![]() If the roll-off frequency is below 80 kHz, you might consider changing your cable to a larger diameter. For more information on calculating parallel and series resistance, which works the same with speakers, check out this calculator (link to series/parallel resistance calc). But for longer cable runs, the losses can be greater and you should consider changing to a larger diameter cable.Īnother result to note is that, for many cables, the roll-off frequency is well above 20 kHz, the upper limit of the audible frequency range. Speakers can be wired in series, parallel, or series-parallel to obtain the correct impedance to match your amp. So, from the standpoint of power transmission, 18-gauge wire is suitable for many home applications. For an 8-ohm loudspeaker connected to 40 feet of 18-gauge zip cord, the power loss is about ½ dB, which is neither audible nor significant, especially for an amplifier with high power output. The lower the power loss, the more power actually goes into making sound. ![]() This is a measure of how much of the amplifier power is dissipated in the cable, before it ever gets to the loudspeaker. The single most important piece of information on the right side of the calculator is the net power loss in the cable. You should be able to find the characteristic capacitance of the cable from the manufacturer’s literature. Finally, select your wire gauge from the pull-down selector, enter the length of the cable between the amplifier and loudspeaker, and enter the capacitance per unit length in picofarads. Next, enter the nominal impedance of your loudspeaker. These two values are always specified in pairs. Make certain you enter the correct output power and load impedance (Output rated into…). These specifications should be printed in the user manual or on a data sheet. Next, enter information about your amplifier. If the wire size is specified as IEC Gage, then click the IEC check box, which supersedes the drop-down selector. If the wire gauge has digits after a decimal point, such as 2.08, select “Metric” as the System of Units. If you see the acronym AWG, this means American Wire Gauge, and you should select the “Imperial” System of Units from the drop-down list at the top left of the interface. You can find the gauge of the wire from packaging, the label on the wire spool or, in some cases, printed on the insulation. You will need to find out how the gauge (or diameter) of the conductors in your speaker cable is specified. First, enter information about your cables, amplifier, and loudspeakers on the left side of the calculator. Here’s a guide to using this free software tool. This wire gauge calculator computes the diameter, cross-sectional area, and resistance per unit length of a wire once given a wire gauge number in either.
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