I used to be in the camp that wire is wire, I have learned through my own experience that this could not be farther from the truth. Speaker wire can have a large impact on SQ IMHO and I view speaker wire not so much as an extension of your amplifier, but more of an interface between Amp and Speaker. I have also learned that one not need to invest a major outlay of $ to get excellent results. Unless someone asks, I'm not going to bore readers of this with my long journey that resulted in my final "interface" with my speakers. The short answer is I ended up Bi-Wiring my speakers. My Speakers are two-way, each with a 15' run of #10 awg Belden 1313A going to the low frequency driver, and Audioquest Type 4 (#15.5awg) going to the high frequency driver. The results were excellent with this configuration and my total outlay ended up around $220 for two fifteen foot runs. I have read about many high-end Audiophile speaker cables, but there is no way I can justify spending over 5K on speaker wire, I just do not understand what I would be missing, I don't believe much! Thanks!
How to select a good Speaker Cable
Speaker cables do have a significant role in how our system sounds. Different cables sound different.
So which one is the right one for you?
The Speaker Cable is an extension of the Amp. and not an addition to the speaker's load. It shall have a certain resistance (low) not to spoil the Amp's DF figure. As so, it can be calculated and there is a formula to do it.
The higher the Amp's DF, the lower the Speaker Cable's resistance shall be. As today SS power Amp's get DFs of 400 and above (Digital Amps go by thousands) the cable of 10 ft (3m) long, gets as thick as 0 AWG.
I can see your eyebrows elevates, when that thick cable is to be deal with. Most Speaker Cable makers skip it because of that. So most cables on the market (regardless of the look or price) are of 14-12 AWG. Way less that supposed to be.
Worst! no Speaker Cable maker, dealer or seller knows the answer, of what is the correct cable for your system.
So most of us ended up, with a cables too thin for the task.
A conducted test, on this site, about a year ago as well as with some closer friends, shows a significant improvement with a calculated size cable over their previous cable. The results were all positive and preferred the calculated cable.
So, instead of asking: which of two brands, or two prices or two colors of Speaker Cable do I need, you should ask how thick of a Speaker Cable do I need.
I'll be happy to provide you the calculation, for who request it. All you need to provide is:
1). Length (Ft. or meter)
2). The Amp's DF figure.
Thanks