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[Brandon G Romanowski]

Can I use CAT 5 cable to connect  10 watt 70V speakers together? 24 AWG seems to be ok for a reasonable distance and low current is there a reason not to use it ?

[Hal Bissinger/COMSYSTEC]

is there a reason not to use it ?

Because CAT5 is for computer data networking and you are installing speakers.    

That's a big peeve of mine- using CAT5 as a "universal" cable. I will concede that there are other legitimate audio and video applications for CAT5 UTP but it's usually the hacks and sparkies who use it for everything low voltage including doorbells, thermostats and yes, speakers. I make it a point to use the proper wire for the application, not something I happen to have or is cheap. To me there is nothing worse than looking up into a ceiling and seeing blue CAT5 used for everything. There is no way to tell data from phone or something else.

-Hal

[Brandon G Romanowski]

You make a strong point. I am actually not intending on installing. I posted this here because of the 70V aspect. My plan is to make small, very small portable 70V speakers that connect using cat 5.  

[Peter Etheredge]

Not exactly 70v but still runs off Cat 5:

http://isptechnologies.com/index.php?option=com_content& view=article&id=296:high-definition-distributed-system&a mp;catid=65:2010&Itemid=140

[Hal Bissinger/COMSYSTEC]

Peter Etheredge wrote on Mon, 22 November 2010 21:35

Not exactly 70v but still runs off Cat 5:

Self powered speakers with power and line level audio wired with telephone wire (CAT3 UTP) has been around for ages, most notably from Valcom. Valcom would argue with me but I always felt that this was a way for telephone system installers to get into distributed sound because it used wiring and methods that they were familiar with. Learning about real amps and constant voltage systems was not in their job description.

The equipment in the link you gave just lowers the bar even further by connecting everything up with CAT5 and 8P8C plugs. You can buy 10,50 and 100' patch cords everywhere. It just illustrates what I said above about CAT5 being used like duct tape. There is no reason a proper 2 pair cable couldn't be used with something like Phoenix connectors. But that would boggle the minds of the already brain dead.

My question is would CAT6 make it sound better?

-Hal

[Charlie Zureki]

Brandon G Romanowski wrote on Mon, 22 November 2010 20:21

You make a strong point. I am actually not intending on installing. I posted this here because of the 70V aspect. My plan is to make small, very small portable 70V speakers that connect using cat 5.

  ???
Stop being cheap and buy the right wire for the job.

 Hammer

[Hal Bissinger/COMSYSTEC]

Brandon G Romanowski wrote on Mon, 22 November 2010 21:21

You make a strong point. I am actually not intending on installing. I posted this here because of the 70V aspect. My plan is to make small, very small portable 70V speakers that connect using cat 5.

I see your point however I would probably want something more rugged than CAT5 for a portable application. Unless you use stranded patch cords you will have problems in short order.
You only need a pair of wires so 4 pair UTP is a waste also. Plenty of more flexible and rugged cables out there as well as connectors.

-Hal