I turn to you, folks, rather than to Radio Shack or Hi Fi Buys or
others of their ilk because I trust your advice -- not to mention the
fact that my questions are so stupid that when you laugh, I won't hear
it.

I want to know what kind of speaker wires I should use to connect my
combination, all-in-one Sanyo AWM-3000U Mini Shelf System (three-CD
changer, dual cassette deck, AM/FM tuner, 100W x 2, Into 6 ohms, 1 KHz
with no more than 10% T.H.D.) to different speakers, i.e., ESS
Performance Series PS10 speakers? A friend gave me these speakers and
they're large and quite heavy compared with the original Sanyo
speakers. I assume (I hate using that word) that the larger speakers
will sound better than the small Sanyo speakers.

You probably need more information about the ESS Performance Series
speakers, but other than two serial numbers (one/speaker), that's all
that I know.

Presently, the original Sanyo speakers are connected with 22-gauge
stranded wire. If I stick with them, I'll still have to splice new
wire onto them (or open up the back of the cheap speakers and put in
new 22-gauge wire.) I have some 24-gauge standard polarity speaker
wire and some 18-gauge solid "Hook-Up Wire," Type AWM, Rated 300
volts. Should I use either of these, or should I go to Radio Shack and
buy something else?

Again, forgive my stupid questions, folks.

"Munchausen" wrote ...
I turn to you, folks, rather than to Radio Shack or Hi Fi Buys or
others of their ilk because I trust your advice -- not to mention the
fact that my questions are so stupid that when you laugh, I won't hear
it.

I want to know what kind of speaker wires I should use to connect my
combination, all-in-one Sanyo AWM-3000U Mini Shelf System (three-CD
changer, dual cassette deck, AM/FM tuner, 100W x 2, Into 6 ohms, 1 KHz
with no more than 10% T.H.D.) to different speakers, i.e., ESS
Performance Series PS10 speakers? A friend gave me these speakers and
they're large and quite heavy compared with the original Sanyo
speakers. I assume (I hate using that word) that the larger speakers
will sound better than the small Sanyo speakers.

I just use zip cord from the hardware store, 14 or 12 guage usually.

Of course, whether your Sanyo receiver will drive the ESS
speakers properly is a completely different question.

Munchausen wrote: ...100W x 2, Into 6 ohms, 1 KHz with no more than 10% T.H.D.


It's interesting to note that such specs have made a big comeback. There's an
FTC ruling that amplifier power claims must be in the form "so-and-so-many watts
across such-and-such a frequency range at or below such-and-such a level of
distortion." This rule was created long ago as an attempt to prevent the
ludicrous claims then prevalent, but they've come right back. The rule's still
in force, but you wouldn't know it.

If you're worrying about refinements such as speaker-wire gauge, why are you
wasting your money on such equipment?


Get some 16-gauge zip cord at the hardware.


James Boyk

Munchausen wrote:

I want to know what kind of speaker wires I should use to connect my
combination, all-in-one Sanyo AWM-3000U Mini Shelf System (three-CD
changer, dual cassette deck, AM/FM tuner, 100W x 2, Into 6 ohms, 1 KHz
with no more than 10% T.H.D.) to different speakers, i.e., ESS
Performance Series PS10 speakers? A friend gave me these speakers and

Don't know the specifics, but ESS does make some fine speakers. However,
some of them may be quite power hungry. At best, your mini system
probably would have the power to play those speakers at very low volume.
I wouldn't worry so much about the speaker wire, you need a more
powerful amplifier.

-Rob

You probably need more information about the ESS
Performance Series speakers, but other than two
serial numbers (one/speaker), that's all that I know.

ESS stands for Electrostatic Sound Systems. Thirty-plus years ago they made some
nice speakers. Most of them had electrostatic drivers and needed good amps to
drive them.

"Performance Series" sounds like a product of God-knows-what quality from some
obscure holding company that bought the rights to the ESS trademark.

Your question isn't stupid or idiotic, but pointless and ill-informed. If you're
serious about listening to music, both the Sanyo mini system and the ESS
speakers should be tossed in the trash. Find some non-loony audiophile and let
him help you pick out some decent equipment. You can put together a
nice-sounding system for under $1000.

William Sommerwerck wrote:

ESS stands for Electrostatic Sound Systems. Thirty-plus years ago they made some
nice speakers. Most of them had electrostatic drivers and needed good amps to
drive them.

Didn't they also have the Heil drivers and the cone shaped dealy?


"Performance Series" sounds like a product of God-knows-what quality from some
obscure holding company that bought the rights to the ESS trademark.

Your question isn't stupid or idiotic, but pointless and ill-informed. If you're
serious about listening to music, both the Sanyo mini system and the ESS
speakers should be tossed in the trash.

How can you say the speakers should be trashed without knowing anything
about them? Could possibly be real gems.

I want to know what kind of speaker wires I should use to connect my
combination, all-in-one Sanyo AWM-3000U Mini Shelf System (three-CD
changer, dual cassette deck, AM/FM tuner, 100W x 2, Into 6 ohms, 1 KHz
with no more than 10% T.H.D.) to different speakers, i.e., ESS
Performance Series PS10 speakers?

to attach speakers to an amp first make the following decisions:

1: type of wire . copper or non copper. aluminum may cost less but copper
has less resistance. pick copper

2: pick two conductor wire

3: pick stranded wire (solid hookup wire is for fixed instillations where
the wire never moves afterward.)

4: pick a pair with the insulator marked with a stipe or ridge (to identify
polarity)

5: pick a gage of wire of appropriate size. the wire should fit in whatever
connectors you have to work with. unusully long runs of speaker cable will
require larger gage sizes. (but for a home system we probably are not
looking at 50+ ft runs)

6: determine what astetics are needed. if a person you live with objects to
a black or brown wire but not the clear stuff then that will be the way to
go.

7: if the wires must be located in on a place where they might get pinched
such as behind a sofa look for a double insulated type. a little extra spent
here might prevent a fire. this type usually has one black and one white
inner insulator with a gray outer cover (your colors may vary)

The greater the cross-sectional diameter of the wire, the better the cable
will work. Voltage rating on a cable means absolutely nothing in this
application, and probably has more to do with the quality of the insulation.

How much current a cable can handle is a better gauge. Basically you want
cable that is a minimum of 1 mm square, preferable 1.5 mm square or better.
You need the cable to have a marking (stripe) on one conductor so you can
get your speakers in phase.

The thinner a cable, the greater the resistance, and the greater the power
loss when the speakers draw the most current = loss of low end and poor
electrical damping. A modern amp's low output impedance actually forms part
of the damping of the speaker.

So, in a nutshell, get stranded, polarised cable with the best conductor
diameter you can get that will fit the connector posts of the amp and
speakers.

Bill.

"Munchausen" wrote in message
om...
I turn to you, folks, rather than to Radio Shack or Hi Fi Buys or
others of their ilk because I trust your advice -- not to mention the
fact that my questions are so stupid that when you laugh, I won't hear
it.

I want to know what kind of speaker wires I should use to connect my
combination, all-in-one Sanyo AWM-3000U Mini Shelf System (three-CD
changer, dual cassette deck, AM/FM tuner, 100W x 2, Into 6 ohms, 1 KHz
with no more than 10% T.H.D.) to different speakers, i.e., ESS
Performance Series PS10 speakers? A friend gave me these speakers and
they're large and quite heavy compared with the original Sanyo
speakers. I assume (I hate using that word) that the larger speakers
will sound better than the small Sanyo speakers.

You probably need more information about the ESS Performance Series
speakers, but other than two serial numbers (one/speaker), that's all
that I know.

Presently, the original Sanyo speakers are connected with 22-gauge
stranded wire. If I stick with them, I'll still have to splice new
wire onto them (or open up the back of the cheap speakers and put in
new 22-gauge wire.) I have some 24-gauge standard polarity speaker
wire and some 18-gauge solid "Hook-Up Wire," Type AWM, Rated 300
volts. Should I use either of these, or should I go to Radio Shack and
buy something else?

Again, forgive my stupid questions, folks.

Rob Adelman wrote:


William Sommerwerck replied in typical arrogant r.a.p manner:

Your question isn't stupid or idiotic, but pointless and ill-informed. If you're
serious about listening to music, both the Sanyo mini system and the ESS
speakers should be tossed in the trash.

How can you say the speakers should be trashed without knowing anything
about them? Could possibly be real gems.

Because he's a jerk.

The wire information you seek is that for speakers
you want the lowest resistance affordable wire you
can find. You'd also like it to have some other
nice properties as well. Copper water pipe has nice low
resistance, but doesn't flex so hot!

The standard thing for speakers is plain old everyday AC
cord. Lamp cord is OK. A nice discount heavy extension cord
(cut the ends off) can give you even a heavier gauge
for cheap.

The question you didn't ask was what about the 22 ga
wire already there you need to splice into? Well,
it's better to go back inside and not have the short
piece of low gauge wire, but in a practical case
wire resistance is a product of resistance times length.
So the bottom line is that if you keep that piece
of spliced 22 ga wire short, it will make little difference.
The difference all comes from the long runs where you
are mulitplying by lots of feet.

Good Luck. Ignore the clowns here who tell you to
buy "real" speakers. You'll note they aren't offering
up THEIR money to get you "real" gear.

Benj
--
SPAM-Guard! Remove .users (if present) to email me!

I've found some 12-ga stuff in the big hardware box stores that looks like
Monster cable but isn't called Monster, thus reducing the price from $15/ft to
about $0.50/ft. The point is it's a huge wire and it's cheap. It's very
flexible, it has clear insulation so you can see the copper (ie, looks good),
one conductor is marked for polarity, and it's very fine wire with lots of strands.

wrote:
The wire information you seek is that for speakers
you want the lowest resistance affordable wire you
can find. You'd also like it to have some other
nice properties as well. Copper water pipe has nice low
resistance, but doesn't flex so hot!

The standard thing for speakers is plain old everyday AC
cord. Lamp cord is OK. A nice discount heavy extension cord
(cut the ends off) can give you even a heavier gauge
for cheap.

wrote:


Good Luck. Ignore the clowns here who tell you to
buy "real" speakers. You'll note they aren't offering
up THEIR money to get you "real" gear.


Well, I would suggest getting a "real" amp. In fact I did

"Rob Adelman" wrote in message
...


wrote:


Good Luck. Ignore the clowns here who tell you to
buy "real" speakers. You'll note they aren't offering
up THEIR money to get you "real" gear.

Well, I would suggest getting a "real" amp. In fact I did

Seems like good advice that only gets better the more closely one looks at
the problem.

Just for grins I tried looking up Sanyo AWM-3000U on Google. Believe it or
not, I got not one decent hit! A service manual was listed and nothing
else. True mystery meat.

As close as I came was the Sanyo AWM 2800:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...cat=97149&type
=19&dept=4044&path=0%3A4044%3A96684%3A97149

Yup, a $79.96 cheapo-cheap boombox from Walmart. Now it might sound great
and have clean electronics, but if it actually did come up to audio
production standards even in a tight pinch, I'd be more than a little
amazed. There are quite a few $50 computer speakers that sound better than
most products in this category!

I think it's time to rethink the application, as is sometimes said in more
polite circles at times like these. I'm 100% with Adelman on this one!

If one were to hook good speakers to a electronics package like this, it
seems like the included 24 gauge speaker wire wouldn't hurt the sound
quality nearly as much as other parts of the *system*. If you wanted to put
the speakers a looooong ways away (not a bad idea for aesthetic reasons),
then heavier gauge wire might be in order.

;-)