Sony SAVA-500 Home Theater Active Speaker System

Question 1

#1 What gauge of speaker wire is recommended for connecting speakers to a stereo system?

Answer

IMPORTANT: Some home theater surround sound systems use non-standard plug-in connections. In these cases, using separately purchased speaker wire is not possible, we recommend contacting the Sony parts and accessories department for assistance in ordering speaker wire with the correct plug-in connection for your home theater system. Go to Parts and Accessories.

Speaker wires that are anywhere between 12 to 16 gauge are most commonly used for connecting speakers to an amplifier or an Audio/Video (A/V) receiver. A lower-gauge number indicates a thicker wire, while a higher-gauge number indicates a thinner wire. Speaker wires with lower-gauge numbers are better at carrying an amplified audio signal.

When determining which wire gauge to use, consider how far away the speakers are from your amplifier or A/V receiver. Generally, for short speaker wire runs, a 16-gauge wire is sufficient. However, for longer speaker wire runs (to another room, for example), it is better to use a thicker, lower-gauge wire.

Question 2

#2 What is the difference between an active subwoofer and a passive subwoofer?

Answer

A subwoofer (sub) is speaker, that is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies most commonly referred to as bass.

Passive Sub:

Passive subs are called passive because they need to be powered by an external amplifier or Audio/Video (A/V) receiver . This is similar to traditional speakers. The important thing to remember about a passive sub is that since the sub needs more power to reproduce low frequency sounds, the amplifier or A/V receiver needs to be able to send enough power to sustain bass effects reproduced by the sub without draining the power supply in the A/V receiver or amplifier.

Active or Powered Sub:

This type of sub is a self-contained speaker and amplifier. The speaker and amplifier are matched to for optimal performance and both are housed in the same enclosure. This takes a lot of the power load away from the A/V receiver and allows the receiver or amplifiers to just power the mid-range and tweeter speakers.