Is there really a difference between audio wire and regular house wire? If you say yes then please explain, in understandable scientific terms why, or point me to a site that can.
yes. even bigger difference when you used it to wire the battry to the amp. The solid-copper house wire are design for high voltage and lov current. But, your car voltage is low, only 12 volts. Now see if you have a big amp and use 1000 watts. and calculate with the Power formula : P = V x I P stands for Power, V stands for Voltage, and I stands for Current. The currents you use in 12 volts equals 83.333 ampere. its a big current. now if you use the home voltage(220 volts) the currents equal 4.545 ampere. See the different? 83 ampere and 4 ampere. that is why the wire for car amp/subwoofer usually not use solid copper, but use hairsize copper. Of course not a single hairsize copper, but alot of it. I have a car with audio system. I use 1 swiss audio power amp 2000 watts and 2 poweramper 1500 rms Sub. and to wire the battery and the amp, I used a thumb size cable - hairsize copper.
Yes there is a difference because a amp needs a certian amount of amps to work. You can use any kind of wire, hell u can even use a coat hanger, what happens when you use the worng guage wire is you put a strain on the device. That is why amps run hot, or pop fuses, and you wont get the full potential of the amp, shorten its life etc.
Audio wire is marked to show + and - if you use house wire just make sure you get the polarisation + - correct. For 120 low voltage high amperage US systems the wire is plenty thick enough, for 230 volt low amperage UK house wiring not so good for a 12 volt system.
