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1/4" Speaker Cable Gauge Guidance

#21
Really appreciate all the feedback - it confirmed some of my thoughts and added to them as well.

I settled on a 6' 16 ga. Gator Cableworkes Backline Series Speaker cable for $19 from Sweetwater. It seems like the best middle-of-the-road item for my static music room application. Just want to protect my vintage tube amp head from any potential issues swapping between several cabs...
 
#23
JazznFunk said:
Never had any of those issues with the 12 gauge cables I've been using for decades, but maybe I've just had good luck. In fact, the only failure I've ever had with a speaker cable was with the plug end on the cable, not the jack on either the amp or cabinet. There was a flaw somewhere in the plug end that caused it to short out.... thankfully it was a cable with lifetime replacement and I got it tested, confirmed defective, and swapped with no fuss by a local shop. I could see it being an issue with super lightweight heads these days.
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It was an issue with the jacks on many heavy amps too. It's ok being lucky, but others are not necessarily as lucky as you.
 
#25
agedhorse said:
It was an issue with the jacks on many heavy amps too. It's ok being lucky, but others are not necessarily as lucky as you.
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As in the jacks are being yanked out the back of the amp? Never seen that, but I don't build or repair amps so I defer to your experience there 100%.

I wouldn't call it luck.... just careful attention to how I set them up and secure them to the amp, especially in terms of how I make the cable rest on the cabinet so the full weight of the cable isn't hanging off and stressing the plug and jack. That being said, it seems like a legit failure point of concern for any amp to be mindful of.
 
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#26
JazznFunk said:
As in the jacks are being yanked out the back of the amp? Never seen that, but I don't build or repair amps so I defer to your experience there 100%.

I wouldn't call it luck.... just careful attention to how I set them up and secure them to the amp, especially in terms of how I make the cable rest on the cabinet so the full weight of the cable isn't hanging off and stressing the plug and jack. That being said, it seems like a legit failure point of concern for any amp to be mindful of.
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Agreed. Locking connectors just make sense - in the audio world there are threaded plug collars in lavalier recording units that secure them into their jacks to eliminate disconnections. You can't complain about flaky signal paths using equipment meant for stationary operation.

If you need'em, get 'em!
 

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