What are Home Audio Bi-Wire Speaker Cables?
A speaker cable is a wire used for electrical connection between a speaker and amplifier source. Modern audio cables are made of two or more electrical conductors. Each conductor is individually insulated by plastic. Examples of Bose speaker cables are:
- New Bose TA-2 Speaker Cable, Single, Molex to RCA Cable Adapter
- 5x Bose Jewel Cube Speaker Wire Cable, For Lifestyle 48, V30, 35,50, V35, 535
- Genuine set of 3 Bose Left Center Right Front Speaker Cables Bare Wire
What features should I consider when buying Bose audio cables?
Choosing the right Bose speaker cable for your home theatre is a task that should not be taken lightly. This is because the wires play a major role in your home theatre system.
- Conductive material - The conductive material used in the cable determines how fast and efficient transmission of audio signals to your home theatre takes place. Quality performance of your system speaker is determined by the efficiency of the cable. A highly conductive metal like copper is recommended.
- DC resistance - This is the measure of resistance to conductivity in an electrical circuit. A cable with high DC resistance interferes with signal transmission. This, in turn, causes significant loss of data. A wire with low DC resistance is, therefore, recommended for a home theatre system.
- Gauge - You should know what gauge you need before purchasing a cable or wire for your system. The gauge of a speaker wire is its thickness or diameter. It can also be defined as its resistance or ability to conduct signals. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. A thicker wire presents less resistance to current flow.
- Length of speaker wire - You need to know how much Bose speaker cable you need for your home theatre. You do not want to end up with a wire that is too short or too long. Measure using a string or anything else that can give a near accurate measure. Add a few more feet to the measured length to give yourself a margin of error.
What do I need to know before connecting speakers with a Bose speaker cable?
Wiring is important when connecting your home theatre. If not done correctly, the system might not work as expected. A more dire consequence of poor wiring is the home theatre failing to work.
- Speaker terminals - Most stereo receivers and standard loudspeakers feature terminals for connecting Bose speaker wires at the back. The terminals are usually color coded for easy identification. For example, the positive terminal (+) is usually red and the negative terminal (-) is typically black. It is important to note that some home theatre speakers are bi-wire cable. This means the red and black terminals come in pairs for a total of four connections. You should know how to connect the wire to the right terminal.
- Connector types - Some speaker wires are usually bought when bare. You will have to use a cable stripper to expose strands at the ends. It is advisable to twist the bare strands tightly to ensure they stay together. You can also find cables which have their own connector. This type makes wiring easier, especially if they are color coded. There is also the option of buying your preferred connectors. Pin connectors are used with spring clip terminals. Banana plug and spade connectors are only used with binding posts.