Sage-Tips

How long can a speaker wire run be?

Speaker wires can definitely be too long. Ideally, the maximum length a speaker wire should be run through is about 50 feet. Anything above 50 feet is considered too long. The length of the run of speaker wires from amplifiers to speakers affects the quality of the sound produced by a system.

Why do my speakers crackle when I turn up the volume?

Speaker crackling is almost always caused by a connection problem. Someplace between your amplifier and your speaker driver, there’s a bad wire which is causing the driver to move abruptly, causing interference.

Why do my speakers crackle?

Speaker popping and crackling are caused by interrupted electrical current (audio signals) or, in other words, a loose or dirty connection. To fix crackling and popping, troubleshoot the connective wires to find the problem area and secure the connection and/or replace the cable.

Does the length of speaker wire affect sound?

Speaker cables do not need to be the same length. It may seem logical that using speaker wires of the same length would result in a more consistent electrical current, the truth is it doesn’t matter. Unless there is a substantial length difference of over 30 meters, the impact is unnoticeable.

Why is speaker wire so thin?

This section of cable is almost always quite short and is housed inside the speaker cabinet. Because the running length is quite less, a thin cable is more than enough to achieve the low resistance requirement, for efficient power/energy transfer.

Why do my speakers distort at high volume?

Speakers distort at high volumes when they aren’t receiving enough power from the amplifier to be able to produce such loud sounds. Distortion can cause damage, so if warped sounds or crackles start to come from the sound system, try readjusting any connecting wires or lowering the volume.

What causes a 120 Hz humming noise in my speakers?

A 120 Hz humming noise will be caused by ground loops. Let’s explore AC line noises, faulty wiring, and ground loops individually. Ground loops are the number one culprit of the humming mystery as they are so easy to create. Often, when ground loops are the culprit, a loud humming noise or buzz emits from the speaker system.

Does shielded speaker wire produce cleaner signals?

Using shielded speaker wire does not produce cleaner audio signals; it can however protect the audio signal being transmitted from unwanted noise. Noise sources can come from electronic transformers, fluorescent ballasts, nearby radio antennas, large motors, etc.

Are your home theater speakers humming or buzzing?

At one point or another, especially when first setting up your home theater multimedia system, you will experience audio noise emitting from either your speakers or your equipment. Hums and buzzing noises come in two distinct flavors. Sometimes they are obvious, and sometimes they are not.

What type of speaker cabling should I use for noise rejection?

Un-shielded, twisted pair speaker cabling should be a minimum requirement for noise rejection. Having the twisted pair provides any extraneous noise to be added to both positive and negative cable equally thus canceling out at the load or speaker in this case.