Most speaker cable listings are written for people who have already decided, and they describe the cable in adjectives. Two facts decide whether the cable can do the job, and a listing that omits them has not told you what you are buying.
This is the version of the decision you can run in a few minutes, from the product page.
Quick answer
| A listing must state | Why it decides the purchase |
|---|---|
| Gauge as a number | It sets resistance, which is the property that becomes audible |
| Conductor material | Copper against copper-clad aluminum changes the effective gauge |
| Stranded or solid | Decides whether the cable tolerates handling |
| Jacket rating | Decides where the cable may legally be installed |
| Length and format | Reel or finished lead, and in what sizes |
If a listing gives all five, you can make the decision from the page. If it gives fewer, ask.
Check one: gauge, as a number
The single most useful line on any speaker cable page is something like "16 AWG" or "2 × 1.5 mm²". It is a measurement, and it can be checked against the run length and the speaker impedance using the resistance arithmetic.
What you are looking for is whether the round-trip resistance stays small relative to the load — under about 5 percent of the speaker’s impedance is the usual working target.
Anything that gives the gauge has told you almost everything. Anything that does not has told you almost nothing.
Check two: conductor material
Three answers appear, and they are not equivalent.
Bare copper is the default and the correct choice for most work.
Copper-clad aluminum (CCA) has an aluminum core. Its resistance per meter is substantially higher than copper’s, so a CCA cable behaves like a smaller copper cable at the same printed gauge. A CCA run sized from a copper table is under-specified. It also corrodes at exposed terminations.
Oxygen-free copper (OFC) is copper with a tighter purity specification. Its resistance advantage is not audible in a speaker run; its practical benefit is corrosion resistance at exposed terminations, which is a legitimate reason to choose it for permanent installation.
The trap is a listing that says "copper" when it means copper-clad. Look for "bare copper" or "OFC", and treat "copper-clad" as a different product.
Check three: stranded or solid
Stranded conductor bends repeatedly without work-hardening, which is why it is used for anything that will be handled or routed around corners. Solid conductor is stiffer and is effectively a fixed-installation material.
For almost every speaker application, stranded is the right answer.
Check four: the jacket and its listing
This is the check people skip, and it is the one with consequences that are not about sound.
Speaker and audio wiring in North American practice sits on the Class 2 and Class 3 ladder: CL2 and CL3, with CL2P and CL3P for plenum spaces and CL2R and CL3R for risers. That is a separate family from the CM communications ladder.
Three practical questions decide the answer. Will the cable run through a ceiling void used for return air? It needs a plenum rating. Will it cross more than one floor of a commercial building? It needs a riser rating. Is it lying on the floor of a room? It needs nothing special.
The two-ladder problem is worked through here, and it is worth reading before an installed job rather than after.
Check five: length and format
A reel and a finished lead are different purchases. Reels suit fixed installations where the lengths come from the building; made-up leads suit movable rigs and known distances. The comparison is here.
Two details to look for. Whether the stated length is per conductor or for the pair, which matters on long runs. And whether the price includes any termination at all.
Warning signs in a listing
Four phrases that reliably appear where the useful information is missing.
"Heavy duty." It has no defined meaning and is compatible with a thin conductor in a thick jacket.
"High performance" or "audiophile grade." Marketing rather than measurement. Ask what the gauge is.
No gauge, no material. A cable can be entirely adequate and still be described this way, but you cannot tell, and neither can the seller’s own support desk.
A price that only makes sense if the copper is not copper. Copper content is the main cost driver in a speaker cable. A price far below the market for the stated gauge and length is worth questioning.
Matching cable to the job
| Job | Gauge | Construction | Termination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic stereo, runs under 8 m, 8 ohm speakers | 16 AWG | Stranded copper, round | Banana or bare wire |
| Long run or 4 ohm load | 14–12 AWG | Stranded copper, twisted | Spade or banana |
| In-ceiling or in-wall | From the run length | Plenum or riser rated as the space requires | Terminals suited to the enclosure |
| Subwoofer | 14 AWG or heavier | Stranded copper | As the sub’s terminals accept |
| Car audio door speaker | 16 AWG | Stranded copper | Crimped, with strain relief at the grommet |
Scenarios
Buying for a first stereo setup. Work out the gauge once, buy stranded copper at that gauge, and pick a termination you can fit. Nothing else on the page changes the result.
Specifying for an installed job. Gauge from the run length, jacket from the space, and a termination method that suits a ceiling void. The jacket is the item most likely to fail an inspection.
Replacing a cable that failed. Check whether the failure was the conductor or the termination. If it was the termination, the cable may be fine and the connector choice is what needs to change.
Buying a large quantity. Price the reel against made-up leads including connectors and time, and read the listing for whether the length is per conductor.
FAQ
What should I look for when buying speaker cable? A stated gauge, bare copper conductor, stranded construction, a jacket matched to where it is going, and a length that suits the run.
How do I know if a cable is copper-clad aluminum? The listing will usually say so, sometimes as a feature. If it says only "copper" and the price is unusually low for the gauge, query it.
Does a more expensive cable sound better? Where the extra money buys adequate gauge or better terminations, it can. Beyond that it buys construction and brand.
Is a heavier gauge always better? Up to the point where resistance is negligible against the load. Beyond that it costs more and terminates less easily.
What gauge do I need? It depends on the run length and the speaker impedance. The gauge and run-length table gives the working figures.
Does the jacket rating affect sound quality? No. It decides whether the cable may be installed in that space.
Related reading on this site
- Speaker cable types explained: the four choices that matter
- Does speaker cable matter?
- Speaker cable selection: gauge, in-wall ratings and the two code ladders
- Bulk speaker cable or made-up leads?
- Speaker cable termination