Home cinema / speaker cable question

[julianhj]

I'm about to wire up a home cinema system. Such is the quality of my better half's system, I'll be using my B&W 602s as 'rears'. I need about 25m of cable to do this, but don't want to spend a fortune, and I'm not fussed about bi-wiring them either. I just need something reasonable. We've not got a centre speaker or sub - are either essential for the set-up, or will the front and rears work perfectly well without? I'm too deaf to be an audiophile, so I'm really just aiming to get the experience without a huge price tag. My AV receiver is a £300 Sony job.

[Parrot of doom]

For home cinema, and rears to boot, you just want a normal 50p per metre cable.

Bi-wiring makes no appreciable difference to any system, and IMO is snake oil. Bi-amping, now thats another matter.

Home cinema systems can't be classed as audiophile anyway, they're simply not good enough.

[BliarOut]

I would use a few lengths of CAT 5 cable wound together... In fact I do Have a browse on some of the audio forums and they rave about it

[davidy]

I have some long runs for my rears using Van Damme Studio Blue 2.5mm cable. Its available from Maplin at £1.99 per metre, you can get it slightly chepaer elsewhere (Orchid Electronics)

davidy

[julianhj]

BliarOut said:

I would use a few lengths of CAT 5 cable wound together... In fact I do Have a browse on some of the audio forums and they rave about it

when you say wind them together, do you mean 2 lengths per speaker (+ and -), or a couple of lengths each for + and - per speaker i.e. 4 lengths in total? Or can you get away with one length per speaker and wind the individual bits inside to create a + and - run?

[BliarOut]

I'm using three lengths per speaker (12 cores per +/- pole) laid flat under the carpet with tape for the front. I've used the white of each pair as negative and the colour as the +ive.

A bit of Googling brings up a few diagrams of how people go about it.

For the rear I'm using a single length as the amp isn't that powerful (Cyrus Q power)

[julianhj]

Thanks BlairOut, that's very useful. Are you using banana plugs or similar at each end, or just the bare wires?

[BliarOut]

Bare wires straight onto the terminal posts at the speaker end, special Cyrus plugs at the head end.

I stripped the wires over long, twisted then neatly and then soldered them. Once I was happy, I cut the soldered end to the correct length.

Having done it a few times now, I would strip back about 2" of insulation on the inner cores to make the twisting easier

[julianhj]

Thanks, that's great. I'm just Googling to find the cheapest source and I see that there are 'stranded' and 'solid' cables - will it make any difference to me that you know of?

Edited to say: would this do the job ok? It looks very thin!



>> Edited by julianhj on Sunday 16th October 14:51

[BliarOut]

Generally you are better off with the solid stuff. I think Maplins sell it online.

Something like this is probably better.

www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=76&doy=16m10

[docevi1]

Cat5e cable indeed

When networking, solid cable is used to traverse longer distances where flexibility isn't needed - it's quite brittle when twisted, moved etc. It tends to be that the solid core is used behind the wall socket and stranded as the patch cable

[julianhj]

Well, once it's down, it'll stay put. Do I need to worry about routing it carefully? Should I avoid 90 degree bends?

[docevi1]

It's fairly hardy stuff. Just no use for repeated bending. 90degree bends will be fine so long as you are careful bending it, and don't bend it back and forth regularly.

[wedg1e]

2.5mm twin and earth mains cable works fine for me

[Pigeon]

...Beat me to it

[whoami]

Parrot of doom said:

For home cinema, and rears to boot, you just want a normal 50p per metre cable. Bi-wiring makes no appreciable difference to any system, and IMO is snake oil. Bi-amping, now thats another matter. Home cinema systems can't be classed as audiophile anyway, they're simply not good enough.

Ha Ha.

Now that's a statement.

Depends on the system.

What have you heard??

[johnny]

I've used Linn K400 for the fronts, rears and centre. It definately makes a difference to use better cabling, otherwise i wouldn't have bothered spending the extra cash.

And i can assure you there are companies out there that make audiophile quality AV kit.

Johnny

[wedg1e]

Sorry, I have yet to be convinced that the words 'digital' and 'audiophile' can be used in the same dictionary, let alone sentence...

[BliarOut]

wedg1e said:

Sorry, I have yet to be convinced that the words 'digital' and 'audiophile' can be used in the same dictionary, let alone sentence...

Put the brown smock down and walk away from the shed

[wedg1e]

BliarOut said:

wedg1e said: Sorry, I have yet to be convinced that the words 'digital' and 'audiophile' can be used in the same dictionary, let alone sentence... Put the brown smock down and walk away from the shed

Take your DVD down off that pedestal and put it in the shadow of my Rega...

Edit: and I'll use all your Japanese so-called 'hifi' to stand my B&Ws on.

Edit: well I would, but it's far too flimsy to support them.



>> Edited by wedg1e on Sunday 16th October 23:48