Using power wire as speaker wire?

[Brianrj90]

I've been looking into wiring a lot and need to get bigger wires for my new AQ1200D. Right now my power line is an 8 gauge Rockford Fosgate kit with their 16 gauge speaker wire. I'm planning on buying some KnuKonceptz 1/0 power wire for my big three and to use instead of the 8 gauge. I was thinking I would just use my 8 gauge RF wire as speaker wire since 1. I don't have any other use for it and 2. the bigger the wire the better, right? Is there any difference between speaker wire and power wire that would make this a bad idea, other than size?

Now some questions more about the theory behind this stuff.

If I understand correctly the power going from the battery/alt to the amp is DC then it gets converted to AC at the amp? Not too sure about so correct me if I'm wrong please. But working off of that assumption wouldn't the strand count of your main power wire not matter at all? Couldn't I just get some really huge like 20 strand copper power wire from home depot and run that into my amp then use really nice audio grade speaker wire to go from the amp to subs(or the RF 8 gauge if that works)?

Also a question about connectors and soldering. Based on my understanding of the skin effect wouldn't you create a huge bottle neck of electrons when you use ring terminals? Wouldn't just spreading out the copper wires and screwing it down give the most surface area and the best connection?

Wouldn't using bolts on your sub box instead of just putting the wires through and caulking create a huge bottle neck also?

based on my limited understanding of the topic wouldn't by far the best thing you could do be to just run the wires straight through your box and caulk the hole because of the skin effect?

I know that is a lot of questions, but I have been learning about this a lot and these are the questions that just stand out to me as never being addressed. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!

[DUBIE]

using power wire as speaker wire is actually better i think in my opinion since the wire is bigger and its getting more power from the amp to the sub..im running 8gauge knu power wire also on my 15's..so far it sounds great..i have no problems at all..

the bigger the better!

[pmpnu2]

ive got 8 gauge fosgate wire on my subs also, no problems here. you'll be just fine doing that...

[Boon]

Skin effect is the new buzz-word around here it seems (we go through about 1 a month... it used to be 'box rise', can't remember what it was before that...)

At 100hz (about the limit of what your subs will ever play) the skin effect depth in copper is right around 10mm. So unless you're using speaker wire over 20mm in diameter (probably ~6/0?) then it doesn't matter. AC current doesn't ONLY flow on the surface.

Oh... and strand count doesn't mean a THING with regards to skin effect if the strands are touching...

The only thing strand count matters for in car audio is the flexibility of the cable. Otherwise all you need to care about is cross-sectional area. Everything else is marketing bullshit.

EDIT: If you're really paranoid about it then you can run Litz wire but as above there's no point unless you're running it to your tweeters with more than a couple of hundred watts on it.

EDIT2: Hrm excuse the slightly grumpy tone... not enough coffee yet :@

[Brianrj90]

Thanks to everyone who has replied, I think I am in fact going to use my 8 gauge as speaker wire.

Skin effect is the new buzz-word around here it seems (we go through about 1 a month... it used to be 'box rise', can't remember what it was before that...)

At 100hz (about the limit of what your subs will ever play) the skin effect depth in copper is right around 10mm. So unless you're using speaker wire over 20mm in diameter (probably ~6/0?) then it doesn't matter. AC current doesn't ONLY flow on the surface.

Oh... and strand count doesn't mean a THING with regards to skin effect if the strands are touching...

The only thing strand count matters for in car audio is the flexibility of the cable. Otherwise all you need to care about is cross-sectional area. Everything else is marketing bullshit.

EDIT: If you're really paranoid about it then you can run Litz wire but as above there's no point unless you're running it to your tweeters with more than a couple of hundred watts on it.

EDIT2: Hrm excuse the slightly grumpy tone... not enough coffee yet :@

I just wasn't sure what electricities natural frequency was, since I don't think it would be controlled until it hit the amp.

So just to make sure I understand you clearly, I can just go to a junk yard and get some 1/0 gauge or home depot and get some low strand 1/0 gauge and it will do the same thing? That's really good to know because it should save a lot of money.

EDIT: Home depot had some 4/0 gauge aluminum power wire, what gauge pure copper wire do you think that would compare to, because it was only like $3.50 per foot.