Spent a fortune on a speaker? Well, you shouldn’t let it go to waste by choosing an inappropriate speaker wire. 12 and 16-gauge speaker wires are usually chosen. 16 gauge is often preferred as it’s fairly thick and quite economical than the 18 gauge speaker wire.
The 16 gauge speaker wire works for some and for some it simply doesn’t. It does not work for most speakers for a variety of reasons.
Mainly, it fails to work up to the music lover’s expectation because the speaker wires can only handle certain watts.
Therefore, before ordering the 16 gauge speaker wire, we need to know how many watts it is capable of handling.
Since how many watts a 16 gauge speaker wire can handle has now become a burning question for you, here’s the answer;
How Many Watts Does a 16 Gauge Speaker Wire Handle?
As per my observation and calculations, a 16 gauge speaker wire is capable of handling moderate loads; like power less than 225Ws.
It can only be told by a professional how much “exactly” it is capable of handling as it greatly depends on the ohm rating of the speaker.
If I have to explain it simply, here’s how much a 16 Gauge speaker wire can handle;
A 16 gauge is not a “very” powerful option. Therefore, as stated above it can not handle a heavy load.
In other words, a 16 gauge speaker wire can hardly handle an 8-ohm speaker. It is because the experts suggest not to use a 16 gauge speaker wire for tasks more than 15 amps. 10 amps is a better option, it is safe as well. However, 15 amps should be considered a limit for a 16 gauge speaker wire.
In brief, A 16 gauge speaker wire is a speaker wire capable of handling moderate loads. To be more specific, a wattage of less than 225Ws.
In other words, a 16 gauge speaker wire can only handle an 8-ohm speaker. If your needs are bigger, an 18 gauge speaker wire is a fine option. For needs lower than 225W, 16, 14, and 12 gauge is not a bad choice.
