In order to get the most out of the best speakers, you need to think about what speaker cables you use. While most modern speakers will come packaged with matching cables, any audio enthusiast will tell you to upgrade them as soon as possible. Good quality cables aren't overly expensive, so it's a quick way to improve your listening experience.
Cables may seem like an excessive detail to focus on for some, but from small surround sound speakers to larger ones used for events, they play a key role. Easily damaged cables will drag down your audio quality, and if you have a floor-standing speaker that needs to be wired in, you could find yourself needing to replace them way too soon. As such, we think it's paramount to keep an eye on the best cables for your speakers.
Best speaker cables at a glance
• Best overall speaker cable - KabelDirekt Pure Copper Speaker Cable and Wire
• Best heavy-duty speaker cable - GearIT Pro Series 14 AWG Gauge Speaker Wire Cable
• Best speaker cable design - AudioQuest Rocket 11 PVC Speaker Cable
• Best budget-friendly speaker cable - Chord Company Leyline Speaker Cable
• Best professional speaker cable - GearIT 12AWG Speaker Cable Wire with Gold-Plated Banana Tip Plugs
Understanding all the different advantages of different speaker cables can be overwhelming, but it's absolutely worth getting to grips with. We're here to help clear it up and make it easy for you to decide which cable suits your speaker setup the best. Without further ado, here's our buyer's guide to the best speaker cables…
The best speaker cables
Best overall speaker cable
For those wanting a true all-rounder when it comes to a speaker cable, you can count on the KabelDirekt cable. Whether you have a large home theatre system or just need a simple bit of wiring, this is the generalist you've been looking for.
The PVC sheath keeps the wiring well-protected, but it is also flexible enough to allow you to snake it around furniture if needed. As such, it's an especially easy-to-install cable that even a beginner could handle. That said, it does take a bit of fiddling about to split it apart for connecting it.
Pros
- Durable yet flexible
- Easy to install
Cons
- Splitting it can be a bit tricky
Best heavy-duty speaker cable
One of the key benefits of opting for a high-quality speaker cable is that you end up with a much more durable product, and the GearIT Pro Speaker Cable is a fantastic example of that. The value of the cost-to-durability ratio here cannot be understated. It's a great speaker cable for home theatres.
Although the thick PVC protection comes with the benefit of ensuring the crisp audio produced by your speaker is rarely interrupted, there is one unfortunate drawback. The thickness of the GearIT Pro cable means it's easily one of the most difficult to hide neatly.
Pros
- Thick protection
- Very clear audio
Cons
- A bit bulky
Best speaker cable design
www.av.com
If you're after a more advanced design, then you'll likely be a fan of the AudioQuest Rocket 11 PVC Speaker Cable. It does take a bit more setup than a standard cable, but you can get some seriously impressive audio quality improvements out of this for such an affordable price.
What makes this cable so great is the true-concentric design it sports. True-concentric means that the layers of conductor wires within the cable are spiralled in alternating directions, thus reducing the amount of contact between them, resulting in improved sound quality. If you consider yourself an audiophile, we reckon you'll appreciate this pick.
Pros
- True-concentric design
- Brilliant value
Cons
- Takes a bit to set up
Best budget-friendly speaker cable
www.av.com
On the other hand, if you would prefer a budget-friendly option that won't break the bank, the Chord Company Leyline Speaker Cable has you covered. The compact design makes this an easy one to install.
Due to its small size, it isn't as durable as other speaker cables on our list. However, that also comes with the plus side that this is the easiest to hide and make look tidy. If you have a small speaker setup at your desk, this is perfect for you.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Compact size
Cons
- Not as durable as other options
Best professional speaker cable
The GearIT 12AWG Speaker Cable Wire may seem a bit odd-looking at first, but its design blends a bit of everything that you'd want to see in a professional sound setup. The banana plugs make it highly secure, ensuring that even if the speaker or cable gets knocked around, it's highly unlikely to disturb your audio. Speaking of disturbance, the oxygen-free copper wiring is designed to minimise distortion.
This is a clear winner for anyone with large speakers at home, but we think it really shines in larger spaces. If you're hosting an event in a wide room or outdoors, the power, durability, and reliability of this GearIT speaker cable makes it a must-have.
Pros
- Minimal distortion
- Secure connection
Cons
- Not as ideal for smaller setups as others
FAQs
Do speaker cables make a difference?
To the untrained ear, you might struggle to notice an increase in the quality of audio produced. However, a good speaker cable isn't there to strictly improve your audio quality, as one of the big strengths of investing in one is that it helps prevent the audio quality from deteriorating. That all said, if you have an ear for detail, you should notice that you can get a bit more power from your speakers with a better cable.
How to hide speaker cables?
Easily the most haunting aspect of cable wires is trying to hide a whole bundle of them. Cable management can be a nightmare, but there are a few ways you can keep things from becoming unsightly.
Firstly, there's the ever-reliable method of simply routing it behind furniture. It's not the most elegant fix, but if you're running a cable from behind a sofa all the way to your TV sound setup, it may be enough. For those with carpeted floors, you could even run the cable down the edge of where it touches the wall.
If that's not an option, consider installing cable cover cases along the lower part of the wall. This comes with the added benefit of protecting your cables from damage, so we especially recommend this if you have pets or young children.
Although, if installing a full cover sounds like a hassle, you could opt for electric tape. This should offer some solid protection as well, and if you go for a flat white shade, you could paint it over to match the colour of your wall.
What length to go for?
As a general rule, the longer the cable length, the more the quality matters. Simply put, the further power has to travel, the less the speaker gets. Unless you've got an especially talented ear, the difference shouldn't be too noticeable when sticking to 10ft and below. If you can keep the length to one or two metres, that is ideal, but going to five or above is fine if your setup demands the extra space.
Kyle Purves is a Commercial Content Writer for What's The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.
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