Outdoor Speaker Wire
So you've finally decided to invest in a set of high quality outdoor speakers.
Congratulations! You will definitely fall in love with your new purchase.
Nothing beats listening to your favorite tunes sitting in the backyard on a lazy evening.
But of course, before you can do that, you have to get the speakers installed first.
And for that you, need to get the right outdoor speaker wires.
Your checklist for a speaker system should include a set of weatherproof speakers, an amplifier, and a length of burial grade speaker wire.
The first two are easy enough to understand; you wouldn't be reading this article if you did not have these in your possession already.
The last one - burial grade outdoor speaker wire - however, leaves most people scratching their heads.
The first question most people ask is: why can't they use standard wire available at any electronics store? What is so special about outdoor speaker wires? Standard speaker wires are usually made of a combination of copper and aluminum.
The better the wires, the higher the concentration of copper in this combination.
100% copper wires are the best conductors and result in the least amount of signal loss.
Your typical speaker wires will have two strands of wires with plastic coating around them to prevent them from coming in contact with each other and causing a short.
Further, most wires will have 2 conductors - that is, one positive (+) and one negative (-) end.
Burial grade outdoor speaker wire, on the other hand, has a special weatherproof coating.
This means that it will function and not cause a short circuit even in rain or snow.
The gauge is usually heavier than standard wires to impart greater durability, especially since these wires have to withstand extreme temperatures.
Moreover, you can get wires with 4 conductors as well - two positive and two negative terminals for the right and left speakers.
The main factor that differentiates outdoor speaker wire from its standard counterpart is durability.
These wires are designed to withstand heavy use and extreme temperatures.
With standard wires, you risk breakage, loss of signal, and short circuits - problems that won't plague you with wires for outdoor speakers.
Several companies make wires specifically for use with such speakers.
Monster, the reputed wire manufacturer, makes an entire series devoted to outdoor use.
But if you find these beyond your budget, you can even opt for the wire used in landscape lighting, though you may experience some signal loss with it.
Congratulations! You will definitely fall in love with your new purchase.
Nothing beats listening to your favorite tunes sitting in the backyard on a lazy evening.
But of course, before you can do that, you have to get the speakers installed first.
And for that you, need to get the right outdoor speaker wires.
Your checklist for a speaker system should include a set of weatherproof speakers, an amplifier, and a length of burial grade speaker wire.
The first two are easy enough to understand; you wouldn't be reading this article if you did not have these in your possession already.
The last one - burial grade outdoor speaker wire - however, leaves most people scratching their heads.
The first question most people ask is: why can't they use standard wire available at any electronics store? What is so special about outdoor speaker wires? Standard speaker wires are usually made of a combination of copper and aluminum.
The better the wires, the higher the concentration of copper in this combination.
100% copper wires are the best conductors and result in the least amount of signal loss.
Your typical speaker wires will have two strands of wires with plastic coating around them to prevent them from coming in contact with each other and causing a short.
Further, most wires will have 2 conductors - that is, one positive (+) and one negative (-) end.
Burial grade outdoor speaker wire, on the other hand, has a special weatherproof coating.
This means that it will function and not cause a short circuit even in rain or snow.
The gauge is usually heavier than standard wires to impart greater durability, especially since these wires have to withstand extreme temperatures.
Moreover, you can get wires with 4 conductors as well - two positive and two negative terminals for the right and left speakers.
The main factor that differentiates outdoor speaker wire from its standard counterpart is durability.
These wires are designed to withstand heavy use and extreme temperatures.
With standard wires, you risk breakage, loss of signal, and short circuits - problems that won't plague you with wires for outdoor speakers.
Several companies make wires specifically for use with such speakers.
Monster, the reputed wire manufacturer, makes an entire series devoted to outdoor use.
But if you find these beyond your budget, you can even opt for the wire used in landscape lighting, though you may experience some signal loss with it.
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