Power Cables: Brand Name vs Cheap No-Name

I originally purchased a cheap amp installation kit with a 4GA power cable for my new setup, thinking 4GA is 4GA and it doesn't matter who's name is on the jacket.

I decided to buy a second amp, so I bought a short piece of 8GA to run to each amp from a distribution block. I bought a few feet of a name brand power cable from a roll.

Eventually I opened up the amp kit and noticed the extra thick jacket on the power cable. Out of curiosity, I compared it to the name brand cable. This is a picture of the two, with the 8GA on the left, and cheap 4GA on the right:

http://www.drdesignz.com/images/PowerWire01.jpg

As you can see, the 8GA wire is the same diameter as the cheap 4GA!

I went out again and bought 24 feet of brand name 4GA, and this is what it looks like compared to the cheap 4GA:

http://www.drdesignz.com/images/PowerWire02.jpg

The jacket is the same diameter, but the cheap cable has half the wire! Note: the cheap cable does have 4GA written on the jacket.

Maybe I'm the only one surprised by this, and it could even be common knowledge, but I always thought there was no difference between cheap and expensive power cables. I mean, 4GA is 4GA. It's a measurement of the wire, not the jacket.

Anyway, lesson learned.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by amsterdamn

I originally purchased a cheap amp installation kit with a 4GA power cable for my new setup, thinking 4GA is 4GA and it doesn't matter who's name is on the jacket.

I decided to buy a second amp, so I bought a short piece of 8GA to run to each amp from a distribution block. I bought a few feet of a name brand power cable from a roll.

Eventually I opened up the amp kit and noticed the extra thick jacket on the power cable. Out of curiosity, I compared it to the name brand cable. This is a picture of the two, with the 8GA on the left, and cheap 4GA on the right:

http://www.drdesignz.com/images/PowerWire01.jpg

As you can see, the 8GA wire is the same diameter as the cheap 4GA!

I went out again and bought 24 feet of brand name 4GA, and this is what it looks like compared to the cheap 4GA:

http://www.drdesignz.com/images/PowerWire02.jpg

The jacket is the same diameter, but the cheap cable has half the wire! Note: the cheap cable does have 4GA written on the jacket.

Maybe I'm the only one surprised by this, and it could even be common knowledge, but I always thought there was no difference between cheap and expensive power cables. I mean, 4GA is 4GA. It's a measurement of the wire, not the jacket.

Anyway, lesson learned.

---

This is why I always use welding cable.

Yeah...

There really is a big difference but it only starts to matter when you get in to real serious stereo where sound quality is noticable but the sound and power quality is only as important as the signal being sent to it or the quality in the amp that's drawing the power so unless your planning to be involved in sound competitions the difference in sound in different grade wires doesn't matter.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by petey62782

There really is a big difference but it only starts to matter when you get in to real serious stereo where sound quality is noticable but the sound and power quality is only as important as the signal being sent to it or the quality in the amp that's drawing the power so unless your planning to be involved in sound competitions the difference in sound in different grade wires doesn't matter.

---

But do be carefuly because I had the wrong gauge wire and burnt the flippin crap out of the wire on mine. Coulda burnt the truck down too

True, too small power wire = very bad.

Knukonceptz.com very good product with good prices. I will only use this and American Bass power wire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by petey62782

There really is a big difference but it only starts to matter when you get in to real serious stereo where sound quality is noticable but the sound and power quality is only as important as the signal being sent to it or the quality in the amp that's drawing the power so unless your planning to be involved in sound competitions the difference in sound in different grade wires doesn't matter.

---

Dumbest thing I've heard since maze said his friend hit 168 with a single 13w7. You guys must hang out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pl4yboy

Dumbest thing I've heard since maze said his friend hit 168 with a single 13w7. You guys must hang out.

---

:laugh:
:rofl:

I love people who quote pictures that are right above them :toetap: You get what you pay for. I would not skimp on wire because it will only cause more headaches later on. And for real, Ducky's fuse holder was GONE! If you're buying car audio wire and don't know where to start, make sure that the wire you buy meets or exceeds the AWG ratings and matches the input size for the amp.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Duct_tape123

I love people who quote pictures that are right above them :toetap: You get what you pay for. I would not skimp on wire because it will only cause more headaches later on. And for real, Ducky's fuse holder was GONE! If you're buying car audio wire and don't know where to start, make sure that the wire you buy meets or exceeds the AWG ratings and matches the input size for the amp.

---

I do it just to bug you too. Welding wire is hard to beat when you're looking at larger gauges. They really have to meet the standard for safety reasons.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by petey62782

There really is a big difference but it only starts to matter when you get in to real serious stereo where sound quality is noticable but the sound and power quality is only as important as the signal being sent to it or the quality in the amp that's drawing the power so unless your planning to be involved in sound competitions the difference in sound in different grade wires doesn't matter.

---

Really?! So I can just use standard 14 gauge wire to power my amp? I never did like the big bulky stuff. Thanks for the heads up. Moron. Most of us like our trucks intact, not as smoldering heaps.

Why don't you learn to read I said different grade as in monster cable verses Walmart brand not gauge learn to read before you comment

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by petey62782

Why don't you learn to read I said different grade as in monster cable verses Walmart brand not gauge learn to read before you comment

---

While you're telling people what to do, I'll take a lesson from your grammar and speek leik thiz wit n0 punktuati0n.

Also, the difference in wire from one company to another makes no difference as far as sound quality. Wire has zero to do with sound quality when it's power wire. Don't be an idiot, stay out of the audio section.

One thing I am not seeing mentioned, as to proper wire guage, is amp draw. You only need a wire heavy enough to carry the amp draw from the amp. The budget wire may claim 4awg based on the jacket size, but they still have to put the max amp rating along with it. Best way to be safe is to know the max amp rating of your amp(s) based on internal fuse ratings, or as stated by the mfg. and aim above that. Most, I repeat, MOST good quality 4awg wire is rated to 125A at 20' lengths, some oversize and can do 150 at 20'. Above that your looking at 0awg, wich for the most part is good to 300-325A at 15-18'. This is all in pure OFC wire. If you get into CCA wire, it all goes down, eg. oversized CCA 0awg can go up to 20A at 20'. Just incase some didn't know.

Are we allowed to point and laugh on this board??


WTF.........

I worked in the Telecommunications field for a few years. The differance in the "same guage wire" was astronomical. On another note to this all sometimes the "cheaper" wire is made mostly of metal strands, and NOT copper. So you get a mix of copper and steel resulting in the same guage wire as the quality stuff you obviously pay more for. The "signal" is definitely compromised when you use the cheaper stuff. My boss found out the hard way when we had a systems crash on New Years Nite and he had to go in and fix the issue.

^ As long as it is copper, you're good to go. More strands is obviously better for carrying power. When it is a power wire for a sub amplifier, you aren't going to notice a difference in quality as long as they carry the same power. Subs don't need the perfectly clean signal that components and such do to sound good.