How long is your subwoofer power cable?

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Nicolaskl

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I'm making new power cables (the ones that came with my subs are very long and low gauge, I'm sure they're adequate but these are feeding 850 watt amps and they really just don't seem substantial enough, plus my new ones are going to look sweet :) ) and I don't know how long a typical sub power cable is as mine are in storage. I've got 50' of cable and enough terminators to make 4 cables, so I'm thinking 2x12' for my main speakers, 1x8' for receiver, and 1x18' for subwoofer. Sound right? Or is 18' too much, maybe do another 12' and then another 6' in case I get a separate amplifier?
 
Crap, I just remembered my center channel has a power cord also, maybe instead of the 18' subwoofer do 12' subwoofer and 6' center channel.
 
I'm quite sure you don't have POWER cables going to each of your 5 speakers... POWER cables plug into your 120V AC outlets if you live in North America. SPEAKER cables carry signals from your amplifier to your speakers.

What gauge are your speaker wires?

You can use the information in this article from Audioholics.com to help estimate how thick of a cable you need for the lengths you intend to run.
 
bbf said:
I'm quite sure you don't have POWER cables going to each of your 5 speakers... POWER cables plug into your 120V AC outlets if you live in North America.
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I certainly do have POWER cables running to them, the mains each have a built in 850 watt amp and the center has a built in 250 watt amp.

http://www.theaudiocritic.com/downloads/article_2.pdf

Might want to check what you're quite sure about before you post next time, there are quite a few speakers that have built in amplification (and therefore, obviously, require POWER cords), the Onix RS1000, Acoustic Research AR1, Def Techs BP2000, my Infinitys, just to name a few off the top of my head.
 
Nicolaskl said:
I certainly do have POWER cables running to them, the mains each have a built in 850 watt amp and the center has a built in 250 watt amp
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I am mistaken, if you had posted the make and model of YOUR speakers there would have been no issue. Most speakers DON'T need power cables... "Quite a few" is an exaggeration, especially compared to how many DON'T.

POWER cables don't affect sound quality, so just buy appropriately gauged power wires. Any interference that your AC power cables may pick up should be filtered out by the rectification circuits in the AC to DC converters in your amps. If your room was built to electrical code, you should not have to have power cables longer than 15 ft.
 
One more thing,
Household insurance does not cover damage caused by fires as a result of non UL or CSA certified power cables in the US.

So beware when building your own power cables, or buying esoteric power cables without proper safety certifications.
 
Dont use more then 10guage wire for a regular 120v. Any lower and it will be useless since the power cords in the house are 10 gauge. Anything thicker and its over kill.
 
Aaaannnnd... back to topic. My cords are from 6' to 10' on average, shorter ones are usually the heavier gauge ones. Most are 14ga (good for 15a), a few are 12ga (good for 20a). I don't think I have any 10ga anywhere except some demo stuff in the spare parts bin, the 12ga cords are already fairly thick.

At 825W, you're fine @14ga, better at 12ga, and gratuitous overkill is 10ga. The wire in your wall is 14 or 12ga, so more than that and you're basically just there for bragging rights. If your cord is 50 feet long, then maybe you want a bit of gratuitous overkill to avoid heating issues.

But with cable-making, the thing is, figure out how much you NEED, then add 40% for slack and allowing yourself to move things around later.
 
I would make the power cable as long as it needs to be and not much longer, you are making them and have a choice.
Why stick to say 12',18' or 8' if that isnt what you need?

As musical equipment functions best with a clean, high peak current mains power source, you would be wise to read up on the preferred solutions by audio enthusiasts if this is really a concern for you.
If the amps onboard power copes well with all transients presented by the music, then external mains power supplies response will matter less.
However if the onboard power supply gets near saturation, the mains power quality may need considering.

You can easily saturate the amps own power supply by pushing your hifi hard.
So if you do push your hifi to the limit, I recommend fatter power cables if nothing else in the system is to be changed. I also advise some form of extra cooling.
Lower frequencies need more current (most of the power is in the bass), a fatter cable responds better to both lower frequencies and high power requirements so is a good solution for a high power subwoofer.
Feel free to use a higher gauge wire than you theoretically need for the actual Subwoofers power requirement and see if it does improve the sound.
 
Nicolaskl said:
I'm making new power cables (the ones that came with my subs are very long and low gauge, I'm sure they're adequate but these are feeding 850 watt amps and they really just don't seem substantial enough, plus my new ones are going to look sweet :) ) and I don't know how long a typical sub power cable is as mine are in storage. I've got 50' of cable and enough terminators to make 4 cables, so I'm thinking 2x12' for my main speakers, 1x8' for receiver, and 1x18' for subwoofer. Sound right? Or is 18' too much, maybe do another 12' and then another 6' in case I get a separate amplifier?
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This doesnt make sense, it doesnt matter how long the power cord to our subwoofers are, it has no bearing on how long you should make your cords.

if i said my subwoofer cable was 3 feet would you make a 3 foot subwoofer cable? No, you would make one that was long enough to reach your subwoofer.

Really it seems like this thread was posted to say youre making new power cables, yippee i guess.
 
Omegaslast said:
This doesnt make sense, it doesnt matter how long the power cord to our subwoofers are, it has no bearing on how long you should make your cords.
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Is your power cable 3'? Didn't think so. I wanted to find out a TYPICAL length so I could make mine that length, since I currently have no idea how long I need it to be since I'll be moving within the next month or two. If you don't like it then frig off and stay out of my thread.

If I just wanted to post that I was making power cables I would have just posted saying I was making power cables. In fact, that's exactly what I did when I was making speaker cables. So sorry, your theory fails.
 
Power cables are connected in series to the main - an 18 foot cable isn't going to make much of a difference when the distance to the generating station is measured in miles.

If you think your equipment is power starved then you may want to look at the total power consumption of the circuit your equipment is plugged into. If you're lucky enough to have more than one circuit in the room your gear is in then you may want to split the load between the circuits. A typical home circuit can handle 1440 watts of power, so if you're exceeding that then you should balance the load. (P = VI * 0.8)

If you're still thinking about cables then remember your home has 14 gauge wiring, exceeding that doesn't make sense.
 
Since you have not stated what brand these are, or what the second termination is, I am going to make a few assumptions:
1. You live in the US.
2. The power cable is replaceable and has the the same 3 hole design that a computer power supply takes.

With those assumptions, I would imagine that the typical length is either 3 or 6 feet as those are the common length for those kinds of cable.
 
Well, I don't like to use 18 gauge cables; I prefer 16 or 14, but honestly, you'll rarely if ever actually hit that amount of power from your amps. If you do, it will probably not be sustained and so the capacitors inside the amp will handle it. 18 are probably fine. But I still don't like 18.
 
SharpieFiend said:
If you're lucky enough to have more than one circuit in the room your gear is in then you may want to split the load between the circuits. A typical home circuit can handle 1440 watts of power, so if you're exceeding that then you should balance the load. (P = VI * 0.8)
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Yeah that's one of the reasons I'm leaning towards longer than usual cables, so that if there's an outlet on a different circuit anywhere at all close I'll be able to use it, as the total from my system in just potential amplification is over 3500 watts.
 
Hurdler said:
Since you have not stated what brand these are, or what the second termination is, I am going to make a few assumptions:
1. You live in the US.
2. The power cable is replaceable and has the the same 3 hole design that a computer power supply takes.

With those assumptions, I would imagine that the typical length is either 3 or 6 feet as those are the common length for those kinds of cable.
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I'd think 3-6 is pretty short for a subwoofer just because you need to be flexible in where you put them. I think the one that came with my sub was 12', and I know it was a skinny 18 ga POS, which is why I'm replacing it (and all the other ones).
 
Nicolaskl said:
Yeah that's one of the reasons I'm leaning towards longer than usual cables, so that if there's an outlet on a different circuit anywhere at all close I'll be able to use it, as the total from my system in just potential amplification is over 3500 watts.
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Prepare for ground loops then.
 
I dont get it.
You make thread asking about decent lengths of cable that should be used .
You get some decent replies and you ignore everyone and still want to build really long cables despite not even knowing if you need them.

Seriously, this thread is a waste of space, we arent here to persuade you not to waste your cash, we have given you the advice you asked for.
If all you are going to do is ignore it, why do you want more input from us?

Why on earth do you need to build the cables now?
Are they so exciting that you cant wait until you know what length they need to be?

Why is this even an issue?
Bizarre!
 
Houses usually have 10 gauge wire. Don't believe me then take out a socket and look at the wires. Length of cables don't matter unless there 100 feet plus. If you want to know how much of a difference then look up the awg table. Most of the post are just guess. Depending on how powerful your sub is you will want lower gauge. Mine as well go with 10 gauge wire since its the same gauge ran in your house. Anything thicker and their is no benefit. To lazy to bust out my electrical book and scan some pictures to be right.

They make 10 gauge extension cords for construction power equipment. You could get one and use that as a power plug for your subs. It would be fairly easy.
 
Nenu said:
I dont get it.
You make thread asking about decent lengths of cable that should be used .
You get some decent replies and you ignore everyone and still want to build really long cables despite not even knowing if you need them.
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Decent replies? Half of what I'm getting in this thread is shit like your post and the ones from bbf and Omegaslast that THINK they know what I'M ASKING better than what I do. I asked a simple question, and the only person that bothered to answer that I can see is wildfire (although others have chimed in useful information also), most of the rest of what I see are the posts from bbf, who doesn't know WTF he's talking about, and ones from people like you and Omegaslast that don't bother answering the question and instead question my motivation.

I'm not going to make it the minimum length it needs to be because I'm not going to be living in the same place for the rest of my life (probably not longer than 18 months actually) and therefore the minimum length is almost certainly going to change. Apparently you didn't think of that before you responded, smartass.

If you don't like a thread, F off and don't post in it. I expected to get a couple people saying 10' or 8' or 12' and then I'd probably make my cable that length and then this thread would fall off the face of the earth. I DID NOT expect to get bbf being a dumbass and trying to tell me what kind of speakers I have, and you and Omegaslast being jackasses and questioning my motivation. If this threads shit then as far as I'm concerned its your (and theirs fault), not mine. All I wanted was some info on what the average length of a sub power cable was. If you think I'm an idiot for asking then DON'T F*&(ING POST IN THE THREAD, all you're doing it is bumping it to the top and making more people post in it.
 
pArTy said:
Houses usually have 10 gauge wire. Don't believe me then take out a socket and look at the wires.
Click to expand...

15 amp circuits use 14 gauge usually, sometimes 12 gauge, and rarely bigger. 20 amp circuits use 12 gauge (rarely bigger)

I use 12 gauge when I wire 15 or 20 amp circuits. 10 gauge would be good for AV stuff for the lower resistance ground wire which will help lessen ground loop problems (if you use grounded equipment)

Out of my receiver, Emotiva amp, sub amp and crossover, only the receiver doesn't use a 3-pin plug.
 
pArTy said:
Houses usually have 10 gauge wire. Don't believe me then take out a socket and look at the wires. Length of cables don't matter unless there 100 feet plus. If you want to know how much of a difference then look up the awg table. Most of the post are just guess. Depending on how powerful your sub is you will want lower gauge. Mine as well go with 10 gauge wire since its the same gauge ran in your house. Anything thicker and their is no benefit. To lazy to bust out my electrical book and scan some pictures to be right.

They make 10 gauge extension cords for construction power equipment. You could get one and use that as a power plug for your subs. It would be fairly easy.
Click to expand...

10 gauge wire, IN the house? You might get 10 gauge into the fuse panel from the utility, but inside of the walls it is all 14 gauge, unless the electrician did a custom job. You perhaps do want to 'bust out my electrical book' and do some research on the matter.
 
Nenu said:
seriously f u, you are on my ignore list (the first!)
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good, if you think this post added anything to the thread:

I dont get it.
You make thread asking about decent lengths of cable that should be used .
You get some decent replies and you ignore everyone and still want to build really long cables despite not even knowing if you need them.

Seriously, this thread is a waste of space, we arent here to persuade you not to waste your cash, we have given you the advice you asked for.
If all you are going to do is ignore it, why do you want more input from us?

Why on earth do you need to build the cables now?
Are they so exciting that you cant wait until you know what length they need to be?

Why is this even an issue?
Bizarre!
Click to expand...

Then I'd rather NOT have you respond to my posts. To Nenu, bbf, and Omegas, go bugger yourselves, to the rest of you, thanks for the input.
 
Nicolaskl said:
good, if you think this post added anything to the thread:



Then I'd rather NOT have you respond to my posts. To Nenu, bbf, and Omegas, go bugger yourselves, to the rest of you, thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

Seriously, I have no idea what Nenu is trying to prove. If he doesn't like this thread then he should just ignore it.
 
dandragonrage said:
15 amp circuits use 14 gauge usually, sometimes 12 gauge, and rarely bigger. 20 amp circuits use 12 gauge (rarely bigger)

I use 12 gauge when I wire 15 or 20 amp circuits. 10 gauge would be good for AV stuff for the lower resistance ground wire which will help lessen ground loop problems (if you use grounded equipment)

Out of my receiver, Emotiva amp, sub amp and crossover, only the receiver doesn't use a 3-pin plug.
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The wire is already purchased (it's 12 ga IIRC). I know my receiver and the center channel aren't 3 plugs. I'm thinking the subs might not be either, but I can't remember for sure. When I get home I can check, the speakers themselves are in storage but I've got the amp out of one of them because it was blown when I bought them and had to have it repaired.

If I run different subs through different circuits is it basically guaranteed I'll get a ground loop? I've read about them before when I've seen others having problems with them but I've never run into the problem myself.
 
OP, the lengths you proposed in the first two sentences of your original post seem perfect. Even if they do seem a bit long you'll still be ready for what your new home throws at you. You may end up with a very long or wide living room. Or you may have the entire basement for a theater room, in which case you would definitely need the extra length. I agree that heavy guage power cables may be needed, especially at peaks.

My concern is what bbf posted in post #9. That's all you'd need, an unrelated accident and the fire investigators to discover those cables, then the insurance company catches wind and you're denied coverage ??? If that is true then it sounds like UL or CSA certified power cables can be considered cheap insurance. caveat emptor (or perhaps builder beware?). Unless i missed something somewhere and you have the correct wire and connectors?

Oh yea, for all those who think they're trying to help the OP, you're not helping by questioning his motivation, nor do the luddites help any either. People quickly lose interest in these threads because of all the nonsense.

Back to the topic....

Oh yea OP, that's a gorgeous set of infinity's (where's the jealousy emoticon? lol)
 
WTF is going on in here?

Run everything on the same circuit.

Have outlets installed right behind the speakers and subs and run short power cables.
 
SJetski71 said:
My concern is what bbf posted in post #9. That's all you'd need, an unrelated accident and the fire investigators to discover those cables, then the insurance company catches wind and you're denied coverage ??? If that is true then it sounds like UL or CSA certified power cables can be considered cheap insurance. caveat emptor (or perhaps builder beware?). Unless i missed something somewhere and you have the correct wire and connectors?
Click to expand...

It's all good quality stuff, from Parts Express. I have no doubt that the parts themselves are "up to code" but I don't know if myself assembling them would create a problem along those lines, I would hope not.

Oh yea OP, that's a gorgeous set of infinity's (where's the jealousy emoticon? lol)
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Thanks! The sad part is that I bought them 4 months ago or so and haven't been able to enjoy them at all yet. I bought them used and one of the amps was bad (repair cost is supposedly being covered by the company that I bought them from, but I haven't gotten reimbursed yet). So I had a few days with them minus a 12" woofer (and they were still very impressive) and then sent off the amp for repair. Now I've got the amp back but I moved so they're in storage until I find a more permanent place to live, which is killing me.
 
SJetski71 said:
My concern is what bbf posted in post #9. That's all you'd need, an unrelated accident and the fire investigators to discover those cables, then the insurance company catches wind and you're denied coverage ??? If that is true then it sounds like UL or CSA certified power cables can be considered cheap insurance. caveat emptor (or perhaps builder beware?). Unless i missed something somewhere and you have the correct wire and connectors?
Click to expand...

I can just about guarantee you that every single person that's posted in here has at least one but probably several electrical code violations in their homes. The insurance company will try and use unrelated violations as an excuse, but you can fight them and prove them wrong, but it's a major hassle. But they will always do everything in their power to deny your claim. They do not make money by giving people money.

I wouldn't worry about it. Besides, if there's a fire, the wires will be too melted to tell what they were and whether they were certified anyway. Also, I'm not convinced they even have to be.
 
Nicolaskl said:
It's all good quality stuff, from Parts Express. I have no doubt that the parts themselves are "up to code" but I don't know if myself assembling them would create a problem along those lines, I would hope not.
Click to expand...

I am sure that some cheap UL or CSA approved cables would be built with *much* lower quality (just look at the 88 cent extension cords at wal-mart) than carefully built custom cables, but the rules are the rules, no CSA or UL approval on any electrical appliance (which includes power cables) that is deemed responsible for a fire in the US or Canada == no insurance coverage.

Using approved parts doesn't make the whole device approved, the completed device must be sent for testing.

Just stating the facts. The risk is VERY LOW, but it is there. It's up to you to decide if it's worth the risk or not.

I'm an electrical engineer and have built cables for prototype devices, but will NEVER use non UL or CSA approved devices or extension cords outside the lab. At work, when the fire marshal comes to do the yearly inspection, they even ding the company for having extension cords plugged into other extension cords... the limit is one extension cord only.
 
So just a thought here, but maybe the reason you aren't quite getting the responses you want is because you aren't being all that clear/useful with your questions and because you are copping a big attitude to many people.

At any rate to answer your question my subwoofer power cable is 6 feet long. However it is a 2-prong IEC cord and as such I could replace it with one of any length I desire. However 6 feet is what came with the sub. 6 feet is pretty standard for IEC power cords. That's the length that came with all my amps, with my computer, monitor, and so on.

If you are asking how long can you make them, well it depends on the load and the acceptable voltage drop. 12 AWG wire has a resistance of 1.6 ohms per 1000 feet. So you can take your amperage load and figure out the voltage drop at various lengths.

For example if you have a 9 amp load (the maximum recommended per NEC for that gauge for power transmission) and a 50 foot cable, you'll have a voltage drop of about 1.5 volts due to the cable. In general you don't want cables to be longer than necessary as it is a waste of money and a waste of power.

As for code, no, your self assembled wire will not meet electrical code.

As a practical matter, it is probably not really worth your time to do this. You can simply buy cables of whatever length you need. Pacific Custom Cable will be happy to sell you IEC cables to whatever length you require.
 
I didn't realize that "How long is your subwoofer cable" was an unclear and mysterious question.

and because you are copping a big attitude to many people.
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Yeah, after they copped it to me.

Pacific Custom Cable will be happy to sell you IEC cables to whatever length you require
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Jiffy Lube would be happy to change my oil too. Some people like to do things themselves. Thanks a lot for the advice though, it comes as quite a surprise that there are retailers out there that sell power cables.
 
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