what gauge wiring for subs?

okay, I thought I'd ask. (james, I'm looking your way since this is your specialty :D)

does it matter what gauge wire you use for your subs? I mean to wire them together and to go from the subs to the amp.

right now I'm using the wires that came with my stinger 8awg power kit and I have no idea what gauge that is.

at work I have access to virtually an unlimited amount of insulated 16AWG and insulated 14AWG wiring(the spools honestly have at least like 1000 ft of wiring). I was wondering if it would make a difference if I used 14AWG wiring instead of whatever it is now(it actually may be 14AWG that I'm using right now..not sure

How much power are you running?

I will be doing 4ohm mono so 260rms...maybe I'll try to get it to 2ohm mono tho...so that's like almost 600rms

apparently it is 2ohm stable at mono

but I figure...it's free wiring too...so it wouldn't hurt...but I'm wondering if there would actually be a difference.

usually the wiring for the speakers to the amp wont make too much of a difference.. but its usually good to have like 12 or 14 gauge wire..

also,.. if you drop the ohm's down to 2,.. make sure that your subs arent getting too much power.. b/c a lot of the time the subs will be labeled like 500watts or whatever.. but thats only their MAX wattage.. and their RMS wattage may only be like 150.. so just check to make sure that the rms wattage from the amp will not be too high when you drop down to 2 ohms b/c that is an easy way to blow a subwoofer

If it's free (or very cheap) take the largest gauge you can get ;)

It may not make an audible difference in your current system, but if you ever upgrade, it just might.

It also depends on several things.

Length. The longer the wire is, the larger the wire has to be to maintain the same resistance.
The amount of current passing through the wire. Sqrt(Power/Resistance) = Current. So if you're running 260 watts @ 4 ohms, 8 amperes of current is passing through the wire. More current passing through the wire means more heat.
Age. As a wire ages and is exposed to the elements, it will rust. As a wire rusts, its resistance increases. No way around it, but a larger gauge will help maintain an adequate resistance longer.
Heat. As a wire heats up, its resistance increases. As current passes through a wire, some current is lost as heat because of resistance. Lower resistance = less heat produced = lower resistance = less heat produced ... Vicious cycle. A larger wire will stay cooler because of its lower initial resistance, which prevents power loss over long playing times. Heat also promotes rust, so a larger wire should have a longer longevity for this reason, too. Since the difference in resistance would be so small and gradual, I doubt anyone would notice an audible difference between wires that are of adequate size or larger, though.

In conclusion, any wire that is 16 gauge or larger would be perfectly fine for your current system (up to 2 meters), but going with a larger gauge never hurt anyone (except most people's wallets ;)).

forgot about that henge...the subs are rated at 250rms...so I guess at 4ohms I'm making just the right amount of power for the subs...heh

and thanks James :D

I'll see what gauge my current wire is...if it's the same then meh..if it's smaller then I'll go get the bigger wire.

also..will there be a difference between my sub wire quality and the wire quality of what I'm getting?

In general, wire is wire ... There won't be much difference in the quality of wire itself between no name stuff and Monster cable. The difference you may find is that the "higher" quality cables offer better insulation and higher strand counts for greater flexibility and longevity. If you bend and twist your cables a lot, then you might want to opt for the "higher" quality wire, but if it's going to be stationary most of the time, you won't notice a difference using the cheap stuff.

Oh, one more thing ...

Some companies overrate their wire gauges now. Vizer is the most notable for this. Their "4 gauge" power wire is maybe 6 gauge, probably 8 gauge in reality. Their speaker wire is the same way. However, since you're not buying from a rip-off company, odds are that the wire you'd get from work is going to be true to its specs.

Oops you beat me to it (about the strand counts), but something else to keep in mind is the wire material...I know it sounds lame, but different materials conduct A LOT differently. The easiest way is to test the resistence of the current wire, then the newer wire of the same or larger diameter...But be advised that you need a descent meter to test this, because the number will be really small (or at least it should be). Which ever wire has the lowest internal resistence is most likely your best wire of choice...8)

Oh and I should mention that most of this in the grand scheme of things will not make much difference unless all the wires are of about the same quality, becuase the cheapest part will ALWAYS limit the quality of the install...This is also another reason why I solder ALL of my connections, instead of using those stupid crimp thingys...8)

For the typical setup, most 16-14 AWG size wire is good, and it is just a matter of how flexible you want it to be...8)

Or you could be like the ricers, and choose the one that looks cooler, or matches the car better...

The copper doesn't really differ ... Some of the higher-end brands use tinned copper which has a higher initial resistance, but the alloy has a much greater resistance to rusting, so it's better in the long-run ...

And then you get into insanely expensive silver wire ... 100 times more for 8% lower resistance ... No thank you, I think I'd rather just use a larger gauge copper wire ... ;)

True, the budget generally determines the crazyness, but if you can get it free...8) ;)

Also don't forget that Copper is relatively heavy, so overkill could really kill your fuel economy, and speed...The trick is finding the balance between effieciency, and weight...8)

True, the budget generally determines the crazyness, but if you can get it free...8) ;)

Also don't forget that Copper is relatively heavy, so overkill could really kill your fuel economy, and speed...The trick is finding the balance between effieciency, and weight...8)

yeah but come on.. when you are thinking about weight savings the wire is the least of your concerns, the main thing that'll be adding the weight is the box, subs, and amp..

Enclosure would be the main source of added weight ... or should be ... If your sub weighs anywhere close to as much as your enclosure does, that's probably not good ;)

The heaviest sub on the market right now weighs only 108 lbs. (Kicker Solo-X) ... The majority of your guys's subs weigh less than 20 lbs. a piece ...

Most new amplifiers under 1000 watts RMS weigh under 20 lbs ...

Wire in most vehicles doesn't increase weight too much, but it can add some serious weight... 2/0 gauge is ****ing heavy ... ;)