door speaker wires
 

I became depressed reading the threads on running door speaker wires.

Do I really need to run thicker wires if I am going with an amp adequate enough to power upgraded but average component speakers.

who has and who has not and with what ramifications sort of question.

Thanks

I would highly suggest you run new wires. You'll end up doing it anyway so you might as well get it over with. It sounds hard but I did both my doors in about 1 hr and 30mins. Thats running the wires from the trunk to each door (4conductor 14guage wire) its not that hard, once you get the plastic and stuff out of the way.

I left the stock wires in place and I douht that it makes a lot of differience. The average power into a speaker isn't all that high, the peaks are sufficently apart that there is no heating of the wires. Any losses in the wires caused by their resistance can be compansented for by increasing the volume a very slight ammount.
Andy

Andy are you running an Amp?

NO I have an alpine 7894 with 70 watts per channel, in addition my style of music (usually classical and folk) is not a constant high level.
Andy

Stock wires are pretty much garbarge. Never skimp out on your audio. You want like darknight said, 14 gauge. If you can find the shielded kind as well get that. It will run you like 80 cents a foot. Rmemeber for each door that you'll need double the length of your car. That is all.

-Trung

70 watts per channel.. that's not RMS.. so it really only shoots out less than 20 watts...

And that's way you don't notice the dfference ;)

God I love marketing....:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: You are running no more than 19-20 rms per speaker brotha......

As for amped componets, the stock wires are a no no....my speaker wire is at least twice the gauge of stock wire. I highly recommend thicker wires.....available for cheap at knukonceptz.com

Stock wire is about 26 guage...ain't gonna happen for amplified apps.

would this do as an amplifier?? This is one of the amplifiers we make here. Thats Me standing next to it. Incidently I built my first amplifier 50 years ago a mono audio amp using tubes. This amp also uses tubes. We also make amplifiers that go into satellite trucks to uplink TV news to the satellites.


Andy https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...44e5c7464c.jpg
:what:

By the way one of my coworkers who used to work at a high end auto stereo house checked out my installation and was empressed by the sound he wasn't tho only one.

It might work, but fitment might be an issue....im not sure though :rofl:

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NFRs2000NYC

As long as you don't amp your speakers your fine. However if you amp them your going to melt those tiny stock usless speaker wire.

Good luck...

Have you given any consideration the the coil in your speakers. The last time I looked at one the wire was about 30 gage. D ue to space considerations there is very little room between the pole pieces in a speaker and the wires are wound right next to each other causing much heat build up in a very enclosed space. Now high end speakers do use a magnetic liquid for cooling but as the coil is is series with the sp0eaker wires from the reciever/amplifier all the current in these wires also must flow through the coil wires. The flexable leads from the terminals to the coil are not the coil wires. What speakers are you using? Lets get ahold of the manufictuer and ask what gage those wires are.
Andy

even amped -- a short small gauge wire run won't do much...

i'm running 110Wrms rated (closer to 150Wrms actual) from trunk to harness (14 ga), and then tying into the factory wiring for the last 6 feet...

i seriously doubt i'm 'missing something' due to the wiring. the S just isn't soundproofed enough to really notice the gains or losses from this slight bit of cheating.

http://www.bcae1.com/wire.htm

http://www.bcae1.com/images/swfs/speakerwi...orassistant.swf

i seem to remember having a rather detailed conversation about this w/ InsaneInNC...

So then - a person with experience uses stock for last part of run - I like that, unless heat is an issue - what amp would you recommend to drive front and rear speakers?



[QUOTE]Originally posted by PJK3
even amped -- a short small gauge wire run won't do much...

i'm running 110Wrms rated (closer to 150Wrms actual) from trunk to harness (14 ga), and then tying into the factory wiring for the last 6 feet...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Andy Kirk
Have you given any consideration the the coil in your speakers.

Dude.. if you do anything up to 50 watts RMS the stock wire should be perfectly fine.. I've installed dozens upon dozens of stereos this way and NEVER had a problem..

-BUT-

Running new wire in a S2000 is probably one of the easiest cars I have EVER done.. once you get rid of the tape at each end of the black rubber hose.. 16 guage speaker wire almost slides right through without trouble.. If it wasnt so easy I'd say go with the stock wiring.. but being that it took me about 5 min to get the wire through both door jambs(majority of the work) I did it anyways..

Its the cars that have molex plugs in the door jambs, you have to unplug them first (HUGE PITA) and then you have to drill holes through each side to fit the wire through it... I've done it once on my own car (my old 99 Si) I wouldnt do it for somebody else unless it paid $75-$100 a door..


I'd say for the S2000.. run new wire... its stupid easy and you cant be THAT lazy.. as for any car with molex plugs.. fugg it.. just use the stock wiring :p

What is the best gauge wire for speakers? In the prior post on this thread I have seen 14 and 16. If I use either of those should it be fine?

As a side note. Should my passive cross-overs (MB Quart) be as close to the speaker as possible (in the door versus in the trunk)? Or does it not matter?

funky,

50Wrms puts around 3.5A onto the wire. A 26 Guage wire can handle around 2.5A.

How long do you think 3.5A is going to last on a wire that starts to melt around 3A?

Jay...............a good place to mount those crossovers is usually under the dash for several reasons. First, they will be vunerable to the elements if you mount them in the doors which can eventually degrade or ruin the crossovers, and second, you'll want to make adjustments to them once the speakers are installed which will be alot easier if you can access them. Good luck!