Speaker Wire - Explanation

Explanation

Speaker wire is a passive electrical component described by its electrical impedance, Z. The impedance can be broken up into three properties which determine its performance: the real part of the impedance, or the resistance, and the two imaginary components of the impedance: capacitance and inductance. The ideal speaker wire has no resistance, capacitance, or inductance. The shorter a wire's length, the closer it approaches the ideal, as electrical resistivity (and hence, resistance) is a function of the unit length of the conductor (except superconductors). The wire's resistance has the greatest effect on its performance. The capacitance and inductance of the wire have less effect because they are insignificant relative to the capacitance and inductance of the loudspeaker. As long as speaker wire resistance is kept to less than 5% of the speaker's impedance, the conductor will be adequate for home use.

Speaker wires are selected based on price, quality of construction, aesthetic purpose, and convenience. Stranded wire is more flexible than solid wire, and is suitable for movable equipment. For a wire that will be exposed rather than run within walls, under floor coverings, or behind moldings (such as in a home), appearance may be a benefit, but it is irrelevant to electrical characteristics. Better jacketing may be thicker or tougher, less chemically reactive with the conductor, less likely to tangle and easier to pull through a group of other wires, or may incorporate a number of shielding techniques for non-domestic uses.