speaker wire size requirements

[JimiLL]

Putting together a pa and two of us are at odds add to what size speaker wire to use.

We are daisy chaining 2 8 ohm subs into a 2000 watt, bridged 4 ohm load. First speaker will be 20ft away furthest away about 40ft.

Do we need 10g wire out of the amp?

 

[seamonkey]

You should keep the subs together, separating them ends up with a power alley right in the middle.
Both cables to the subs should be the same length.

I'm sure there will be long discussions on the gauge of wire to use.

 

[s0c9]

If you have speakon connections.. standard NL2 gauge is 12 or 13, which should be plenty over those distances.
I would say no to 10 gauge - I use 13 on all my runs.

I use 12 for power - up to 100'.

 

[JimiLL]

You should keep the subs together, separating them ends up with a power alley right in the middle.
Both cables to the subs should be the same length.

I'm sure there will be long discussions on the gauge of wire to use.

Whats a power alley?

 

[seamonkey]

Invalid Link Removed

 

[walterw]

Whats a power alley?

short answer, when the subs are spread out, you get max bass when you're right in between them, and various degrees of cancellation, as in hot spots and dead spots, when you go to one side or the other.

anyway, for us schlubs playing in bars and using 50' or less speaker cables, 16 AWG is OK, 14 AWG is good.