 02, 2004 at 12:40 PM
thanx tekken. Does any one know where to find information on wiring? Not how to wire, but the facts about how wirings works.
Posted By: pumara_iep
Date Posted: September 02, 2004 at 12:53 PM
what happens when your wire is too big?
Posted By: fuseblower
Date Posted: September 02, 2004 at 1:21 PM
Nothing happens when your wire is bigger than required. All that does is keep you from needing to upgrade if you decide to add more power to your system. Another thing to take into perspective is that carpet does absorb some energy from your system. So, when running wires under your carpet take into consideration the length of the run and other conditions.
Posted By: hurtado_roberto
Date Posted: September 30, 2004 at 11:33 AM
So the thicker the wire, the less resistance it will have? If you wanted to have close to nothing resistance could you use a wire with a 1in diameter? What about the number of strands? Which has more risistance; 1AWG with about 100 stands or 4AWG with 1024 strands? Does the purity of the copper wire matter significantly like the wires sell on e-bay with 100% copper? I have two batteries hoked up in parallel and I'm using 3 6AWG wires bought from OSH since they only cost me about $10 for about 50ft. I think I'm getting more than a .5v difference in my batteries with the car on. Would a 2 or 1AWG help significantly? ------------- Poly Dollies
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