Help, solid wire Vs Stranded wire for amp and speakers
09-22-2008, 01:07 AM
#1
0 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 10
Help, solid wire Vs Stranded wire for amp and speakers
Hi all, This is my first post on this site.
But basically i am installing a car stereo and have some questions.
since i am a Electrical App I have access to different types of wire and so forth.
Now I am wondering if it is O.K. to use #14 or #12 solid copper wire to hook up my Subs. I plan on hooking up a 1000 watt amp to two ten inch Clarion subs. I have access to lower guage wire too, I am wondering also if it O.K. to use #8 Wire for the AMP leads from battery and for Ground wire.
I know that I could just buy "Proper Speaker and Amp wire" but it is expensive, especially if i can get that stuff for free from work.
I just would like to know if anybody has done this before without issues?
Please help me decide if i should use this wire from work, or just pony up the cash for the stuff from a car stereo store.
I did ask them if it was o.k. to use solid Copper wire, I was given the "Oh no, You need to spend 100 dollars on this special Monster cable for your amps and speakers, You can't just use solid copper wire!!"
I know most salesman will tell you what they need to to get you to buy their products:violin:
That why I am here.
Please help me separate the facts from fiction?
But basically i am installing a car stereo and have some questions.
since i am a Electrical App I have access to different types of wire and so forth.
Now I am wondering if it is O.K. to use #14 or #12 solid copper wire to hook up my Subs. I plan on hooking up a 1000 watt amp to two ten inch Clarion subs. I have access to lower guage wire too, I am wondering also if it O.K. to use #8 Wire for the AMP leads from battery and for Ground wire.
I know that I could just buy "Proper Speaker and Amp wire" but it is expensive, especially if i can get that stuff for free from work.
I just would like to know if anybody has done this before without issues?
Please help me decide if i should use this wire from work, or just pony up the cash for the stuff from a car stereo store.
I did ask them if it was o.k. to use solid Copper wire, I was given the "Oh no, You need to spend 100 dollars on this special Monster cable for your amps and speakers, You can't just use solid copper wire!!"
I know most salesman will tell you what they need to to get you to buy their products:violin:
That why I am here.
Please help me separate the facts from fiction?
09-22-2008, 07:28 AM
#2
do yourself a favour and get the right wire.
you dont need to buy "Monster" wire. If you are hooking up an amp to drive subs and that is it, all the wire can be had for like $100(thats what I sell a 4 gauge amp kit for) so if they are telling you that you need to spend hundreds they are ripping you off.
but dont use solid wire.
you dont need to buy "Monster" wire. If you are hooking up an amp to drive subs and that is it, all the wire can be had for like $100(thats what I sell a 4 gauge amp kit for) so if they are telling you that you need to spend hundreds they are ripping you off.
but dont use solid wire.
09-22-2008, 01:40 PM
#10
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 61
As an electrical apprentice, you may or may not know the CEC for hooking a motor, or any device subject to vibration. Solid wire is not legal, it must be stranded. Just a head's up for future motor connections, and a speaker is a motor after all. 
If you have access to #12 stranded RW/TW single conductor, use that. Or if you have access to Teck, just as good. Any #8 you get from work will be stranded anyways, but it won't be rated for temperature extremes, oil or water. You need SOW for that.
Unless you do a wide range of work, you won't have all that stuff on a jobsite, and if you are forced to go buy it, might as well get the proper rated stuff. And solid wire doesn't like flexing, especially aluminum.
If you have access to #12 stranded RW/TW single conductor, use that. Or if you have access to Teck, just as good. Any #8 you get from work will be stranded anyways, but it won't be rated for temperature extremes, oil or water. You need SOW for that.
Unless you do a wide range of work, you won't have all that stuff on a jobsite, and if you are forced to go buy it, might as well get the proper rated stuff. And solid wire doesn't like flexing, especially aluminum.
Last edited by macguyver; 09-22-2008 at 01:43 PM.
