Home > categories > Electrical Equipment & Supplies > Power Cables > Why does car Audio power cable have such thick insulation?
Question:

Why does car Audio power cable have such thick insulation?

Welding cable (230v) doesn't, so why would (14v) car audio cables

Answer:

it as a lot of current run thru it help to keep other thingsd from burning a long with the cable it self its amps not volts
Some car audio power cables have extra-thick insulation because the manufacturer is trying to sell them as larger than the actual wire gauge. These types of rip-off amp kits are often sold by online vendors. Amplifier power cables have to be very flexible, very resistant to temperature extremes, resistant to oil and gas, and they're typically designed to be used in an environment with lots of sharp metal edges. A thick, flexible jacket is preferable to a thin jacket that might crack when it's flexed in cold temperatures.
Well....that depends on how big the amp is. An extension cord has either 2 or three wires inside at somewhere between 16 and 12 gauge wire. You could twist all the conductors together and be good up to about 40 amps with three 12 gauge wires. The issue with amplifiers is current not voltage. The thicker the wire the more current it will handle. Most any wire you buy is rated at least 120V. Check what size fuse the amp requires, if it is more than 30 to 40 amps I would buy the right size single wire for the amp. Also, fuse the wire at the battery. Fire is not our friend. :)
RCA Cables: These are the cables used to transfer pre-amp (line level) signals. Usually, you use this type of cable for unamplified signals such as the connection between your head unit and amp or crossovers/eqs. Look for appropriate thickness and shielding. The end connectors should be sturdy to prevent breakage from stress. Some claim that very expensive cable makes a difference in sound quality. I do not think so, do not spend more than $1/foot. You may need to spend more to get cables that are more immune to noise if you have that problem in your car
Voltage is not your main enemy when dealing with electricity. It's current or amps that are the main concern. You can think of it like a water hose, the V is the speed of the water, the A is the amount. Take Ohm's law for example. Say we have an amp that's producing 1000W With a 230V power system we have 4.3A, with a 14V power system we have 71A. That's a lot of amperage. Car power cables have a thick jacket to prevent shorts, shorts are bad. If you had a large cable going from one end of your car to the other, without a fuse. (lot's of people don't fuse correctly) If that cable comes in contact with the metal of the car it's going to short and that whole cable is going to get red hot and burn your car to the ground.

Share to: