Sean wrote about lamp cord...
Lamp cord is not bad per se, as it is 12 ga copper stranded wire, which is adequate for most speakers as a conductor. The 20ga mentioned in Grungle's post is too small for most speaker applications.
The problem with lamp cord, as I mentioned before is two fold: the insulation and the geometry. While some published tests have shown that lamp cord *measures* pretty good for use as speaker cable, I disagree. I feel that the geometry and the insulation DOES dictate sonic signature(s) that are audible on systems of sufficient quality. You may or may not be able to detect a significant difference depending upon your particular listening situation. It is entirely possible to make a very expensive and "colored" speaker cable - so expense or looks do not mean that it is better than mere lamp cord.
_-_-bear
Lamp cord is not bad per se, as it is 12 ga copper stranded wire, which is adequate for most speakers as a conductor. The 20ga mentioned in Grungle's post is too small for most speaker applications.
The problem with lamp cord, as I mentioned before is two fold: the insulation and the geometry. While some published tests have shown that lamp cord *measures* pretty good for use as speaker cable, I disagree. I feel that the geometry and the insulation DOES dictate sonic signature(s) that are audible on systems of sufficient quality. You may or may not be able to detect a significant difference depending upon your particular listening situation. It is entirely possible to make a very expensive and "colored" speaker cable - so expense or looks do not mean that it is better than mere lamp cord.
_-_-bear