Do I need a special speaker cable for my center channel?

Question

The guy at the stereo store is telling me that I will notice a tremendous difference in the quality of the sound.

Answer 1

I do believe in the benefit of good cables within reason and I would not use lamp cord in my system. I would not, however, use a different kind of speaker cable for my center channel than I do for the main L&R speakers which are important for music. I think it is best to use the same cable for all channels but people often use a less expensive cable for the rear speakers and frequently these cables need to be rated for in-wall installation.

Answer 2

No. The links following (part 1 and 2)shows that a standard wire can outperform a high end speaker wire. The only way I think most people would notice a quality difference in speaker wire is if the distance between the speaker and receiver is over a long distance.

Answer 3

No, you do not need a special cable for a center channel speaker. As others have indicated, any wire of 16 Gauge or better (INCLUDING LAMP CORD) will work fine.

The advice you got is *so* wrong, in fact, that you should cross wherever / whoever told you that nonsense off your buy-from list forever.

Speaking of nonsense, the bit above about lamp cord not working is also simply wrong. Of course it has insulation; the AC voltage it holds between the wires is more than 20x the signal level going to your speakers. The main reason NOT to use lamp cord is simply asthetics. Plenty of speaker wire IS essentially lamp cord with a clear jacket.

Answer 4

Hi.As long as you use the same wire that is connected to your 2 front stereo speakers you will be fine.There is a lot of controversy concerning speaker cables. it is impossible to decide which one if any sounds the best .Any piece of wire will allow a speaker to work.But there is a difference between a piece of lamp cord and any brand of speaker cable.It is the inductance and resistance that affects the speaker .The resistance of the leads should be kept as low as possible and the length of the cable should be the same length as the ones connected to your main L and R speakers and the whole 3 should be as SHORT as possible.

Over the years i have used various speaker cables mainly to see if i can tell if they indeed "sound" different.And i honestly have to say there is definitely a difference (to me ) between them. I was actually surprised to come to this conclusion .Of course someone will say it is the PLACEBO effect in other words if you THINK something sounds better it WILL SOUND better.But we will never know will we.The main thing is if you like the results then that is all that matters.It is just like your choice of speakers which are a subjective decision .Hope this has helped you a bit.
Cheers

Answer 5

You absolutely DO NOT need special cable for the center. Just use 16-gauge or thicker. The brand is completely irrelevant. Anyone who claims speaker wire matters (beyond getting decent 16-gauge wire) is either clueless or trying to pimp an outrageously priced product. In some cases, markup on speaker wire EXCEEDS 1500%. Just be sure to wire all of your speakers in phase -- that matters FAR more than speaker wire EVER could.

Answer 6

NO LAMP CORD! There is a reason it's called "Lamp cord" and not "Speaker wire".

It has not insulation, and will pass all that static right out through your speakers.

No, your center can use the same wire as your other speakers. It is worth it to buy decent speaker wire, 16 guage is usually heavy enough for most applications. Go ahead and spend a little money on this, as you only want to have to run all of the wire once.

Best of luck!

Answer 7

Speaker cable can selection with ability output. For the final motor vehicle stereo, sixteen-guage may be the minimum...even though it would not hack it for living house stereo. stick to 12-guage for all living house-stereo purposes coming off the flexibility amp and going to the audio equipment. there is not any longer a great distinction between 10 and 12...yet there will be a noticable distinction in case you attempt to flow right down to sixteen. you will lose backside-end (bass) concentration and definition. What style you utilize is as much as you...there is not any longer a great distinction between manufacturers, however many folk will swear via one style or yet another.

Answer 8

No you don't need special wire but good wire should be a must. I like monoprice.com for my wiring I use 12 gauge speaker wire that is UL rated for in wall use. I believe in getting the right stuff and not worrying. I also believe this guy knows what he is talking about

Answer 9

I personally think a lot of the cable out there is over rated. You can go to your local hardware store and get standard lamp cord type cable (I think it's 14ga) by the foot that will work just fine.