Can I use 24 gauge speaker cable?


I’ve been trying to google this but I only get vague answers.
I want to know if I can use 24 gauge cable as speaker cable. And if not: why not?
Usual answers are “no, you should use xx gauge”, but I’m looking for why is that? Will the speakers of the amp go off in flames if the resistance is too high? I don’t even get that because the resistance isn’t even that much of a difference between speaker cable sizes, compared to the speakers resistance.

I’m talking about ca 16ft / 5m distance between amp and speaker. By the way should that measure 16 ft or double (32ft because one cable is plus and the other minus)?
sjeesjie

Showing 1 response by sj00884

As is normal here you get a range of answers from zero to infinity, especially on this topic.  My #1 rule is always “Follow your ears”, even to the extent of having regular hearing tests. I mean if your hearing is way off, it is not worth throwing money at. I hear differences between speaker wires an opt for “the low end of the hi end” and am generally quite satisfied.  New old stock can be a tremendous value. 
The older I get, the less it matters in terms hearing loss with age.