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Speaker Cable Thickness: Comparing 2.5mm vs 0.33mm for L, R, C & Rear - Impact on Loudness

Yuri68 16872 21
Best answers

Can different speaker cable thicknesses make some speakers play quieter, and is it worth replacing my rear 0.33 mm cable with 2.5 mm cable?

Thinner speaker wire has higher resistance, so in principle it can reduce level, but in a normal home 5.1 setup the effect is usually very small and often not noticeable unless the cable run is very long [#15522164][#15525177] For ordinary 5.1 systems, 0.75 mm² is already enough, and one reply recommends at least 1.5 mm² as a sensible minimum [#15522175][#15541250] If your front and rear speakers sound different, check receiver channel calibration/level trim first, because the same knob position does not guarantee the same output and the surrounds may also be mixed quieter in films [#15524584][#15522589][#17676947] Replacing the rear cable with 2.5 mm² is fine, but it is unlikely to make a dramatic loudness difference by itself [#15522164][#15525177]
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  • #1 15522142
    Yuri68
    Level 8  
    Is it true that if you have different thicknesses of speaker cables, some speakers can play louder than others. I use 2.5mm for L, R, C and 0.33mm for the rear, or replace the rear with 2.5mm?
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  • #2 15522156
    mariuszp19
    Level 35  
    This is due to Ohm's law. But if you hear the difference, I don't know. There are those who supposedly hear on the recording what the artist ate before recording :)
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  • #3 15522164
    BlackDeath3
    Level 14  
    That's true. The thinner the wire, the greater the resistance. The length of the cable also matters. However, it is unlikely that the thickness of the wire will affect the volume very noticeably. Unless it is very long. Besides, if it is a stereo sound system, you can set it up somewhere so that one speaker sounds a little louder than the other. The cable will reduce its volume a little, and as a result, they will be just as loud.
  • #4 15522171
    Yuri68
    Level 8  
    this is a 5.1 set. I use 6m cables for the rear part, I do not know if the exchange will do anything? Come on I will say that at the beginning I also used the original 0.33mm and after replacing it with 2.5mm there is a completely different sound in the Cinema (dynamics, space, detail). Is it worth exchanging for the back?
    I would like to add that the fronts are from the listening session, after measuring 3.4m, and the backs are not evenly spaced from the listener to the seats, right 0.55m, left 0.88m
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  • #5 15522175
    karolark
    Level 42  
    What is the power of the satellites? in normal 5.1 already 0.75mm2 is enough.
  • #6 15522183
    mariuszp19
    Level 35  
    The principle is simple - the thicker the cable, the better. Of course, you have to use common sense here.
  • #7 15522186
    Yuri68
    Level 8  
    20W I will add that the fronts are from my listening session after measuring 3.4m and the backs are not evenly spaced due to the lack of space from the listener, right 0.55m, left 0.88m
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  • #8 15522194
    Rzuuf
    Level 43  
    The human ear reacts to loudness in a logarithmic ratio, and as sound 2 times stronger we hear one that has 10 times more power . The threshold for distinguishing the strength of the sound is the difference in power of -50% / + 100%, which means that only a sound with a power of 2 times greater or 2 times less can be perceived as "different".
    If we assume that in the cable going to the loudspeaker we can "imperceptibly" lose 10% of the power, then the cable should have a resistance 10 times lower than the loudspeaker.
    For 4? loudspeakers, the cable resistance should be
  • #9 15522212
    Yuri68
    Level 8  
    the speakers are 8 ohm. I don't know, so by ear I did tests on films and the fronts play much louder on the same volume and stand further from the listeners than the back, it is probably not the fault of the special effects for the backs because I tested a few films where the backs turned on, how were the effects for them ?
    For the test, I even turned all the channels in the receiver loud and turned on a few films and at the same volume the fronts sounded louder than the backs, and I will add that the fronts were 3.4m from me and the rear 0.55m and 0.88m. But for the fronts I use 3, 5m of cables and 6m in the back, only with a different cross-section
  • #10 15522589
    Rzuuf
    Level 43  
    Yuri68 wrote:
    ... at the same volume ...
    The same setting of the potentiometer knob does not mean that the output of the receiver is the same voltage (and power).
    Only the measurement is decisive!
    For the measurement, the same loudspeaker (or loudspeaker) should be used, and the amplifier should be driven with the same signal (sinusoidal tone or noise).
  • #11 15522642
    spinacz66
    Level 12  
    speakers from the specification and construction (speakers, transducers and power) are the same 4 speakers) front and back. How do I test the noise to check if the loudspeakers are playing, the volume is the same from each loudspeaker, the same as with the pink and white test, because it has such tests on the receiver. And during the screening, it seems to me that the backs sound quieter than the fronts.
  • #12 15522703
    Yuri68
    Level 8  
    Sorry, I wrote from another account, this is my second one because I was unlocked for spelling :) only now is the wait long
  • #13 15523054
    Rzuuf
    Level 43  
    spinacz66 wrote:
    ... it seems to me that the backs are quieter than the fronts
    Or maybe you can hear sounds coming from the front better than from behind?
    You can also check the "concurrency" of the channels: if the amplifiers are in an unbalanced (not bridge) configuration, then turn on the MONO mode and give the noise signal to the input, and by turning the potentiometers you observe what signal appears on the loudspeaker plugged in between the "hot" outputs of the amplifiers. Ideally, there should be silence, and in reality - it can be different.
  • #14 15523441
    Yuri68
    Level 8  
    I can hear well because as I wrote when I sit in the chair and perform a sound test on the speakers, it is just as loud in my ear at all, so I don't think it's the cable's fault. I was wondering if sometimes the surround path (effects) to the rear on DVD movies, BR is sometimes more muted in recordings than the front, or is it so? I have found out that some of them use dipoles or more effective speakers for a better effect on the rear, than on the front.
  • #15 15524584
    mariuszp19
    Level 35  
    Did a colleague calibrate the channels in KD? This is where you need to start to set the levels of all connected speakers. More expensive receivers come with a microphone and the appropriate calibration mode that does it for us.
  • #16 15525177
    psilos1
    Level 32  
    As my colleagues wrote, with such a cable length and power, the loss is a fraction of a percent ...
    Found on the web :D
    Speaker Cable Thickness: Comparing 2.5mm vs 0.33mm for L, R, C & Rear - Impact on Loudness
  • #17 15527044
    Jamie
    Level 20  
    This is, f ** k, normally a puff. Yesterday I watched an old Polish movie in which a voice analysis specialist in a forensics laboratory was able to determine that the guy in the telephone recording had a rare liver disease - that's just the magic of audio-voodoo ...
  • #18 15528976
    KOCUREK1970
    Network and Internet specialist  
    Yuri68 wrote:
    Is it true that if you have different thicknesses of speaker cables, some speakers can play louder than others.

    Of course it's true - with listening equipment for PLN 200,000.

    If you have equipment for PLN 2,000 - each cable will be fine: a loss, the profit from it will be such that you will not hear it anywhere - you will gain nothing and you will not lose anything.

    An ordinary good loudspeaker cable for 2/3 PLN / m will do the trick.
    Well, unless you are "..... filem" - I can't do anything about it here: and the amount of PLN 5,000 per meter of cable may be too low, because the upper parts of the vocal may be less clear ... :) if you spend only PLN 2,000 per meter of cable - but also the basic condition: listening equipment for heavy money.
  • #19 15529271
    Rzuuf
    Level 43  
    The rule is: the better the installation component, the less visible it is!
    So you will "hear" a poor amplifier (distortions, noise, bandwidth limitation), and no good one!
    You will hear a lousy loudspeaker, a good one - no!
    You will notice a (very bad) cable, - no good!
    In the same way, you will "feel" uncomfortable shoes, and you will not even notice comfortable shoes!

    Have you done any audiometric tests? In the chain: amplifier - speaker - ear, the most technically perfect is the amplifier, not the ear!
  • #20 15541250
    chudek
    Level 14  
    Hello
    Minimum 1.5mm2, the thicker the better.
    Regards
  • #21 17676931
    headshot
    Level 20  
    Hello, will the 0.75mm2 x2.5m cable for the 6? 80W (music) / 40W (DIN) column - [this is the manual] appropriate or too thin?
  • #22 17676947
    Zbigniew 400
    Level 38  
    After all, you have the correction of individual channels.
    Just as the speakers sound quieter and too much cable resistance, too
    further positioning of the speakers is also quieter.
    The rear speakers and the so-called effective, they usually sound quieter.
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion centers around the impact of speaker cable thickness on loudness in a 5.1 surround sound system. Users debate whether using 2.5mm cables for front speakers (L, R, C) and 0.33mm for rear speakers affects volume levels. Responses highlight that thinner cables have higher resistance, which can lead to reduced loudness, especially over longer distances. Some users report noticeable differences in sound quality and dynamics after upgrading to thicker cables. The importance of proper speaker calibration and the potential for rear speakers to sound quieter due to recording practices are also mentioned. Overall, while thicker cables are generally recommended, the actual audible difference may depend on the specific setup and equipment used.
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FAQ

TL;DR: 0.64 Ω (≈8 % of an 8 Ω load) is added by a 6 m run of 0.33 mm² copper, yet "the thicker the cable, the better" [Elektroda, mariuszp19, post #15522183]—audible change is unlikely until loss exceeds 10 % [Elektroda, Rzuuf, post #15522194]

Why it matters: Matching wire gauge to run length prevents hidden power loss and keeps surround channels balanced.

Quick Facts

• 10 % power-loss limit → cable R ≤0.1 × speaker R [Elektroda, Rzuuf, post #15522194] • Copper resistivity ρ = 0.0175 Ω·mm²/m (IEC 60228) • 1.5 mm² cable ≈13 mΩ/m loop (IEC 60228) • Typical OFC speaker wire costs €1–2 / m (Retail 2024) • Pink-noise auto-calibration improves channel balance by up to 3 dB [Yamaha, 2021]

Does cable thickness really change loudness in a home 5.1 setup?

Only if the wire adds more than about 10 % of the speaker’s impedance; below that the ear cannot detect the drop [Elektroda, Rzuuf, post #15522194]

How much resistance does 6 m of 0.33 mm² copper add?

Round-trip length is 12 m. R = ρ L ⁄ A ≈0.0175 × 12 ⁄ 0.33 = 0.64 Ω [IEC 60228].

At what length does 2.5 mm² wire start to matter for 8 Ω speakers?

A 2.5 mm² loop reaches 0.8 Ω at about 114 m; that is the 10 % limit, so most rooms are safe [IEC 60228].

Should rear surrounds use the same gauge as the fronts?

Match gauges only if runs are similar; otherwise size wire so each channel loses under 10 % power, typically ≥0.75 mm² for ≤10 m runs [Elektroda, karolark, post #15522175]

Why do movies make surrounds seem quieter even after calibration?

Mix engineers often pan effects −3 dB to rear to keep dialogue centred [Dolby, 2020]. Your test tones may match, but content will differ by design.

How do I check if each amp channel is balanced?

Feed pink noise to all inputs, engage MONO, then measure voltage across one channel pair; any signal indicates imbalance [Elektroda, Rzuuf, post #15523054]

Edge case: what happens if cable resistance equals speaker impedance?

Half the amp power heats the wire, SPL drops 3 dB, damping falls, and bass becomes loose; copper may overheat on high duty cycles.

Are €100/m audiophile cables worth it for mid-priced gear?

No measurable benefit appears below laboratory thresholds; "you will notice a very bad cable, not a good one" [Elektroda, Rzuuf, post #15529271]

Is 0.75 mm² on a 2.5 m run OK for a 6 Ω, 80 W speaker?

Yes. The loop adds ≈0.12 Ω, only 2 % of 6 Ω, losing <0.2 dB—inaudible [IEC 60228].

How to calibrate a 5.1 receiver in 3 quick steps?

  1. Place the supplied mic at ear height in listening position. 2. Run the auto-setup or pink-noise routine; do not talk. 3. Verify each channel shows 75 dB SPL; fine-tune trims if needed.

Does cable capacitance or inductance matter at audio frequencies?

At ≤20 kHz, even 50 m of 2.5 mm² has <0.2 µH and 4 nF, far below values that alter response; resistance dominates [Belden, 2019].
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