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speaker cable question
- Thread starter thrashcomics
- Start date
Connecting an amp to a speaker with an instrument cable is like unprotected sex. You may get away with it for years but one day BAM baby. If you aren't prepared for the price don't roll the dice.
I have to say that over the last 30 years of playing in bands, 14g electrical cable is probably the best alternate route for a speaker cable. No loss in signal and really cheap. not to mention you can get them now in about a thousand colors! Using a guitar cable in a pinch is ok, but for quality of sound and power gain/loss and all the rest of the technical things, they should not be used for speaker cords. Just are NOT designed for it. It would be the same a using a regular 55 Ohm mic cable instead of a 110 Ohm DMX cable. Sure it will mostly work without issues, but just not the same.
You're continually giving bad advice. And you're getting called on it. How is that surprising?
Even with a low wattage amp (100 watt guitar amp), using an instrument cable instead of a speaker cable is a great way to start fires.
Will it start a fire every time? No. Is there a much greater chance of starting a fire than there is with a proper speaker cable? Oh yes, very much yes.
You have been LUCKY up to now. So was I, for a while. Though, actually, it's why my old amp had to go to the shop.
Some of us aren't in the habit of taking lots of photos of our most glaringly stupid choices.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
Er, lots of people try for babies, nobody wants an exploded amp. Fairly sure burning while you pee is better example, less disrespectful to the fathers on the board at least.
Actually, my dad's car was wrecked when pulling out of the driveway. Luckily everyone was wearing seatbelts.
Sorry to single out your post to ask this question, but everyone seems to be an electrical engineer all of a sudden when this type of topic comes up and I think you may actually BE one.
First a caveat: I never suggested that it is a good idea to run ones amp into ones speaker cabinet on a regular basis with a guitar cord. What I did say is that it isn't always as dire as many people assume. And of course, as many people have pointed out, a shorted cord of ANY type is bad for your amp, guitar signal or speaker cord.
But from what I understand, and I'm willing to be corrected if I'm wrong, a 100 watt amplifier will place about 28 volts over an 8 ohm load. A typical cheapo guitar cord has a 24 gauge center conductor. Said conductor typically has a resistance of 25 ohms per thousand feet, or .07 ohms over a three foot cable. Let's round it up to .08 ohms for ease of math.
In that scenario the 100 watt amplifier will find 99 watts dissipated over the 8 ohm speaker load and 1 watt over the cable.
Am I missing something?
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
I think the bit where they actually fry is the joint, all guitar cables break eventually, as they flex when you wander about, much more so than speaker cable, so there'll be a weak spot, fine for guitar, but one thin hot bit is all it takes to ruin everything. Sure nice guitar cables don't do it so much, but if you have nice guitar cables, you probably have speaker cables too.
what i will not be doing is using a guitar cable to connect my speakers. thank you for all the input, sorry to start a war.
so also i just discovered by looking at the monster cable site that the cable i thought was a prolink 1000 insturment cable is actually a prolink 1000 speaker cable. could explain the noise from my pedal board. i feel dumb, but i didnt buy the cable it was given to me by a friend. at least i have a really good speaker cable now!!!
oh lord..can of worms #2
don't mention monster and "really good", it's an opinion, yes, but it'll get everyone all riled up over nothing...
EDIT: not trying to scare the newbie, don't worry about it - i've read many threads over this same thing.
don't mention monster and "really good", it's an opinion, yes, but it'll get everyone all riled up over nothing...
EDIT: not trying to scare the newbie, don't worry about it - i've read many threads over this same thing.
billfitzmaurice
Commercial User
- Sep 15, 2004
- 16,860
- 278
- 76
- Disclosures
- Owner, Bill Fitzmaurice Loudspeaker Design
Heat. The problem with using instrument cords with speakers is that many instrument cords use low temperature insulation between the conductor and shield. That's fine with essentially zero current instrument cord usage, but that insulation can melt when used for speakers. Speaker level current creates heat in the cable. There's also the matter of speaker output jacks being located on the rear of the amp where it tends to get hot, and the poor conductivity of 1/4" connections also results in added heat.
Really expensive, anyway. Price is no indication of quality. It's probably not a bad cable, but also not any better than one made of 16 ga. zip cord.
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There you have it-not only is using the wrong cable dangerous for your gear...it actually leads to unwanted pregnancy! Think of the children! For the love of God, think of the children!!
