1. What is Speaker Wire Impedance?

The impedance of speaker wire is the opposition to alternating current caused by the wire's resistance, which depends on the wire material, length, and cross-sectional area.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the wire impedance equation:

Where:

• \( Z_{wire} \) — Wire impedance in ohms (Ω)
• \( \rho \) — Resistivity of the material (ohm·m)
• \( length \) — Length of the wire (m)
• \( area \) — Cross-sectional area of the wire (m²)

Explanation: The equation shows that impedance increases with longer wires and higher resistivity materials, but decreases with thicker wires (larger area).

3. Importance of Wire Impedance

Details: Wire impedance affects audio signal quality. High impedance can cause power loss and frequency response changes, especially in long cable runs.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter resistivity in ohm·m (copper is ~1.68×10^-8 Ω·m), length in meters, and area in square meters. All values must be positive.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's typical resistivity for speaker wire?
A: Copper is most common (1.68×10^-8 Ω·m). Aluminum is higher (2.65×10^-8 Ω·m).

Q2: Does wire gauge affect impedance?
A: Yes, lower gauge numbers mean thicker wire (larger area) and lower impedance.

Q3: When does wire impedance matter?
A: For runs over 15m (50ft) or with high-power/low-impedance speakers (4Ω or less).

Q4: How to reduce wire impedance?
A: Use thicker wire (lower gauge), shorter runs, or lower resistivity materials.

Q5: What's acceptable impedance for speaker wire?
A: Ideally less than 5% of speaker impedance (e.g., <0.2Ω for 4Ω speakers).