A speaker cable is an improvised method for creating the connection of the speaker with an amplifier. Having a quality cable will not only boost the hi-fi system’s performance but also make things efficient. If someone succeeded in buying the best speaker cables, they only not make the sound better, but also make the connection process easier. While finding the quality speaker cable, most believe that expensive ones are always good, but it isn’t always true.
There is a great list of things everyone needs to check before finally making up the decision. In most cases, people don’t have adequate knowledge for understanding the basics that result in wrong selection.
Top 8 Best Speaker Cables on the market
Our team has created a list of the top-rated 8 speaker cables available to choose from in 2022 after practical testing with the latest music system. Go through the list and choose the option that you find the most suitable.
1. Install Gear 14 Gauge Soft Touch Cable (editor’s choice)
Install Gear 14 Gauge Soft Touch Cable Is a 100 feet long thick wire that minimizes the resistance to the present sound system. It is a CCA wire that offers exceptional conductivity to transfer audio. There is a rugged PVC jacket available in this cable for allowing the users to make a smoother adjustment to the properties.
It has two colors jacket that helps in identifying the polarity quickly. You will also find a low-memory jacket for adding the wire conveniently to wall moldings. It is a very quality cable having true specifications that very few products in the market have.
This cable fire has a very rugged design that allows it to work for all types of installations quite easily. Most buyers use such wires for car audio panels allowing you to keep them for long-term use.
The thing we will want to say about this speaker cable is it stays true for the size. It means you will get 100 feet of thick cable as advertised by the manufacturer in this package.
- Impressive length of 100 feet
- Easy to strip
- Exceptional quality to price ratio
- Make the sound smoother
- Capable of working for many years
- Few strands breakage complaints
- Get a little bit brittle over time
2. Extreme Professional Grade 14 Gauge Speaker Cable
This Professional 14 gauge speaker cable is designed using a top-quality PVC jacket that boosts the sound system’s quality and makes it as clean as possible. It is a top-quality product that you can equip with any home or office audio to enjoy a pleasant sound.
We have tested this wire for plenty of options like car audio, home speaker, and stereo system to check its versatility. It has surprised our team to work amazingly for all these systems with minimum distortion at all.
A copper core speaker wire has quite a heavy-duty caliber that very few US products can offer. This wire adds a very low level of resistance or impedance to the sound.
Whether you are looking to set up your car stereo system or want to wire an auditorium, this trusted wire won’t disappoint you. We highly recommend every music lover to invest in this product if they want to enjoy the cleaner sound.
- Adds superb clarity to the system
- Minimizes impedance & resistance
- Easy to identify end plugs
- Professional grade material
- The US-manufactured speaker cable
- Minor complaints about insulation
- Plastic coating made stripping easier
3. Amazon Basics Speaker Wire Cable (best 16 gauge speaker cable)
A handy number of people prefer buying a 16 gauge speaker cable for their sound system. This wire from the Amazon Basics brand is 100 feet long and made for tackling such needs. It can work brilliantly for a variety of systems like A/V receiver, home theater, car stereo, amplifier, and many more.
It is backed by a flexible plastic jacket that helps in eliminating the distortion as much as possible. There is also a white marking on the sides for convenient identification and keeping the confusion away.
You will also find a durable plastic spool in this cable whose main motive is to dispense conveniently. It is delivered to the customer in a pretty nice packaging that keeps the wire secure for the whole process.
Overall, we will say that Amazon Basics has done a very brilliant job with this quality speaker cable. You can enjoy an impactful difference in your sound system with the addition of this quality speaker cable.
- No distortion due to plastic jackets
- Very easy to dispense
- Designed with market polarity
- Good price to buy
- Confusing length in many cases
- Missing markings complaints
4. GearIT 14AWG (best oxygen-free copper speaker cable)
Looking for extra conductivity to your amplifier using an oxygen-free copper cable? Well, the GearIT 14 AWG is the most brilliant choice to buy in this case due to a significant number of reasons. It is a solid wire that can bring extra current to the system and make things as smoother as possible.
It is part of the top-rated speaker cables list, thanks to an impressive set of features like professional-grade quality, custom installation liberty, and color options. On top of that, it offers a maximum sort of durability and conductivity to the system.
This Pro series model by GearIT is backed by a 1-year guarantee to ensure buyers enjoy music with peace of mind. No matter, you are working on a DIY project or want a cable for professional use; this model is all you need to buy.
It has sequential foot marking to make the installation very convenient. Additionally, they are compatible with bent pin connectors and banana plugs for adding extra flexibility to the installation process.
- Produce detailed and rich sound
- Backed by an exceptional PVC jacket
- Compatible with a variety of connectors & plugs
- Capable of delivering undistorted signals
- The description should be explained in detail
- Many complaints about wire not having adequate length
5. GearIT Pro Series CL3 Speaker Wire (best under $50)
We will like to mention the following product for the buyers is this CL3 speaker wire from the GearIT brand. It is a UL-rated speaker cable that can be considered perfect for custom installations. They are manufactured using top-quality material for making the sound as precise as possible.
The manufacturer has followed the tier 1 process for crafting this speaker cable. It is a tough & flexible unit having color coding for letting the users know about the polarity. We find out this unit can work for various systems like the auditorium, business, automotive, and meetings during the testing process.
The manufacturer has wrapped a spool to the wire that makes the dispensing and cutting super convenient. It is available in four different variants ranging from sizes of 50 feet to 500 feet. It let the users buy the one that matches their needs appropriately.
All in all, this speaker cable can be an ideal choice for enjoying music with complete crispiness & precision. Most buyers believe that it is the most exceptional speaker cable that the GearIt brand has manufactured for their customers.
- Deliver premium-level sound quality
- Equipped with top stranded conductors
- Sequential foot markings for extra polarity
- Work superbly with spade type & screw type plugs
- Costly purchase when compared with others
- Stripping needs extra care
6. GS Power True 14 Gauge(best speaker cable for home theater)
The GS Power True speaker cable is a very efficient model that has everything we needed to make the quality of home theater better. It is a high-quality product available in both 50 & 100 feet variants letting the buyers choose as per their needs. It is an OFC-stranded zip cable having full resistance against oil & gas.
While the testing process, we find it an extremely flexible cable that you can even use efficiently use for robotics projects. Few buyers who have bought this unit have used it for boats too. All these things prove how amazing & durable this speaker is.
It is a true 14 gauge wire having two conductors and forty-two strands per conductor. This speaker cable works efficiently, even for larger distances in most cases. There is a color-coding of red and black provided on the inner insulation for extra polarity.
Apart from impressive functioning, it has a very sharp & clean appearance thanks to unmarked PVC walls provided to the unit. It can work brilliantly for car stereo & marine audio systems without any difficulty.
- Excellent after-sales customer service
- Copper coating for protection against oil & gas
- Easy to cut in the required length
- Exceptional for automotive applications
- The high price might be a problem for a few
- Color mismatching complaints
7. Voltive 16/2 Speaker Wire (best for quick stripping)
This high-quality wire from the Next brand is perfect due to an immense number of reasons. It comes with quality 16 gauge conductors that only keep the signal loss minimum and add extra current to the system. There is a CL3 outer jacket added to the unit for making it perfect for external use.
Additionally, the presence of UV resistance makes sure you can even use this cable in the area directly exposed to sunlight. The manufacturer has provided color coding (red & black) to ensure that speakers have proper polarity connections.
It is also a very great choice for individuals who hate performing stripping. There is a need to spend very little time terminating the wire if you shop for this quality speaker cable. That’s not all; you will get printed foot markers and room labels on the unit to help manage particular projects.
All in all, this oxygen-free copper wire is a fire safety-rated product with all the features for making them sound better. It adds the required set of features to produce clean sound with minimum distortion.
- Work even in low voltage conditions
- Fire safety speaker cable
- Proper arrangements for project management
- Excellent inner insulation
- The white color variant is slightly expensive
- Only available in 100-foot spool version
8. Monoprice Access Series 18 Gauge AWG CL2 (best CL2 speaker cable)
There won’t be a better conclusion than mentioning the AWG CL2 from the Monoprice brand. It is a quality cable having a lifetime warranty making sure buyers stay worry-free after the purchase. We have added this choice for individuals looking for a quality CL2 rated speaker cable for their music system.
This oxygen-free wire from the Monoprice brand features four conductors manufactured using top-quality material. It comes with extra resistance for minimizing any negative effect on the sound.
Despite being one of the best speaker cables, this product doesn’t cost too much for the buyers. Every conductor of this wire has color-coding to make the polarity identification convenient. The complete cable assembly is performed in white for a better experience.
It is a quality CL2 rated cable that is manufactured following all the fire safety standards. This cable is entirely safe to use in both residential and commercial buildings.
- It covers long distances brilliantly
- Tough outer jacket
- Work fine in extreme conditions
- Manufactured with pure quality material
- Complaints about an outer jacket getting loose over time
- Heavy construction may be an issue for a few systems
How to choose the best speaker cables: Buying Guide
The following features should be checked in a speaker cable for finally making the selection:
- Gauge Number
The American Wire Gauge Number is used for finding out the wire thickness for those who don’t know. The wire thickness increases with a decrease in gauge number. It is suggested to choose 12 or 14 gauge wires for long runs, whereas 16 gauge wires are better for short-run systems.
- Length
The next thing you need to check out is evaluating how much wire you need. It is usually available in 50, 100 & 200 feet, so choose according to your needs.
- Conductivity
Always invest in the speaker wires made using quality copper to make sure conductivity stays at its best. It will make sure the signal loss gets minimized during the entire run.
- Budget
Although the speaker cables aren’t too costly to buy, we still suggest staying within the budget you have. They can be bought anywhere between $ 10 & $50 depending on the length and features.
- Durable Jacket
There is a very critical role played by the durability of the outer jacket when it comes to proper functioning. It is better to go for a CL2 and CL3 rated speaker cable to stay free from quality issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to go for high-end speaker cables?
It is a pure myth that most people have about high-end speaker cables. No proof having these cables will make the sound better than a normal speaker wire.
How long a speaker cable should be?
As per the thumb rule, the wire’s total resistance should always be less than 5% of the speaker’s total impedance. We will say a speaker cable of 12 gauge is ideal for a 120 feet run in most cases.
Are speaker cables costly to buy?
Well, it isn’t true for all the cables as you can find a quality model without paying too much money. However, there are a few features that you can find in a little bit costly speaker cables.
Are thicker speaker cables a better option to choose from?
If the distance between speaker and amplifier is long, then choosing the thick speaker cables is the right option to choose. Most set-ups have a distance of 100 feet, where 16 gauge lamp cords are enough.
Do speaker cables make any difference?
Cables are very logical equipment to buy if you have a quality sound system. It will make the experience better for the listeners.
Conclusion
A quality speaker cable can offer much more than just improving sound quality in the system that only true music lover understands. There is always a need to properly select if you don’t want things to end up as a disaster. All the products suggested in the list of best speaker cables can make the system’s performance amazing. They have all the required set of features for fulfilling the job efficiently.
If you have queries regarding speaker cables or any similar thing, write about it in the comment section or give us an email for getting the desired answers.
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