Best Speaker Wires

Review & Comparison, Last Update February 17, 2024
After you bring speakers home, you need to connect them correctly and to do it in a proper way, you need to use quality speaker wires. We've selected 5 of the top speaker wires for you to choose from! ...Read more ...Read less
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BEST 2024
PROS
CONS
OUR VERDICT
Material
American wire gauge
Length
Features
Warranty
 
PROS
Each wire has 105 strands for smaller impedance and a better signal transfer. The oxygen-free copper inhibits the wires' oxidation.
CONS

The wire jacket is pretty tough, so you'll have to put in some effort to strip it.

OUR VERDICT

Connecting your audio system will be much easier, thanks to the Mediabridge. The color-coding on the cables will let you make a connection accurately and quickly.

detailed parameters
Material
Oxygen-free copper
American wire gauge
14 AWG
Length

100' / 30.48 m

Features
Double twisting for better noise rejection, Certified for in-wall use, Hard plastic spool for storage
Warranty

1 year

PROS

This cable easily fits into most crimp terminals. Fast installation in most banana plugs.

CONS

It's fairly difficult to remove the insulation from the ends.

OUR VERDICT

Great solution for car audio systems. Easy to set up and install in home theater systems. The wire is true to size and has a nice thick sleeve that feels good.

detailed parameters
Material

Copper-clad aluminum

American wire gauge

14 AWG

Length

100'/ 30.48 m

Features

Dual color jacket for easy polarity identification, Compact reel for easy storage

Warranty

30 days

PROS

The plastic jacket of the cables will prevent signal distortion from virtually any audio equipment.

CONS

The visibility of the markings is rather poor.

OUR VERDICT
Thanks to the perfect price-to-quality ratio and a wonderful throughput, these speaker cables will please any audiophile, minimizing the sound distortion.
detailed parameters
Material
Copper-clad aluminum
American wire gauge
16 AWG
Length

100'/ 30.48 m

Features
Marking to identify polarity, Hard plastic spool for easy unrolling, Transparent elastic jacket
Warranty

1 year

PROS
The wires are easy to bend, so you can pull them in curved places and between different obstacles.
CONS

The black wire is quite noticeable and attracts attention when mounted on an outer wall.

OUR VERDICT

If you wish to enjoy crystal-clear sound, link your receiver and speakers via GearIT wires and get it. They will transfer the signal with the minimum resistance.

detailed parameters
Material
Copper-clad aluminum
American wire gauge
14 AWG
Length

100' / 30.48 m

Features
High sound fidelity, Suitable for outdoor use, Spool for easy and convenient storage and installation
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
PROS

The wire helps carry high quality, undistorted signals to and from all connected audio equipment. Additionally, this improves the insulation.

CONS

This wire can be hard to split down the middle.

OUR VERDICT

You can easily set up any stereo system, surround sound system, home theater, and other equipment with this wire. Tight winding makes it even more reliable.

detailed parameters
Material

Copper-clad aluminum

American wire gauge

12 AWG

Length

50' / 12.24 m

Others are available

Features

Polarity marking on cable, Cable storage coil

Warranty

1 year

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Mediabridge SW-14X2-100-WH

Top-grade Sound Quality

Sound systems and speakers are complementary devices and cannot perform separately, in other words, they are useless when used apart. Since the mechanism of sound transfer is totally based on the wires, the quality of wires predetermines overall sound performance. With that said, we can easily say you won't go wrong if you opt for the Mediabridge cables made of 99.9% oxygen-free copper capable of conveying sound clarity and enhancing audio system performance. Each wire features 105 strands twisted together to achieve greater sound features. Why so many strands and what's the benefit? The answer is obvious, the thinner the strand, the smaller the impedance, and the higher throughput. Such design of the wires is used to deliver the sound you wish.

We should note that the wires have the outer insulation jacket that holds the cables together. Hence, the cables won't tangle up and will be free from bends and insulation damage (that both cause sound distortion). The cables can be easily bent when you pull them, thanks to elastic copper cores that are far more flexible than aluminum.

If you want to gear up your speaker system, making it sound completely different, the Mediabridge wires are just what you need. Sound is essential for us to perceive the world comprehensively. It's impossible to understand a movie, broadcast, or even a YouTube video without having the sound on. Today, we can enjoy a high-quality sound owing to continuously developing audio playback technologies and the introduction of new formats. Almost any of us can make a home theater by coupling a UHD TV with a powerful AV receiver and speakers.

Review of Mediabridge SW-14X2-100-WH Oxygen Free Copper

How To Get the Best Sound?

Picking audio devices that would work together appropriately is not an easy task, as their power and impedance vary. If you connect high-power speakers to a mediocre AVR, you won't get the best out of the speakers since the receiver's power is not sufficient. You should pick devices the power values of which are close to equivalence. Doing so, you'll experience the peak capabilities of your stereo system and enjoy your purchase.

In case you need a long set of cables, Mediabridge offers 100 feet of cables that can be used for connecting the sound source to stereo speakers. However, if you think that 100 feet of wire won’t be enough for you, the 200-feet cable is optionally available. As for the capabilities of this set of wires, the 14 AWG standard doesn’t create a lot of impedance, producing only 4 Ohms/feet when the speakers are on.

In the end, if reliability and simplicity are the features that you are looking for in a speaker wire, then the SW-14X2-100-WH from Mediabridge is a perfect pick for you. As simple as it gets, and fairly easy to connect to the sound systems and speakers alike, this is by far one of the best solutions for the price.

Mediabridge SW-14X2-100-WH Oxygen Free Copper in the use
Last updated price $43.84
Stock In stock
ASIN B00N18VBSI

VIDEO
Speaker Wire Basics

What customers say about this product

Features

Might not be a true 12 gauge, but it's overkill for just about anything I'm ever going to hook up with it.
 

InstallGear 14

Boosted Audio Quality

If you love listening to good music with good quality, the InstallGear speaker wire is your choice. This 14 gauge cable is easy to install in a car audio or home theater system, and it will surprise you with the high quality of transmission.

Let’s start with the fact that this wire is 100 ft. long to cover all your needs. If you have multiple speakers at home, you can connect them with no problem. As for the gauge number vs. price, this is one of the best options out there. Think if you really need a more expensive, heavier gauge cable (hint: you probably don’t).

InstallGear lets you save up thanks to the copper clad aluminum wiring. It’s a good conductor for audio systems that doesn’t drain your wallet. The sound quality is simply excellent, and you’ll be able to hear the difference with your own ears. Even the complex surround speaker systems will sound top-notch with this quality cable.

It’s very easy to identify polarity due to the two color jacket of this wire. It comes in rugged blue/back frosted PVC for your convenience, as messing up polarity could lead to equipment damage. Pretty hard to make such a mistake with InstallGear, though.

Review of InstallGear 14 Gauge AWG 100ft Speaker Wire True Spec and Soft Touch Cable

Perfect for Car and Home

If you’re a car audio system owner, this speaker wire will be fairly easy to install. Its rugged jacket helps route the wire through your car panels, and it will fit into the majority of crimp terminals. Yes, it might be difficult to remove the insulation from the wire ends, and that’s where InstallGear could improve their product.

As for the home surround systems, you can route the wire in close proximity to wall moldings with little effort. This cable installs into most types of banana plugs. As a result, you and your family will be enjoying pure quality sound while watching your favorite movies or concert shows.

InstallGear wire is made to last. It’s impact/liquid resistant, flexible, and has a low memory. You won’t be needing a replacement any time soon, which is a big plus in the book. Even after a year of use – or occasional speaker falls – the cable should still be working fine. And mind you, the price of it is not excessive in the least.

Although a bunch of wire is not your traditional holiday gift, it may be an amazing get for an audiophile.

Overall, the InstallGear speaker wire lives up to every expectation of a person with a good ear for sound and music.

InstallGear 14 Gauge AWG 100ft Speaker Wire True Spec and Soft Touch Cable in the use
Last updated price $0.00
Stock In stock
ASIN B01CSZAYF0

 

AmazonBasics SW100ft

No Reason to Overpay

Want to put speakers in a large room but don't know how? These speaker wires by AmazonBasics and the right arrangement of speakers will solve this problem. Indeed, you can buy the most expensive and powerful speakers available, but if your room has a cubic shape, the price won't matter as the sound will be echoed and distorted. The right placement of your speakers is crucial for getting the superb sound. No doubts, it's possible to get a sound that will immerse you into the original song aura. You should place speakers on both sides of the place where you usually listen to music or watch movies, so the sound will bypass you from the right and left and create the effect of presence.

Choosing speaker wires is a pretty difficult task as you need to consider the power of equipment and the wire impedance to get the best sound with minimum distortion. Having established the wire gauge (AWG), it's possible to understand which speakers can be connected to that wire. AWG stands for the wire thickness or section. The higher doesn't mean the better, though. The smaller the AWG, the more powerful the wire. This ratio is based on the wire drawing, and initially, the AWG rate meant the number of times a wire was pulled through in order to be reduced to the needed diameter. For example, if you need to produce a 24 AWG wire (5 mm thick), an AWG 0 wire (8 mm thick) should be drawn 24 times.

Review of AmazonBasics SW100ft The plastic jacket around the speaker

Quick Connection

The AmazonBasics wire has the AWG 16 rate and that means a low impedance for better sound quality. To be more specific, the maximum impedance on the wires will not exceed the mark of 6.4 Ohms/foot when the speakers are on. The overall result is no noticeable interference or sound distortion even on higher volumes that make the wires an optimal pick both for general purpose wiring of speakers as well as for higher-quality sound systems that require good-quality cables.

Need to connect speakers quickly? That's quite easy as one of the wires has a special polarity marking, the white line along its entire length. Having unrolled a wire even to the full length, you'll easily distinguish its polarity. So, the money you pay for these wires totally meets their quality and specifications.

All things considered, this set of wires from AmazonBasics is a great, budget-friendly option in case you need a replacement for an older set of speaker wires or if you are installing a brand new sound system. Despite its modest price tag, the wires proved to be a good substitute for more expensive sets that bring little to nothing to the table when it comes to lowering impedance levels and materials.

AmazonBasics SW100ft The plastic jacket around the speaker in the use
Last updated price $13.49
Stock In stock
ASIN B006LW0W5Y

What customers say about this product

Features

This is the best speaker wire you are gonna get @ this price point!! It's real 16 gauge wire, NOT over insulated wire to make up for lack of wire some others try to sell.
 

GearIT GI-SPKR-14AWG-CC-100FT

Create Your Own Dance Floor

The GearIT speaker wire will be the right choice for those consumers who need a versatile cable to use both indoors and outdoors.

Unlike wires with a thin gauge, this one has got a thick gauge to transfer sound signals better and it can be buried in the ground directly, thanks to the durable coating and insulation properties. However, you should not exclude a possibility of the wire being bitten through by an animal, so make sure to conceal it from the view. The GearIT can also be used indoors and drawn under a baseboard if it’s raised a bit. With the cable thick like this one, your connection will be not only reliable but long-lasting too.

What is more, the GearIT is one of those wires a lot of consumers look for to connect with the speakers and use outdoors. If you dreamed about having a little dance floor (or a big one) in your yard, the GearIT will help you with that, making the connection robust and the sound clear and undistorted.

Review of GearIT GI-SPKR-14AWG-CC-100FT Professional Grade Premium

Working in Any Weather

Nowadays, people listen to music both indoors and outdoors. Lots of music bands perform on stadiums, so the wiring they use is sometimes exposed to adverse weather conditions. It might rain or snow, and if the cables get damaged, speakers will not work and may go out of service. The GearIT wires will deliver the maximum protection for a sound signal as they are enveloped in a reliable PVC jacket and are resistant to water and even UV rays. Hence, your acoustic equipment will be connected with high-grade wires that minimize sound distortion and quality loss, delivering excellent sound even in the open air. Each wire consists of an aluminum core and a copper coating that provides the maximum conductivity and makes cables stiffer. The lifetime limited warranty granted by the manufacturer proves impeccable quality and durability of the wires for a stable sound signal transfer. Moreover, you are getting 100 feet of well-protected and highly resistant cable that is covered by decent housing, making it a good option for both indoor and outdoor use. The 14 AWG gauge, on the other hand, won’t let the total impedance exceed the mark of 4 Ohms/foot, which is a good result for the price.

To sum things up, if the good quality speaker wires are something your sound system desperately needs, then this model from GearIT will be a decent option to consider. With the GearIT speaker wires at your disposal, you will get a superb signal delivery and enjoy a well-balanced and pure sounding.

GearIT GI-SPKR-14AWG-CC-100FT Professional Grade Premium in the use
Last updated price $15.98
Stock In stock
ASIN B00HZWYP1G

What customers say about this product

Features

Wire is true to gauge, not brittle like other speaker cables, well insulated, very workable and the price is amazing!!! Will be buying these for all my future speaker installations.
 

Pyramid RSW1250

Gives You Clean Sound

Why not give your car or home audio system a well-deserved boost? The Pyramid 12 gauge speaker wire will help you connect the equipment easily, prevent overheating, and enjoy upscale sound quality.

Pyramid wire is 50 ft. long and comes wrapped around a handy plastic spool. You’re welcome to dispense it as you wish – and without much fuss. Unwind, cut, use; it’s as simple as that, and you’ll love it. If you’re a home theater owner, and the native wire is too short, Pyramid is the answer to your problem.

This wire can be used with crimp terminals as soon as you remove the plastic jacket. Be sure to get the polarities right so as not to damage your precious equipment. Stripping the wire isn’t a big deal at all, and the two colors will let you know which part is what. Of course, an inexpensive wire stripper/cutter at hand will always be a plus.

As for the sound quality, this wire does not disappoint. Home theater systems sometimes come with low quality wiring; changing it to Pyramid will bring on a noticeable improvement. Finally, you’ll be able to listen to music or watch modern movies just as they were meant to be.

Review of Pyramid RSW1250 50ft 12 Gauge Speaker Wire

Versatile in Use

Pyramid wire can be used not only in surround sound systems or home theaters. You can also connect your car speakers and enjoy quality sound on your trips. MP3 or FM radio, no compromises there. Treat your spouse or kids to an uplifting ride to the beat of their favorite songs.

This speaker wire can boast high audio quality thanks to undistorted signal transmission. Upscale coating ensures that the signal stays crystal clear while making its way to and from your sound system pieces. Note that this is a copper clad aluminum wire (CCA), which may not be instantly clear from the product description.

With how good this wire performs in terms of sound quality, you can get one for yourself – and surprise your relatives or friends with a nice practical gift. The length will be more than enough to cover their needs, and the upscale sound experience will definitely be worth it. If anything goes wrong – the speakers fall, for instance – there will be enough wire for a replacement.

As evident, Pyramid speaker wire is a solid find for your home or car sound system. It’s easy to install, reliable, and supports quality audio transmission.

Pyramid RSW1250 50ft 12 Gauge Speaker Wire in the use
Last updated price $0.00
Stock In stock
ASIN B000CQGMP4

 

Infographics

Comparison of Speaker Wires

What Is a Speaker Wire?

Speaker wires are generally used for connecting a woofer and speakers to the entire audio system. They transmit the sound from a receiver to speakers. Wires can be used in various devices depending on the power of speakers and a receiver. Let’s say, you decide to upgrade your car’s audio, and this is when speaker wires come in handy. Conversely, a good 5.1, 7.1, and even a regular set of stereo speakers could use an upgrade with a set of decent-quality wires that will improve the overall sound fidelity immensely. Consisting mostly of copper and some protective housing on top, the standard audio cable will deliver the signal from the sound source to the speaker with little to no impedance, interference or audio distortion.

Nowadays, music lovers and enthusiasts of the analog sound have many ways to improve their home or car Hi-Fi, so we advise you to consider our review of the best car speakers to enjoy the beauty of admired tracks behind the wheel, as well as in-wall & in-ceiling speakers for your room. Alternatively, rectangular speakers have become nothing but a stereotype, so we recommend buying round in-ceiling speakers that will save space and allow you to enjoy a beautiful sound. Moreover, the 2.0 speaker system will be a fantastic addition to your laptop or PC. It will help you fully enjoy gaming, listening to music or watching movies.

What Features to Compare

Specifications

So, what should be considered while choosing speaker wires? First of all, it's the impedance. It’s pretty simple, the less the impedance, the better quality of the audio signal being transferred to speakers. The impedance depends on the material the cables are made of. If the wires are all-copper, the signal will flow through with minor impedance and great quality. So, copper is the prevailing material for the best speaker cables. Wires can be also made of oxygen-free copper which is resistant to oxidation hence such cables are more suitable for humid places. Some wires have aluminum cores coated with copper, and they will transmit the signal a bit worse than fully copper cables. The cable length is another parameter impacting the impedance: longer wires have a higher impedance, causing a poorer signal transfer quality. If you wish to minimize the impedance, arrange the speakers and receiver as close as possible. Alternatively, you can opt for a set of wires with different gauges that can range from 1 to 40 AWG.

As a rule, you should opt for a lower gauge if you are looking into wires for audio speakers since they have lower impedance. The longer the distance you need to cover with wires, the lower the gauge should be. For example, it’s better to use 16 gauge for distances shorter than 80 feet, 14 gauge for anything in the range from 80 to 200 feet, and 12 gauge for wires that are more than 200 feet in length.

Features

Features of speaker cables are the next things that are worth your attention while making your choice. Digital technology continues to advance and it offers various upgraded versions of speaker wires. Color and insulation material allows for mounting cables into walls and angling them at 90 degrees without insulation flexures and wire breaking. Now, pulling speaker cables at home or on a stage is not a problem. Speaker wires usually come coiled over small spools for easy unrolling. A spool will provide safe wire storage and allow quick unrolling as well as connecting audio components without tangling. Wires should have markings for quick polarity identification and hassle-free connection. If wires are colored black and red, you surely won’t be confused and get your speaker system ready easily.

Mounting options

While most wire models will require power tools and brackets to install and fix on the walls properly, some other, more intricate options may provide you with mounting options right from the get-go. A flat wire with adhesive tape will be a good alternative to bulkier products, especially if you need to make them as discreet as possible.

Sources:

1. Speaker Cables – What You Need To Know, Cambridge Audio.

2. How to Choose the Right Speaker Wire for Your, CableOrganizer.

3. How to Buy Speaker Cables, wikiHow.

4. Speaker wire, Wikipedia. December 13, 2016.

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