Have you ever felt that something is missing from the sound experience you expected, even after spending northward of 100 grand on that premium audio equipment for your car or the extravagant home theatre system? It could be your speaker cable that’s not the right quality. A good quality speaker cable can take you from “it sounds so dope” to “OH MY GOD !!! I AM HAVING AN EARGASM”
You should look for not only the AWG of the wire and the length you need but also specs like the material of the wire.
- Is it made out of Copper Clad Aluminium (CCA) or Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC)?
- If it’s Oxygen Free Copper Speaker Cable, to what extent is it indeed oxygen free?
- What quality of the material is the Insulation made of?
- What is the Sound Latency?
Well, we asked these questions, and based on the answers - tried and tested - here are the ten best Speaker Cables that you can buy in India.
VALUECON® Premium 16 AWG OFC - Oxygen Free Speaker Cable
Made Proudly in India, VALUECON® Premium 16 AWG OFC Oxygen Free Speaker Cable goes pound for pound against any other speaker cable with the same specifications class. Except at a much more reasonable price. Available in 50 Feet, 100 Feet, and 328 Feet (100 meters) Variations, VALUECON® Premium OFC Speaker Cable is made from 99.8% Pure Bare Copper that is Oxygen Free. We performed the burn test, the sandpaper test, and the blade test and didn’t even notice discolouration, to our surprise. Hands-down, VALUECON® Speaker Wire is made of the finest quality copper.
Additionally, VALUECON® Speaker Wire also stands tall in single-strand and overall gauge check. The craftsmanship is also splendid, as the feather touch soft PVC insulation is quite rugged for all kinds of conduit installation yet flexible enough to make the job easy. There was zero distortion and a latency of 0.09 microseconds, which is surprisingly good. The trebles at high frequencies were exquisite, and bass lovers won’t be disappointed. We tested it in a 300 Feet layout, hooked to a powerful 150 W Home Theater System, and the vocals were as clear as they could get.
Advantage: VALUECON® 16 AWG Premium Speaker Cables are reasonably priced and an overall solid Speaker Wire both in terms of Sound Quality and Build Quality. Moreover, you can buy the cable conveniently from Amazon or INDIASELLS.com.
Drawback: Only 16 AWG Cable is available, although our sources tell us that 14 AWG Speaker Cables are in the pipeline. So once that’s released, finding a drawback will be a tough job.
InstallGear
InstallGear’s wire is made of copper-clad aluminum. The construction makes this cable flexible and suited explicitly to car audio panels. This set comes with 100 feet of wire that easily strips and fits into many different end clips without issues. Dual colors let you identify polarity easily.
Advantage: The Wire is quite flexible and easy to install
Drawbacks: Copper Clad Aluminium is a low-quality material for Audio Cable. However, this isn’t echoed by the eye-watering price of the cable. It is just as expensive as some of the Oxygen Free Copper Cable options available in India in 2022. Another drawback is that the Insulation on the wire is pretty thin. This drawback puts the durability of the cable in question.
Monochrome By Tono Systems
Tono Systems Recommends their OFC Speaker Cable - Monochrome for home theatre systems that require long lengths of audio cables. With an outer Jacket - these speaker cables are designed to last long, but we found that installing them can be a little tedious as they are the most flexible speaker cables on the market. Much like most other cables in this list, monochrome cables also come with polarity identification, with different colors of Insulation.
Advantage: We tested 100 m of 14 Gauge Wire with a Home Theater System. There was no sound distortion.
Drawback: Tono Systems wires are not readily available. You won’t find their cables on popular E-Commerce Platforms like Amazon or Flipkart. Nor do they sell it directly from their website. You need to reach out to them to buy the cable.
Elevn Flex Cu300
Made from Soft Insulation and no outer Jacket, Elevn Flex Cables are flexible yet decent in the sturdiness department. Made from Oxygen Free Copper - as they claim - the wire passes through a burn test and sandpaper test. However, we are not entirely convinced by the quality of the conductor. There was a lot of distortion in the sound over a 100-meter layout. There was a lot of chirping sound, unlike Oxygen Free Copper.
Advantage: Elevn Flex Cables are very flexible and easy to install
Drawback: Not genuine OFC cable as claimed. Even though it is not made out of copper-clad aluminum, as confirmed by a sandpaper test, the sound quality is not good enough for an OFC cable.
AmazonBasics 16-Gauge Speaker Wire
Amazon Basics is the most “Basic” Speaker Cable (Pun Intended) you can purchase for your music system. It’s relatively cheaper than other options on this list. Simply because it is a “Made In China” Copper Clad Aluminium Speaker Cable. Nothing is outstanding about the cable except that it is priced reasonably. The Insulation is decent. No outer jacket makes it fragile but flexible.
Advantage: Priced at about Rs. 30 Per Foot, if you are on a tight budget and need a smaller layout; Amazon Basics is good enough to get the job done
Drawback: Poor Sound Quality - Of all the cables that we have listed here, Amazon basics, expectedly so, performed the worse.
GearIT Pro Series 16AWG Speaker Cable
This is perhaps the most premium Speaker Cable on this list. This UL CL2 rated “Made in the United States” cable comprises Oxygen Free Copper, sturdy PVC insulation, and an outer sheath. Moreover, there is also a drain wire in this cable.
Advantage: This is one of the sturdiest speaker cables we have tested. We recommend this cable for in-wall installations.
Drawbacks: The first drawback is obviously the price. It is priced at nearly Rs. 100 Per Feet, you are bound to ask the question that is the GearIT Pro series actually worth it. We recommend GearIT Pro series cables for studios where you need in-wall installation. This cable is too fancy and extravagant when you don’t need sound recording.
MX Speaker Cable
Another reasonably priced Copper Clad Aluminium Speaker Cable - MX cables are suitable for a low current application. The sound quality is better than the other CCA cable in this list - Amazon Basics when used with a 12 Volt Speaker Systems. If you want to hook up a car stereo in an old family wagon, MX Speaker Cable will do the job.
Advantage: Reasonably Priced and sturdy enough.
Drawback: The cable that we received initially had breakages in between, and we had to get it replaced.
Monoprice Access Series
This is another CL2 Rated Speaker Cable on the list that is perfect for inwall installation and deep burial. This is an OFC - Oxygen Free Speaker Cable - and one of the best in terms of Copper Quality that we have tested. The Insulation and the outer Jacket are pretty thick, making it sturdy. Unlike GeartIT, this cable doesn’t come with a drain wire, which may result in earthing effects if the cable is not installed correctly inside the ceilings and the wall.
Advantage: Monoprice Cables come with the four-conductor option for bi-wiring high-end tower speakers.
Drawback: The outer Jacket is so flimsy and soft that we managed to strip it using our fingernails.
eXtreme Speaker Wire
Extreme Speaker Wire’s are a decent addition to any car speaker system. These cables are made out of pure copper and are built to block any outside interference to the audio signals, something that is a problem in car installation where you have a lot of electrical wiring running alongside your speaker cables. The PVC insulation is relatively rigid and built to resist electromagnetism.
Advantage: eXtreme Speaker Wire provide a distortion-free sound and a rugged cable for car installation
Drawbacks: You can order it from Amazon India, and it is shipped directly from the US. However, it is rarely in stock in the Indian Market.
C&E CNE683911 12 AWG OFC Speaker Cable
This is another CL2 Rated - Fire Resistant - Speaker Cable. This means it is approved for ceilings, flat boards, and in-wall installation, and it is stiff and sturdy enough to be installed in challenging environments without sustaining damage while pulling it through the conduit. Albeit, the stiffness of the wire makes it a little challenging to maneuver. Now coming to the sound quality, it’s average if you are a fan of bass and treble. Even though there was no distortion in sound, the notes were flat and lacked that oomph that Audiophiles love.
Advantage: Most reasonably priced CL2 rated Speaker Cable.
Drawbacks: Lack of Trebble and Bass
