The 10 Best Gauge Speaker Wire For Car Audio Of 2024, Tested By Our Experts

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Best Gauge Speaker Wire For Car Audio
Best Gauge Speaker Wire For Car Audio

The Rundown

1. Best Of The Best: InstallGear 14 Gauge AWG Speaker Wire

InstallGear 14 Gauge Wire is durable and lightweight, great for outdoor and home audio installations. The copper-clad aluminum construction provides a good conductor for transmitting audio, which makes this wire the most economical option. It's easy to identify which wire goes where with the easy polarity identification, so you can get your system up and running quickly. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: GearIT Pro Series 14 AWG Gauge Speaker Wire

GearIT Pro Wire is a speaker wire that provides high performance and reliability. The wire is made of a premium copper core with a silver plated copper braid, ensuring high sound quality. The wire has a different design in the wires running in parallel compared to the traditional round wire, providing an increased stability and ease of installation. Read Review

3. Best Reliable: InstallGear 8 Gauge Wire AWG Car Audio Home Speaker Wire

This Wire is designed for maximum flexibility and durability. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the cable,Thicker cable presents less resistance to current flow,remaining lightweight with maximum flexibility. This rugged PVC jacket protects cables from harsh treatment, such as sunlight or other environmental conditions. Read Review

4. Best Flexible: GearIT Pro Series 16 Gauge Speaker Wire Cable

It is the perfect solution for your high-quality audio system. It's built from quality stranded conductors to deliver smooth, high-fidelity sound with consistency and reliability. The professional grade speaker wire cable has a length of 100ft and comes in a variety of colors to match your home decor. Read Review

5. Best Durable: InstallGear 16 Gauge AWG Speaker Wire

InstallGear 16 Gauge AWG speaker wire is the most economical option and provides a good conductor for transmitting audio. It allows free, wide, and seamless adjustment, flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance. This speaker wire is easy to identify which way it needs to be installed with its bright blue color. Read Review

When you’re installing car speakers, you want your wires to match the rest of your system so it sounds like a cohesive whole. But which gauge is right for car audio? You see, different wire gauges have different electrical resistance. That means they handle alternating current at different voltages.

So which size is right? In general, larger-gauge wire has lower resistance and works well with amps that are lower in output impedance. If you’re running multiple subwoofers or amplifiers from one switching amplifier, a larger-gauge wire will probably work best for you.

On the other hand, smaller wires have higher resistance and may require more power from an amp to sound good. If you plan on upgrading your wiring in the future or connecting additional components to your system, a smaller-gauge speaker wire may be best. Here’s everything you need to know about car audio speaker wires.

After lots of research based on customer feedback, We think the best gauge speaker wire for car audio is InstallGear 14 Gauge AWG Speaker Wire. With it is made from a premium stranded copper and a tinned copper braided shield to provide the highest quality audio cable materials for speaker wire. Consider GearIT Pro Series 14 AWG Gauge Speaker Wire as an alternative if you're still undecided. Other suggestions on this list are definitely worth considering, and we've put up a useful shopping guide to help you decide!

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 InstallGear 14 Gauge AWG Speaker Wire
Our Score:
9.9
InstallGear

EASY POLARITY IDENTIFICATION - This two color jacket allows for easy polarity identification. Making a polarity mistake could be damaging to your audio equipment.

RUGGED PVC JACKET - Allows free, wide and seamless adjustment of the required physical properties of this wire such as flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance.

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA) - CCA wiring provides a good conductor for transmitting audio. This is the most economical option when choosing speaker wire.

100-FEET (30.5m) [FROSTED BLUE/BLACK 14 GAUGE SPEAKER WIRE ] - The lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. Thicker wire presents less resistance to current flow.

SOFT TOUCH JACKET - The jacket on our cable is designed with the installer in mind. The flexibility of this jacket allows for easy routing and has a low memory.

TOP Choice #2 GearIT Pro Series 14 AWG Gauge Speaker Wire
Our Score:
9.8
GearIT

Preminum Speaker Wire – Use This Gearit Pro Series Speaker Wire Cable That’S Build Quality Stranded Conductors To Build This Professional Grade Speaker Wire Audio Cable

Advantage Of Cca (Copper Clad Aluminum) – Here Are The Facts About Cca Vs Oxygen Free Copper. Cca Wire Offers The Same Signal Frequency And Reliability In Terms Of Corrosion Resistance To Copper Wire. The Advantage Of The Cca Speaker Wire Is Lighter And More Flexible Than Copper Wire. The Cost Of Cca Vs Oxygen Free Copper Is Much Lower And You Can Enjoy The Same Functions And Reliability As Copper Wire Without Paying The Extra Cost For The Installation

Custom Installations – You Can Use This Speaker Wire To Pair With Banana Plugs, Spade Tips, Or Bent Pin Connectors To Connect Your Speakers To Your A/V Receiver Or Amplifier With This Gearit Pro Series Speaker Wire

Highest Quality Material And Tier 1 Manufacture Process - The Cable Is Made Of Cca Copper Clad Aluminum, Ensuring High Fidelity Sound Quality And Providing Maximum'S Conductivity And Durability Without Paying The Additional Cost. The Product Go Through Many States Of Testing To Ensure The Highest Performance And Reliability Of The Products

TOP Choice #3 InstallGear 8 Gauge Wire AWG Car Audio Home Speaker Wire
Our Score:
9.7
InstallGear

QUALITY WIRING FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT: Installgear's priority is providing high quality products for all of your wiring needs - car speaker equipment, home stereo system, RV trailer, solar panel wiring projects and more. Installgear is not responsible for improper use of gauge.

8 GAUGE 25-FEET (7.62m) BLUE CCA POWER GROUND WIRE: Top quality, true to gauge power ground wire generates the appropriate power transfer needed for your next wiring project. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the cable. Thicker cable presents less resistance to current flow.

RUGGED PVC JACKET FOR MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY & DURABILITY: Low memory, flexible soft-touch jacket material is perfect for routing in hard to reach places. Highly durable automotive grade wire (GPT) is resistant to extreme temperatures, liquid, oil, gas, abrasions and high impact.

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA): High quality stranded CCA wire offers strong power transfer performance, while remaining lightweight with maximum flexibility. CCA wire offers uncompromised quality at an economical price. Depending on the power transfer necessary, consider Installgear's premium Oxygen-Free Pure Copper (OFC) wiring options.

CUSTOM INSTALLATIONS – You can use this speaker wire to pair with banana plugs, spade tips, or bent pin connectors to connect your speakers to your A/V receiver or amplifier with this GearIT Pro Series speaker wire.

PREMINUM SPEAKER WIRE – Use this GearIT Pro Series Speaker Wire Cable that’s build quality stranded conductors to build this professional grade speaker wire audio cable

HIGHEST QUALITY MATERIAL AND TIER 1 MANUFACTURE PROCESS - The cable is made of CCA Copper Clad Aluminum, ensuring high fidelity sound quality and providing maximum's conductivity and durability without paying the additional cost. The product go through many states of testing to ensure the highest performance and reliability of the products.

PRO SERIES LIFETIME GURANTEED – We stands for the highest quality product and customer satisfaction. If you are not happy with the product in anyway we offer an easy return policy. All product come with our top rated lifetime warranty service.

ADVANTAGE OF CCA (COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM) – Here are the facts about CCA vs Oxygen Free Copper. CCA wire offers the same signal frequency and reliability in terms of corrosion resistance to copper wire. The advantage of the CCA speaker wire is lighter and more flexible than copper wire. The cost of CCA vs Oxygen free copper is much lower and you can enjoy the same functions and reliability as copper wire without paying the extra cost for the installation.

5 InstallGear 16 Gauge AWG Speaker Wire
Our Score:
9.3
InstallGear

RUGGED PVC JACKET - Allows free, wide and seamless adjustment of the required physical properties of this wire such as flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance.

100-FEET (30.5m) [ RED/BLACK 16 GAUGE SPEAKER WIRE ] - The lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. Thicker wire presents less resistance to current flow.

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA) - CCA wiring provides a good conductor for transmitting audio. This is the most economical option when choosing speaker wire.

EASY POLARITY IDENTIFICATION - This two color jacket allows for easy polarity identification. Making a polarity mistake could be damaging to your audio equipment.

SOFT TOUCH JACKET - The jacket on our cable is designed with the installer in mind. The flexibility of this jacket allows for easy routing and has a low memory.

6 GS Power 18 Gauge Speaker Cable
Our Score:
9.1
GS Power

Soft stranded copper coated aluminum CCA Zip Wire

Automotive Grade "GPT" PVC insulation. Oil & gas resistant. Temperature Range: -40 deg F to +176 deg F

Perfect for Radio, Home Theatre, Automotive, Stereo, Robotics and R/C applications

200 FT Red / 200 FT Black Wire Bonded Together (400 FT total). Pull apart easily

10 Gauge AWG

Bullz Audio Professional Platinum Edition Speaker Cable

Comes in Spool of 25 ft.

Ultra Flexible and high current

Oxygen Free Cable for maximum signal transfer

20 Feet Length is Ideal for 4-Speaker to Amplifier Installation

Save Installation Time - Only One Cable to Run.Ultra-Flex Outer Jacket for Maximum Flexibility

Easy Peel Jacket without Cutting Through Inner Wire Jacket.EIA Standard Color-coded for Quick and Easy Installation

High-Strand for Increased Sound Transfer

18-Gauge Color Coded Car Speaker Cable.Eight Speaker Leads and one Remote Tur-on Lead

12 Gauge (AWG) Premium Car Audio Speaker Wire for Connecting Speakers, Subwoofers, and More

Multi-strand Wire Design - 0.15mm x 189 Strands

Length: 30 Feet

Ultra Flexible and True to Spec Color Coded (Blue/Brown) Soft Touch Jacket with Matte Finish

Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA) 2-Conductor Wire allows for Excellent Signal and Current Transfer

Sky High Car Audio 16 ga AWG OFC speaker wire.

(1) 100 ft length

-If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Comes cut from spool and does not include the spool itself.

-All items ship same to next business day priority mail and will be to your door in 1-3 days.

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What Factors Should You Consider While Choosing best gauge speaker wire for car audio?

Getting to the best decision for a product purchase may take a bit of time. In a nutshell, we're available to serve you with your product problems at all hours of the day and night!

You can rest assured if you consider the following points before selecting best gauge speaker wire for car audio:

Resistance

Before you purchase any speaker wire, you must first look at its resistance. A speaker wire with a lower resistance means that the amplifier is able to send more power through the coil. Because speaker wires of this type have low resistance, they are shorter in length and thicker. It can cause a dangerous audible effect if the resistance exceeds 5% of the loud speaker's impedance.

Wire Material

Any speaker wire's wire material is made up of the conductor metal contained within its wire cover. Copper is a common choice for speaker wires due to its low cost and high conductivity. Copper can oxidize if it is exposed to oxygen, which can cause higher resistance. Copper is still the most efficient conductor of speaker wires. Although gold can conduct well, it's quite expensive so most people don't consider buying speaker wires with this metal.

Gauge

It is also known as the cross sectional area of the wire. The wire gauge is often also known as its thickness. You should be aware that speaker wire is generally thicker if it has a lower gauge than the other. Two acceptable gauge standards exist: the American Wire Gauge and the Standard Wire Guage. You should purchase a lower gauge speaker wire if you plan to place your speakers more than 50 feet from the amplifier. This will allow you to keep your resistance low.

Connectors And Wire Type

You can get speaker wires with or without connectors. It's your choice whether to buy a bundle or a raw wire package and choose your termination. If you do that, make sure to purchase a wire stripper/cutter. If your speaker uses circular sockets, a banana plug will work best. However, a pin connector is required for spring clip terminals (square-shaped clips that clamp onto the wire and slide up). Although you can use either bare or plated wires, they are difficult to manage.
You don't have to be concerned about the wire type if you run speaker wire between desk speakers or monitors on bookshelves. You should look for units rated CL2 and CL3 if you plan to run wire within your walls. You should only use wire that is rated for direct burial if you plan to run wire outdoors and/or underground.

Inductance

Inductance is the resistance that results from a change of electrical current. Inductance is a property of all conductors, including speaker wires. You might encounter resistance more frequently if your speaker wire is used in an area where electricity voltage fluctuates. To minimize resistance, it is best to use speaker wires of a lower gauge.

Capacitance

Capacitance is the capacity of conductors for retaining very little electricity. When electricity travels through conductors, small amounts of electricity are retained along the length of each wire. It can cause adverse reactions if there is an excessive buildup of electricity in these conductors. This can lead to an increase in resistance and damage to your speaker. You can reduce the likelihood of excess capacitance by using shorter speaker wires.

Price

It is a matter of debate whether higher-priced speaker wires are better than those at lower prices. There is general agreement that speaker wires of higher quality will perform better than lower-priced models. This conclusion comes from extensive listening tests, as well as research by audio professionals. The best speaker cables are those that fall in the middle price range. While the least expensive may be more durable, they will not have a greater impact on the audio quality. You should save some money on more important gear, like amps and receivers or interfaces.

Length

The measurement of the system is an important part in selecting speaker wire. However, this step has far greater impact than just visual appearances. The length of the wire will affect how resistant it is. Even though the effect isn't usually noticeable at long distances, it can significantly reduce sound quality. The longer wires can pick up interference from radios and static, which could affect a listener's enjoyment.

FAQs

What type of wire is best for a gauge speaker?

The best type of wire for a gauge speaker is stranded copper or silver-plated copper cable. The thicker the wire gauge, the better it will be for carrying the power of the speaker. If using for a high-powered speaker, make sure to use a thicker gauge wire (14-16 gauge) for best performance.

What gauge speaker wire should I use for my car audio system?

The gauge of speaker wire you should use for your car audio system really depends on the power of your system. Generally speaking, the higher the power of your system, the thicker the gauge of wire should be. For most car audio systems, an 18 gauge speaker wire is sufficient. If your system is more powerful, you may want to consider a 16 gauge or 14 gauge for optimal performance.

Is the gauge of wire important for car audio systems?

Yes, the gauge of wire is important for car audio systems. The thicker the wire, the more current it can carry. This means that thicker gauge wires can provide more power to your speakers, resulting in better sound quality.

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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.