Home Automation - Speaker Wire

I went to Home Depot looking to buy speaker wire for a surround sound system that I want to place in the walls of my newly finished basement. There were many different types, I think of varying gauges.

Any help on what is the difference, and any recommendations?

Thank you

PS: I'd be hooking up a TV and VCR, and later a stereo system and DVD player (when I move out of the past :) ).

the different numbers do in fact refer to wire size, known as gauge, marked using AWG. the lower the number the larger the wire size. 16 awg is sufficent for most home theatre applications although 14 awg is nice if you can spend the extra money. hard core auidophiles spend a lot of money on speaker wire, using 10 awg "monster" cable or similiar. if your shopping at home depot your probably not that particular and their stuff will be fine for you.
there are some other differences, not sure exactly what depot carries. there is plenum rated wire that is used in spaces that are used as part of air return system. unusual in homes i think.

good luck and have fun.

Thanks. You are right...I'm not that much of a hi-fi junkie. Just lookign for a bread-and-butter surround sound system. Nothing fancy.

We are currently building a new home, and we have had the electricians prewire for surround sound. We are complete novices, and need advice on what to buy. We would like a DVD player, receiver, and speakers. Can we use one of the pre-boxed sets offered by several manufacturers, or should we put components together ourselves? We don't want or need top of the line. Anything will be an improvement.

McClenna,

There are alot of decent home theater systems in a box depending on how much you want to spend. If youwant to stay under$1000.00 I would recomment the Sony DVAS300 it comes with built in DVD player 5 speaker and a subwoofer. AM/FM and will also play CD's. Speaker are small and unobtrusive and has surprisingly good sound.

If you want to build your own system start with a decent 5.1 receiver I would recommend Denon and possibly some Polk or Velodyne speakers. It'll cost you a bit more but the system is expandable and will be ready for any future upgrades.

I hope that helps.

Thanks for your input, Skybird. That helps me a lot!

Im in the same boat as Azzurri. I have heard that the 'monster' wire makes a big difference in sound quality in a home theatre type set up. Does anyone have any comparison that 'size does matter' when it comes to speaker wire?

How does the Denon 682XP compare to the Sony DAV S300?

Size does matter for speaker wiring applications but a fancy manufacturer name with a hefty price tag does not. The fancy wiring cover may look good, but who looks at the wiring?

I have installed many home theater as well car audio systems using "zip cord" or "lamp cord" from Home Depot. Use a heavier guage for longer runs. I have even used heavy duty extention cords with the ends cut off. Home Depot used to carry 4 conductor speaker wire {two pair of wires covered with a rubber sleeve} which was great for wiring rear or surround speakers {one wire to route instead two} Remember, the lower the number {wire guage} the larger the wire is. Don't be fooled by wire with a thick outer cover over an undersized wire giving the impression of a "monster" wire.

As far as home theater systems, there is an old saying "Sony, no baloney" I have also had fantastic results with Yamaha and have heard great things about Denon. The Velodyne subwoofer systems are some of the best I have experienced. I prefer Polk for my Front, Center, Surround speakers.

McClenna

The Denon 682 is a great system. It will give you a better sound quality than the Sony. But I believe it is a couple hundred dollars more expensive. Denon made there name in the commercial end of audio and moved into residential all of there equipment is still built to commercial standards.

Skybird, assuming the same price for both the Sony and the Denon, which would you recommend?

Denon, No Question.

Thank you so much for your advice, Skybird. I think that's probably the route we'll go.