non-shielded speaker cables

[esandes]

so marshall recommends not using shielded speaker cables. i just picked this cable up...
http://planetwaves.com/pwProductDet...id=41&productname=Custom_Series_Speaker_Cable

and the store clerk said that it's not shielded. in the web page it says it has two layers of shielding.

i don't know if this is the right cable now.

 

[esandes]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

on the packaging it doesn't show the metal screen shrouding that's often used for guitar patch cables. it shows the wire wrapped in plastic and it shows a plastic covering over the wrapped wires. i assume they mean two layers of plastic shielding.

the thing is to avoid metal shielding, right? so i should be good with this cable?

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

Speaker cables is equivalent to lamp cord with a couple of 1/4 phone plugs. There's no shielding needed. Just two stands of wire of decent thickness...say 16 gauge to 12 gauge.

The PW cables are over kill. Use the shortest cable that's practical for your application. You probably don't need more than 4 feet.

 

[esandes]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

Speaker cables is equivalent to lamp cord with a couple of 1/4 phone plugs. There's no shielding needed. Just two stands of wire of decent thickness...say 16 gauge to 12 gauge.

The PW cables are over kill. Use the shortest cable that's practical for your application. You probably don't need more than 4 feet.

i did get the 5' one. that's all i need.

on the box it looks like this..

i think that's what they mean by double layer of shielding.

the store did also have the types of cables you described..like a power cable to a lamp.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

You absolutely should not use a shielded instrument cable for an amp to speaker connection. They are differently designed because they are conducting completely different voltages.

 

[esandes]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

i know. i'm heeding the advice but the cable makers don't make it easy to follow. they should say, specifically, that they are not shielded with a metal insulator. i think the metal insulation, plus the low current capability of the "shielded" instrument cable will cause issues.

 

[jeremy]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

the wire in the pic looks fine

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

"Plastic shielding" isn't shielding. It's insulation, and it has no electromagnetic shielding properties. It's there to protect the conductors and keep them from shorting against each other and against other conductors. There's no shielding unless it's a wire/metal braid, screen, or foil.

 

[BrianS.]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

Yeah, the product description on their site does make it sound like the cable is shielded, which doesn't make sense.

 

[Hellion]

Re: non-shielded speaker cables

It may be that they're speaking about a separate layer of "shielding" over the two cables which would normally be by themselves. If it says that it's speaker cable on the package, I'd be willing to take them at their word. The "shielding" that they would be then talking about seems superfluous to me, but then, Monster cables make a lot of money making people think that they've got something revolutionary, too.