What Type of Cable Is Best for Speakers?
Speaker cables play a crucial role in delivering power signals from amplifiers to speakers. A good speaker cable helps the speaker achieve its designed performance. So what type of cable is best for Speakers?
I. What Is Speaker Cable?
Speaker cable is primarily used to connect speakers to each other or to connect an amplifier to a speaker.
The primary function of any cable is to transmit electrical power or control signals.
Therefore, I believe the most important criteria for evaluating a speaker cable are its ability to drive the speaker and its ability to accurately control the speaker’s operation.
In this context, the cable’s resistance plays a crucial role.
II. Why Is Speaker Cable Resistance Important?
1. High Resistance Causes Voltage Drop and Power Loss
High resistance in a speaker cable causes voltage drop and power loss.
If the power reaching the speaker is insufficient, the amplifier will be unable to drive the speaker effectively.
In this case, forcing the volume up will result in audio distortion.
2. High Resistance Reduces the Damping Factor of the Speaker System
High resistance in a speaker cable leads to a lower damping factor in the speaker system.
The reduction of damping factor will result in weaker control of the speaker driver, and the sound will become less accurate with poor transient response.
| AWG Data Sheet | |||||
| AWG | OD (mm) |
Cross Section (mm2) |
Resistance (ohm/km) |
Normal Current (A) |
Max Current (A) |
| 10 | 2.59 | 3.36 | 3.36 | 20.8 | 23.7 |
| 11 | 2.3 | 4.24 | 4.24 | 16.5 | 18.8 |
| 12 | 2.05 | 5.31 | 5.31 | 13.1 | 14.9 |
| 13 | 1.82 | 6.69 | 6.69 | 10.4 | 11.8 |
| 14 | 1.63 | 8.45 | 8.45 | 8.2 | 9.4 |
| 15 | 1.45 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 6.5 | 7.4 |
| 16 | 1.29 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 5.2 | 5.9 |
| 17 | 1.15 | 16.3 | 16.3 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| 18 | 1.02 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
| 19 | 0.912 | 26.9 | 26.9 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| 20 | 0.813 | 33.9 | 33.9 | 2 | 2.3 |
| 21 | 0.724 | 42.7 | 42.7 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| 22 | 0.643 | 54.3 | 54.3 | 1.28 | 1.46 |
III. How to Choose a Good Speaker Cable?
1. Conductor Material: OFC Instead of CCA
A high-quality speaker cable should use OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) as the conductor material, with a Class 6 copper conductor.
Speaker cables made of CCA (Copper-Clad Aluminum) have significantly higher resistance than those made of pure copper.
Class 6 copper conductor:
Class 6 fine stranded copper conductors can improve cable flexibility.
2. Cable Gauge and Wire Size
Common speaker cable gauge sizes include:
- 16 AWG (1.3 mm²)
- 14 AWG (2.0 mm²)
- 12 AWG (3.3 mm²)
- 1.5 mm²
- 2.5 mm²
- 4 mm²
The larger the speaker cable size, the lower the resistance and the higher the current-carrying capacity.
So, if you are unsure, choosing a 12 AWG / 4 mm² speaker cable is definitely a safe choice.
3. Cable Gauge and Wire Size
For cables of the same gauge, the longer the cable, the higher its resistance.
Therefore, connect devices using the shortest possible cable length.
4. Speaker Cable Distance and Diameter Table
Following is a distance and diameter table for direct checking
| Recommended Speaker Cable Distance and Diameter Table | |||
| Under 8Ω | Under 4Ω | AWG | mm2 |
| 2.5m | / | 22 | 0.3 |
| 5m | / | 22 | 0.5 |
| 7.5m | 2.5m | 18 | 0.8 |
| 10m | 5m | 16 | 1.31 |
| 15m | 7.5m | 14 | 2.1 |
| 20m | 10m | 12 | 3.3 |
| 50m | 15m | 10 | 5.3 |
IV. Other Factors Affecting Speaker Cable Selection
1. Conductor Construction
The size and material of the cable conductors determine sound quality.
Meanwhile, the cable’s construction and flexibility determine its reliability, compatibility, and ease of use.
A high-quality speaker cable features a twisted conductor design, which can help reduce interference from nearby lighting or microphone signals.
2. Cable Sheath
The jacket is made of highly flexible material, and the interior is filled with tensile-resistant filler.
These features significantly reduce the risk of cable breakage caused by bending or compression, making the cable more reliable and easier to install.
V. Summary
In summary, a high-quality speaker cable is usually made of OFC, uses an appropriate conductor size such as 12 AWG / 4 mm², and features a highly flexible design.
If you are looking for a reliable speaker cable supplier, feel free to contact us.
Tourycable has been providing speaker cable solutions—including NL4 Speakon and 8-pin DO.07-compatible cables—to event companies and rental firms for over 10 years.