Newsgroups: rec.audio.tech
Subject: Re: Weird speaker cabling question
References: 
"Ben Hanson"  writes:

> Sorry if this double-posts, I couldn't tell if it went through on my news
> server or not.
> 
> Hi all, I heard someone mention the other day that if you wanted to get some
> good speaker cable, that you could save money and still get good quality by
> just going to the local hardware store and buying some 12/2 electrical cable
> (or better), cutting the ends off, and putting on the connector of your
> choice.

It will work. A normal electrical wire normally no better or worse than 
cable made for audio. 
 
> I am setting up some Community speakers that require amplification and I
> wanted to make up my own cables with Speakon connectors. 

That electical wire  shoudl work there nicely. 

> Could I really just
> go up to Home Depot or Lowe's and buy 100' of 12/2 or 10/2 cabling and make
> my own, or should I buy cables specifically made for audio? Is there really
> a difference?

On audio quality there should not be any difference you could hear. 
If the wires are for a touring PA system application, then 
some professional audio cables could be propably nicer to work 
with (more flexible, can take hard use, easy to coil etc..).

> Also, I am assuming the conductors need to be twisted strand, not solid
> core, if you were going to use this approach? 

For audio quality it should not matter if wires are twisted strand or 
solid core. 
If you should choose twisted strand or solid core depending on your 
intended application. If everything is permanently installed and 
wires are not moved after installation, then both solid core and 
twisted strand type will work well. If your application is not 
permanent and the wires ate going to be moved, then use 
twisted strand type cable, because it can take much more bending 
before breaking than the solid core cable.

> And lastly, if you can only
> find 12/3 cabling, is that a problem? Can you just not use the ground wire
> and leave it alone on both ends of the cable?

Just not to use groudn wire on speaker cable is OK approach.

> Sorry if this is a dumb question but I really am not sure if he was just
> pulling my leg or if this works OK.

It will work OK. I have often seen rubber insulated thick electrical 
wire as the speaker wire from the amplifier rack to speaker stack 
in professional sound applications. And it works well.

-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/