help-50 ft cable run


hi- have 40- 50 ft run to rear and surround speakers for 7.1 surround---------mcintosh mx 135 to sonus faber auditors-no bi-wire------any cable recs that won't break the bank(already broke it buying this stuff used)? does it matter if 10 gauge v 12 gauge?----your recs most appreciated
slvrtravel
Canare StarQuad 4s11 is the usual recommendation for a high-quality but inexpensive cable for long runs. It's got four conductors but for non-biwire applications you can combine the two red and two white conductors to create an effective 11 gauge conductor. It's about $1 a foot.

If you don't need cable that large there's 4s8 cable that has four 16 gauge conductors that can be combined to create an effective 13 gauge run.

Go to http://www.markertek.com, type "Canare" into the search box, then choose "Bulk speaker wire" from the middle of the long list of returns in the right column of the search results page.

This question has been asked lots of times and a search of the discussion forums for "4s11" will bring up a lot of information.
Go with the heavier gauge for that run, less resistance. And you should seriously consider using the Home Depot cabling, it sounds great and will definitely NOT break the bank.

Check out this recommendation from The Absolute Sound:

" I’ll leave the last observation to the most technically knowledgeable, musically literate, and experienced of my listening group: “You know what’s really good about this cable? It sounds totally unscrewed around with.” If its half-inch thickness isn’t macho enough, Home Depot also sells a 12-gauge for half again that sum, and a 10-gauge for about twice the price, both in less attractive yellow-and-black jackets.

If you still think I’m kidding, know that Tony Faulkner—engineer of about a third of the best-sounding orchestral recordings of the last twenty years—used the Black-and-Decker equivalent to hook up his Quad 989s at the recent Heathrow Show in England—“They are made from good, thick copper wire, look nice and sound good to me”—and that the designer of what is by provable standards one of the half dozen or so most accurate loudspeakers ever made uses and recommends it all the time."

And in conclusion they wrote:

"I also concur that the AudioQuest is a fine value, but the obvious top honors for value go to Home Depot’s outdoor extension cords: They won’t give you any bragging rights among certain audiophiles, but they’ll sure save you a bundle at very little sacrifice in performance."

Keep in mind, this cable was being compared to stuff that cost up to $110/ft.!! They said you could run a 50 ft. pair with terminations for around $30. This one's a no-brainer...

http://stereos.about.com/od/connectionfaq/f/hd_cables.htm

-RW-
Home Depot idea makes ya wonder, but everyone knows many will or should never try them in their systems, even if your typical Audiophool were to try this, their brain and eyes wont allow themselves to accept a cheap cables merits.
Belkin PureAV 16guage cables are strongly recommended buy some poeple over at the AudioAsylum. CHeap and sounds better than the zip cord at Home Depot.