Choosing The Right Outdoor Speaker Wire

Setting up an outdoor speaker system is very similar to setting up a speaker system indoors. There are a couple of major differences, however. One is that you will have to connect your outdoor speakers to your indoor amp, usually either via the corner of a window or by drilling a hole through the wall.

The other major difference is the type of wire you use. The wire that connects outdoor speakers to your amp will be exposed to much harsher conditions than the wire you use to connect your indoor speakers, and it will also likely have to cover more ground. That means you will have to take a bit more care when choosing the right outdoor speaker wire. 

Choose your cable wisely. Make sure to buy wire that’s rated for outdoor use. It’s worth spending a bit more for high-quality cable because the cable you use for outdoor speakers will have to stand up to the elements. You want a cable that can resist the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays as well as extremes in temperature. Your outside wire has to be able to withstand rain and snow and everything else Mother Nature can throw at it. By spending a little extra on cable at the outset, you’ll save yourself time and money in the long run, because you won’t have to replace cable as often.

At Outdoor Speaker Depot, we suggest using the outdoor and in-wall rated, weather-resistant speaker cable that we carry for optimal performance and durability. These cables have double the insulation of typical cables, giving them added protection. Made with a white polyethylene jacket, they resist heat and the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. Their superior insulation and materials mean you can run them outside or in walls without fear of failure. You can even bury these tough cables in the ground with no worries, although some people like to encase buried cables in a piece of PVC tubing — not to protect the wires from the elements so much as to protect them from man. The hard shell of the PVC tubes guards against accidental breakage from shovels and other tools when someone digs in the wrong place. 

When choosing wire, you’ll also need to select the right wire gauge. Remember that with wire gauge, the bigger the number, the thinner the wire, and the shorter the run. Use 16-gauge wire for runs of 80 feet and less. For runs of 80 to 200 feet, step up a notch to 14-gauge wire. If you plan to go out more than 200 feet, opt for 12-gauge wire.