One of the best parts of the summer is having the luxury of sitting outside while listening to some great music. Well, in order to make this happen you’ll need outdoor speakers, which are typically run through outdoor speaker wire. Unless you’re spending a bit extra on wireless speakers, outdoor speaker wire is a must. There are many different things to know about outdoor speaker wire, so read on to find out all you need to know before making your purchase for your outdoor sound system.
When you purchase outdoor speakers, most speaker systems do not come with outdoor speaker wire. In fact, they don’t come with any speaker wire. The outdoor speaker wire plays a big role in the quality of sound and many people don’t realize this when making the purchase for their speakers. If you know about outdoor speaker wire, you’ll know if the speakers are properly wired when listening to the sound. Outdoor speaker wire is so crucial, that even the top of the line speakers won’t sound their best with low quality outdoor speaker wire.
There are several things to consider when choosing outdoor speaker wire. You’ll need to choose the right gauge and length, as well as the proper outdoor speaker wire to best suite your system. Choosing the right techniques and options can also help to maximize the quality in your sound, as they’re a key component when connecting to your gear.
Wire gauge is usually measured by thickness. It’s the wire’s conductive copper bundle, which is referenced by a number. The lower the number or the lower the gauge, the thicker the speaker wire is. When outdoor speaker wire is thicker, it means it can pass audio signals with a higher quality delivery. Typically, speaker wire is between 12 and 16 gauge. The main factor that will help you choose what gauge to go with, is the distance between the amps/receiver and the speakers. Since your speakers are outdoors, there’s a decent chance they’ll be on the father side. The longer the wire run, the thicker the cable necessary. If you’re running the outdoor speaker wire for more than 200 feet, you’ll need 12-gauge or if it’s between 80-200 feet, you’ll need 14-gauge.
Many homeowners choose to bury the outdoor speaker wire underground when running the connection. Many of the burial outdoor speaker wire are protected to prevent water damage or sun damage. For protection, many of the high-end outdoor speaker wire options are covered with a polyethylene jacket. Water damage or sun damage can completely destroy the speaker wire. To protect the outdoor speaker wire from damage from heat, cold, rain or snow, look for insulation protection as well. Usually double insulation should do the trick and keep your outdoor speaker wire lasting through those rough winters.
There are always people who ignore the quality of outdoor speaker wire. If you’re one of these people, you’re not alone but once you make the change to high end outdoor speaker wire, you’ll notice a drastic change. Old and low-end speaker wire can really hurt the sound, so choose something that’s a nice fit for your system. If you’re ready to buy outdoor speaker wire, make sure you shop around and purchase something with a solid warranty.