For speaker wire on a small stereo system bell wire can work, but it is easier to use speaker wire. Bell wire is solid copper, typically a twisted pair, and either 22 or 24 awg. Speaker wire is usually stranded 24 awg or heavier, and in a zip-cord form, sometimes clear, but you can get a couple colors.
Full Answer
Can you use a speaker wire for a doorbell?
Yes, you can use a speaker wire or telephone wire for a doorbell. Thin speakers or telephone wires are great candidates for doorbells. But make sure to check the thickness of the wire before you use it in the doorbell. If it is at least as thin as a pin, then consider it to be good to go.
Do all speaker wires sound the same?
Cheap bell wire used as speaker wire should sound different (less boomy)than cheap stranded wire. All amps do not sound the same ,all wire does not sound the same. All tubes do not sound the same, all fuses do not sound the same.
What gauge wire for speaker cable?
Smaller gauge wires work fine for speaker cable, you just need to use a lot of them. HT used 19, 24 awg OCC copper wires insulated with air formed polyethylene, per leg, in their Pro-11 plus cable.
Can I use copper wire for doorbell wire braids?
I don't think it was labeled specifically as "doorbell" wire, but I have used the thick solid copper "hook up" wire in braids and it worked very well. I got some much more sophisticated speaker cables and abandoned my project, except for use as the jumpers on the speakers themselves.
Can you use any wire for speaker wire?
So, if you intend to use a speaker wire for electric connections, it's best to confirm if the conductor is made of pure copper or aluminum covered with copper. Speaker wires may be unsuitable for in-wall wiring.
What cable can you use for speakers?
Copper is the most widely used material for speaker cable due to its low cost and low resistance. However, copper does oxidise so it needs to be well covered and insulated.
Can I use any gauge wire for speakers?
Speaker wires that are anywhere between 12 to 16 gauge are most commonly used for connecting speakers to an amplifier or an Audio/Video (A/V) receiver. A lower-gauge number indicates a thicker wire, while a higher-gauge number indicates a thinner wire.
What do you use bell wire for?
Commonly used for low-voltage battery or transformer circuits, including connecting call bells, buzzer systems, door chimes, and furnace controls.
What can I use for speaker wire?
For the best quality wire, looking for something made with 100% copper is highly recommended. However, if you're looking to save a bit, copper-plated or copper-clad aluminum wire is a fine substitute, and there is no noticeable difference in sound quality.
What's the difference between speaker wire and regular wire?
The only difference is that speaker wire typically has clear outer insulation, while electrical wire might be black, brown, white or some other color. That similarity isn't an illusion; the wires are very much alike and can be used interchangeably in many circumstances.
Does speaker wire thickness matter?
Speaker wire thickness needs to be at most 5 percent of the speaker's rated electrical resistance. Impedance, or electrical current resistance, increases with cord length, so more powerful speakers require a thicker cord. The AWG of speaker wires is between 10 and 22, with 10 being the thickest.
Can speaker cable be too thick?
Speaker wires can't be too thick because thicker wire means lower resistance, more signal flow, and better sound quality. Although not every setup needs a thick wire and the wire thickness depends on the speaker's impedance and the distance between the sources, you can't have too much of it.
What happens if speaker wire is too thin?
The only problem with using too-thin wire is that if you put enough current through it that it melts, then your amp won't be too happy. The amplifier will be quite happy if the wires melt and fuse, leaving an open circuit with no load.
How many volts can bell wire carry?
Doorbells often have 16 volts, whereas older models have 18 to 20 volts, and newer models take up to 24 volts. The newer models have a higher voltage to compensate for the more extended amounts of wire in bigger houses.
Is doorbell wire low voltage?
A doorbell, chime, bell, or buzzer normally operates on low voltage. A conventional doorbell has wires that connect the chimes or bell to the button and transformer, which converts standard power to low voltage.
Is thermostat wire the same as doorbell wire?
Thermostat wire can safely be used to wire your doorbell as long as it is a 15, 16, or 24-volt doorbell system. About 99% of domestic door chimes are low voltage appliances and can be wired with a thermostat cable.
Can I use XLR cables for speakers?
XLR cables are preferred to other types of cables because they have a very low signal to noise ratio. XLR cables are standardized equipment in the audio and recording industry and are used for a wide variety of devices. XLR cables can be used with speakers, mixers, amp, microphones, and other audio/recording gear.
What are the 3 most common audio cable types?
TRS Cables. TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) are connectors that have three wires inside (two conductors and one ground), as I've explained with balanced cables. ... TS Cables. TS (Tip-Sleeve) connectors are always unbalanced. ... RCA cables. RCA connectors mostly come in pairs to achieve stereo. ... MIDI Cables. ... USB Cables.
Which cable is best for audio?
HDMI Cables: The sound quality is better than other two cable types. These cables transmit multi-channel audio formats such as DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. The HDMI audio connection cables can also support current and new video formats such as Ultra HD 4K resolution, as well as HDR formats.
Are XLR mic and speaker cables the same?
No, the type of cable and the connections are entirely different. Normal XLR cables are designed to carry low voltage low impedance audio signals over two cores and a shield whilst the speaker version will only use two very much thicker and heavier duty cores.
Wire Size
Wire size is basically identified by its American Wire Gauge (AWG). This is basically the thickness, and you’ll need to pay close attention to this because your particular speakers will determine what thickness size you’ll work with.
Gauge wire size for subwoofers
For subwoofers I generally recommend that you go for 12 gauge wire if you’re looking to run the speaker wire longer. A 16 gauge wire will work better if you intend to run the speaker wire shorter.
Is speaker wire different from regular wire?
Speaker wire is certainly different from regular wire because it carries current therefore it has to be heavier unlike regular wires that are not meant to carry current.
Conclusion
Landscape wire will work just fine for your speakers so long as you can figure out the correct wire size you need for said speakers.
sarahproperty
can door bell wire be used instead of traditional two core speaker cable?
sarahproperty
i have run out of speaker cable (the white two core stuff that is marked black along one of the cores) to do the surround sound for my dvd player and wondered if i could use door bell cable instead...
RF Lighting
It is probably best to continue using proper speaker wire. The doorbell stuff is a single solid conductor, and is of a smaller cross sectional area.
LondonRay
It might 'work', but you'll suffer a SERIOUS loss of quality if you use bell wire, you owe it to your ears not to ! Especially if you've shelled out hard earned on a nice surround sound.
Sam Gangee
The answer is "yes you can". It won't do any harm at all. For stereo, however, you must observe the polarity of the wires. I tie a knot in one of the pair and then trace that wire to the other end and tie another knot. I call that wire the "positive" wire and make sure that it connects to "+" or "red" at both ends.
Sam Gangee
Out of interest, how many Watts are the speakers rated at and how many Ohms? Answer in Watts RMS, please; not Watts "Peak Music Power" (which is meaningless). My speakers are rated at 10W RMS so bell wire is more than adequate. I calculated that the total resistance of 3m (doubled of course) is 0.25 Ohms. Not very significant for an 8 Ohm speaker.
keithpenny
The answer is "yes you can". It won't do any harm at all. For stereo, however, you must observe the polarity of the wires. I tie a knot in one of the pair and then trace that wire to the other end and tie another knot. I call that wire the "positive" wire and make sure that it connects to "+" or "red" at both ends.
What gauge wire do you use for a doorbell?
You should use an 18 gauge wire for your doorbell. This type of wire is also referred to as the bell wire. You can also use a 20 gauge wire for your doorbell, but it may not serve as well. So 18 gauge wire is the best choice as it provides the perfect resistance and power for doorbells.
How do you extend a doorbell wire?
Don’t worry if you find out that your doorbell wire is too small. You can splice them and use some push-in connectors to extend the doorbell wire.
What voltage is a doorbell wire?
It is popularly known that doorbells need very little voltage to function. The older models of doorbell wires would require even less voltage compared to the modern wires.
What happens if you use the wrong gauge wire?
If you use a wire that’s too small or too thin, in its attempt to pass current through it, the heat could end up melting the wire altogether.
Can I use a speaker wire or telephone for a doorbell?
Yes, you can use a speaker wire or telephone wire for a doorbell. Thin speakers or telephone wires are great candidates for doorbells.
