What should be the cable for installing the speakers in the car?

When connecting acoustic equipment in a car to cables, many people pay very little attention and time. And this is a big mistake. The right cable this is a guarantee of stable operation of the system, in addition, it affects the sound quality. Therefore, the choice of cable for acoustics very important and responsible task. A cable can have a variety of parameters that must be considered when buying. Let's take a look at the features of speaker cables in more detail.

Main types and features of speaker cables

The main amplifier when connecting speakers in a car usually comes with 3 main types of cables:

power power wires, through which a current of 12 volts is supplied;
acoustic conduct audio signal from the amplifier to the speakers;
signal interblock (coaxial) transmit a low-voltage sound signal from the car radio to an external amplifier.

Power and acoustic options are identical in structure, they differ only in the type of insulation and section size.

Naturally, each cable has specific parameters and characteristics that directly affect its performance.

Section

This is one of the main parameters of any cable. An incorrectly selected cross-section can lead to energy losses and adversely affects the operation of the entire system. Moreover, note that the cross-section of the acoustic and power cables are different The power wire is usually thicker than the acoustic wire. Cable cross-section is measured in Ga and in square millimeters. Ga this is a unit, short for AWG (American Wire Gauge), it was invented in the USA, that is, it is the American standard for measurements. The regularity is notable that the lower this parameter, the better the cable cross-section. When using the standard metric system, everything is simple: the larger the number of the section, the better.

What should be the cable for installing speakers in the car

Conductor cross section table

Wire cross sections in GA (gauges)

Wire diameter in mm.

Wire cross-sections in sq. mm.

8,25

53,4

7,35

42,4

6,54

33,6

5,19

21,2

3,26

8,35

2,59

5,27

2,05

3,31

1,63

2,08

1,29

1,31

1,024

0,823

0,812

0,519

0,644

0,325

Experienced craftsmen recommend taking a cable with a minimum cross section of 1.8-2 mm2 for connecting 100 W speakers.

Material

Basically, a cable can have a variety of metals, which directly determines their work and capabilities. So, there are 4 main types of cables by material:

Silver. This metal is a very good conductor, among all metals it has the best rate of agility. However, many music lovers claim that the silver cable has the ability to embellish sound in the upper frequency range. When connecting acoustics with low-sensitive tweeters, the use of silver wires (acoustic, and inter-unit) will make it possible to slightly compensate for this drawback, since the amplitude-frequency characteristics (AFC) will be aligned. But now it’s quite difficult to find such a cable, it’s quite rare for sale.

Copper. This option is considered the most optimal and therefore the most popular. The best options are made from oxygen-free high purity copper 99.9999% (OFC). Their feature is low resistance. The use of such cables ensures stable and reliable operation of any speaker system the sound will be high-quality and loud.
Tinned copper. Sometimes the cable is copper, and its color is like that of aluminum then this is a tinned cable. Usually, tin alloy is used for tinning (sometimes with a slight admixture of silver), this allows to extend the service life and provide protection when the metal comes in contact with the environment. Such a cable does not oxidize and is better soldered, it can work effectively in any conditions, in places with high humidity, with sudden changes in temperature, etc.
Aluminum. This metal has a high resistivity (two 2 more than that of copper). Therefore, with this composition, it is necessary to take the cable almost twice as thick as the copper analog. It is also worth noting that they oxidize faster and serve much less copper. There is one more point worth paying attention to deformation and fragility. At the joints, the aluminum cable is often deformed, flattened, which leads to an increase in resistance and, as a result, to a deterioration in sound quality. However, they are cheaper than copper.

Insulation

Isolation this is a special protective sheath that covers the entire surface of the cable. And there are two main reasons for this:

obstruction of metal contact with the conductor;
increased strength and protection of the wire from the negative effects of environmental factors.

For automotive cables, silicone is most often used as insulation material. This is a very reliable and durable material that can work in a very wide temperature range from minus 60 to 180 degrees.

Also note that manufacturers offer cables with different insulation colors. This is important and is done in such a way as to make installation and connection of acoustic equipment in the car as easy as possible.

Length

The length of cables used directly depends on where you will install the acoustic components and amplifier. Here you should focus directly on the features of a particular car and the installation of the audio system.

What should I look for when choosing an speaker cable?

Naturally, when choosing cables for connecting acoustics, the main criteria are quality and durability. Of course, the best option copper wire, as it has the best functional conductivity parameters. This is their indisputable advantage over all other options. Moreover, it is important that it was copper, and not some alloy with its addition, since any alloy will already have indicators worse than pure copper.

We recommend that you pay attention to the following factors:

Decide in advance on all the main parameters of the cable: type, material, cross-section, required length. This will significantly save time in the selection and not miscalculate.
Insulation quality. Feel the wire, in no case should the insulation be very soft and stick to your hands, have a sharp unpleasant odor and leave traces of dye. Good insulation of the speaker cable should be elastic, but not rigid, but soft and elastic. When bending, it should not burst and deform.
High-quality cable is necessarily marked and meter marks are placed on its surface. This greatly facilitates the work when laying the wires in the car, when you need to count pieces of the required length.
Be sure to look for color coding of wires. Otherwise, you may encounter a serious problem, as there will be difficulties with phasing acoustics. This is especially true when connecting advanced surround sound systems.

In our online store 130.com.ua you can buy an acoustic cable in Kiev, Kharkov and Odessa for connecting speakers and amplifier from trusted manufacturers at an affordable price.

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