The 10 Best Car Audio Cables Of 2024, Researched By Us

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Best Car Audio Cables
Best Car Audio Cables

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: GearIT 8 Gauge Wire Audio Cable

With its superb temperature resistance, you never have to worry about these audio cables wearing out over time. Featuring color-coded jackets that prevent shock and damage to equipment, as well as having wide compatibility for a variety of devices. Read Review

2. Best Choice: AOTORUA 8 Gauge Wire 35 Feet Audip Cable

Premium sound quality, low resistance CCA conductor, lifetime warranty, more flexibility, resistance to bending, premium speaker conductor parallel. Compatible with most speakers and audio gear. Easy to tear without leaking copper. Read Review

3. Best Reliable: Conext Link MSC918-20 20 Feet 9 Audio Cable

The Conext MSC91820 9-Channel Audio Cable is a special 20-foot 9-channel audio cable that is usually used primarily for OEM integration. It contains enough wire strands for 4 speakers and an amplifier turn-on wire, with the wire strands color-coded to match the standard aftermarket wires. Read Review

4. Best Versatile: GearIT 4 Gauge Wire Audio Cable

Designed to protect your equipment while also having wide compatibility with multiple devices, this 4 Gauge Wire 25' Audio Cable is the perfect device. Featuring a color-coded jacket and fuse holder, this wire is a must-have for anyone. Read Review

5. Best Affordable: Skar Audio 17-Foot 2-Channel Twisted pair Audio Cable

Looking for an audiophile-grade cable? The Skar Audio 17-Foot 2-Channel Twisted pair Audio Cable delivers a smooth, consistent, and high-quality sound. The split tip connectors are platted in silver to ensure that the best signal and sound are transferred. Read Review

Whether you’re upgrading your car audio system or simply buying the first one, it’s likely that you have some concerns about which cables to buy. Car audio is incredibly personal, and there are many different factors that go into what type of sound we like. In order to get the best possible sound from your new set-up, you need the right cables.

The answer might seem obvious: headphiles will probably want to invest in top-notch speaker cables and a high-quality digital cable for their home stereo system. But which car audio cables are worth buying? Here’s our list of the best car audio cables for your money.

You can count on our team of experts, who have spent over multiple hours conducting results through real customer reviews. Because of this, We came to the conclusion that the best car audio cable is the GearIT 8 Gauge Wire Audio Cable. GearIT 8 Gauge Wire, with its superb temperature resistance, you never have to worry about these audio cables wearing out over time. Featuring color-coded jackets that prevent shock and damage to equipment, as well as having wide compatibility for a variety of devices. And AOTORUA 8 Gauge Wire 35 Feet Audip Cable is another choice for you while keeping the product's quality and functionality.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 GearIT 8 Gauge Wire Audio Cable
Our Score:
9.7
GearIT

SOFT TOUCH JACKET - Soft touch jacket design designed for the electrical and auto repair installer in mind. Strong, yet durable pvc jacket that is best for indoor use but has flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance built in.

POWER / GROUND WIRE SET - Our bundled power wire set is great for a car amplifier or subwoofer or to be used as a ground wire on your electric wire installs. Use for many different applications such as indoor lighting, car radio, automotive, lighting, car speakers, power cables, 12v power inverter, ground wire, or welding cable.

WIDE COMPATIBILITY - Also known as power wire, ground wire, trolling motor wire, automotive wire, speaker wire, car radio wire, amp wire, electrical wire, or welding wire designed for up to 300v voltage. We have many gauge wires to choose from, such as 1/0awg, 4awg, 8awg with black, red, blue wire color options and 25ft, 50ft lengths

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA) - Our primary cable CCA wire is the most economical option for choosing power or ground wire and is a great conductor of power. Copper coated aluminum gives you an economic power cable with excellent power transfer. Systems that require more power should use ofc cable wiring.

EASY POLARITY IDENTIFICATION - Easy color coded ground wire helps with installation to let you know which cable should connect to the terminal. Making a polarity error could cause serious damage to your audio equipment.

TOP Choice #2 AOTORUA 8 Gauge Wire 35 Feet Audip Cable
Our Score:
9.5
AOTORUA

APPLICABLE TO - Frosted Green & Black wire is widely used for various DC electrical hookups, 12V/24V DC, all single color LED strip lights, low voltage cables, low-loss in-home or car stereo installs and great for in-home applications as well as automotive, schools, churches, auditoriums or business settings.

PREMINUM FROSTED GREEN & BLACK WIRE - Premium Conductor and Elasticity Jacket-Matte Finishing, good conductivity, high mechanical strength features. Environmental protection PVC Raw materials. The PVC bush is very even and very thick, which could prevent electric leakage better than others, high pressure resistance, excellent performance in anti-corrosive, flame retardant, anti-aging and dampproof.

PACKAGE INCLUDES: 35 Feet / spool (35FT Green & 35FT Black), actual length is 10.7m, longer than described, stranding structure makes it flexible and easy to install. We strive to provide each customer with the highest standard of customer service to ensure you have a pleasant shopping experience. If you have any issues, inquiries or need assistance, please feel free to contact us directly.

ADVANTAGE of COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM: Here are the facts about CCA vs OFC. CCA wire offers the same signal frequency and reliability in terms of corrosion resistance to copper wire. The advantage of the CCA wire is lighter and more flexible than copper wire. The cost of CCA vs Oxygen free copper is much lower and you can enjoy the same functions and reliability as copper wire without paying the extra cost for the installation.

EASY & GREAT TO USE: It's easy to strip and cut into any length based on needs. Wire comes wrapped around a hard plastic spool that makes dispensing convenient. 2 jacket colors make for quick and easy to distinguish the polarity & numbered markings for accuracy.

TOP Choice #3 Conext Link MSC918-20 20 Feet 9 Audio Cable
Our Score:
9.3
Conext Link

9 Stranded OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) Conductors in 18 Gauge

Used Primarily for OEM Integration

Color Coded to Match the Standard Aftermarket Wires

Enclosed in an Outer PVC Blue Jacket, Ultra Flex

Contains Enough Wire strands for 4 Speakers and an Amplifier Turn-On Wire

4 GearIT 4 Gauge Wire Audio Cable
Our Score:
9.2
GearIT

EASY POLARITY IDENTIFICATION - Easy color coded ground wire helps with installation to let you know which cable should connect to the terminal. Making a polarity error could cause serious damage to your audio equipment.

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA) - Our primary cable CCA wire is the most economical option for choosing power or ground wire and is a great conductor of power. Copper coated aluminum gives you an economic power cable with excellent power transfer. Systems that require more power should use ofc cable wiring.

POWER / GROUND WIRE SET - Our bundled power wire set is great for a car amplifier or subwoofer or to be used as a ground wire on your electric wire installs. Use for many different applications such as indoor lighting, car radio, automotive, lighting, car speakers, power cables, 12v power inverter, ground wire, or welding cable.

SOFT TOUCH JACKET - Soft touch jacket design designed for the electrical and auto repair installer in mind. Strong, yet durable pvc jacket that is best for indoor use but has flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance built in.

WIDE COMPATIBILITY - Also known as power wire, ground wire, trolling motor wire, automotive wire, speaker wire, car radio wire, amp wire, electrical wire, or welding wire designed for up to 300v voltage. We have many gauge wires to choose from, such as 1/0awg, 4awg, 8awg with black, red, blue wire color options and 25ft, 50ft lengths

17 Ft 2-Channel Audiophile Grade RCA Interconnect Cable

Utilizing 99. 99% Oxygen Free Multi-Strand Copper Wire Construction

Precision Machined Color Coded Metal Ends (Red & White Band Identifiers)

Featuring Twisted Pair Technology For Maximum Signal Transfer

Matte Blue Finish with Max Flex Jacket for Ultimate Wire Flexibility

High Performance | Made for Audiophiles Seeking Excellence

6 InstallGear 16 Gauge AWG Speaker Wire
Our Score:
8.9
InstallGear

SOFT TOUCH JACKET - The jacket on our cable is designed with the installer in mind. The flexibility of this jacket allows for easy routing and has a low memory.

EASY POLARITY IDENTIFICATION - This two color jacket allows for easy polarity identification. Making a polarity mistake could be damaging to your audio equipment.

RUGGED PVC JACKET - Allows free, wide and seamless adjustment of the required physical properties of this wire such as flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance.

100-FEET (30.5m) [ RED/BLACK 16 GAUGE SPEAKER WIRE ] - The lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. Thicker wire presents less resistance to current flow.

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA) - CCA wiring provides a good conductor for transmitting audio. This is the most economical option when choosing speaker wire.

POWER / GROUND WIRE SET - Our bundled power wire set is great for a car amplifier or subwoofer or to be used as a ground wire on your electric wire installs. Use for many different applications such as indoor lighting, car radio, automotive, lighting, car speakers, power cables, 12v power inverter, ground wire, or welding cable.

WIDE COMPATIBILITY - Also known as power wire, ground wire, trolling motor wire, automotive wire, speaker wire, car radio wire, amp wire, electrical wire, or welding wire designed for up to 80v voltage. We have many gauge wires to choose from, such as 10awg, 12awg, 14awg, 16awg with black, red, blue, yellow wire color options and 50ft, 100ft, 150ft, 200ft lengths

EASY POLARITY IDENTIFICATION - Easy color coded ground wire helps with installation to let you know which cable should connect to the terminal. Making a polarity error could cause serious damage to your audio equipment. Package Contents: includes 1 x Black wire and 1 x Red wire as an electrical wire kit.

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA) - Our primary cable CCA wire is the most economical option for choosing power or ground wire and is a great conductor of power. Copper coated aluminum gives you an economic power cable with excellent power transfer. Systems that require more power should use ofc cable wiring.

SOFT TOUCH JACKET - Soft touch jacket design designed for the electrical and auto repair installer in mind. Strong, yet durable pvc jacket that is best for indoor use but has flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance built in.

10 Gauge Pure Copper 25 ft Red & 25 ft Black Bonded (50' total) Dual Conductor Zip Cable

IMPORTANT: DO NOT use for building/household 110/220 V ac wiring

30 AWG (0.25 mm) strands | 109 strands | PVC Rated to 105 C | 6-80VDC

Perfect for Car Audio Radio, Home Theater, 12V Automotive, Amplifier Remote, Model Train, low voltage LED light

9 GS Power 18 Gauge Audio Cable
Our Score:
8.0
GS Power

Perfect for Radio, Home Theatre, Automotive, Stereo, Robotics and R/C applications

Automotive Grade "GPT" PVC insulation. Oil & gas resistant. Temperature Range: -40 deg F to +176 deg F

Soft stranded copper coated aluminum CCA Zip Wire

200 FT Red / 200 FT Black Wire Bonded Together (400 FT total). Pull apart easily

COPPER CLAD ALUMINUM (CCA): High quality stranded CCA wire offers strong power transfer performance, while remaining lightweight with maximum flexibility. CCA wire offers uncompromised quality at an economical price. Depending on the power transfer necessary, consider Installgear's premium Oxygen-Free Pure Copper (OFC) wiring options.

8 GAUGE 25-FEET (7.62m) BLUE CCA POWER GROUND WIRE: Top quality, true to gauge power ground wire generates the appropriate power transfer needed for your next wiring project. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the cable. Thicker cable presents less resistance to current flow.

RUGGED PVC JACKET FOR MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY & DURABILITY: Low memory, flexible soft-touch jacket material is perfect for routing in hard to reach places. Highly durable automotive grade wire (GPT) is resistant to extreme temperatures, liquid, oil, gas, abrasions and high impact.

QUALITY WIRING FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT: Installgear's priority is providing high quality products for all of your wiring needs - car speaker equipment, home stereo system, RV trailer, solar panel wiring projects and more. Installgear is not responsible for improper use of gauge.

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What to Look For in a best car audio cables?

Some consumers are concerned about ordering best car audio cables. Various aspects should always be explored before making big product choices. Our expertise on best car audio cables will help determine the best possible decision.

Please keep in mind the following points before selecting best car audio cables:

Wire Material

Any speaker wire's wire material is made up of the conductor metal contained within its wire cover. Copper is a common choice for speaker wires due to its low cost and high conductivity. Copper can oxidize if it is exposed to oxygen, which can cause higher resistance. Copper is still the most efficient conductor of speaker wires. Although gold can conduct well, it's quite expensive so most people don't consider buying speaker wires with this metal.

Gauge

It is also known as the cross sectional area of the wire. The wire gauge is often also known as its thickness. You should be aware that speaker wire is generally thicker if it has a lower gauge than the other. Two acceptable gauge standards exist: the American Wire Gauge and the Standard Wire Guage. You should purchase a lower gauge speaker wire if you plan to place your speakers more than 50 feet from the amplifier. This will allow you to keep your resistance low.

Length

The measurement of the system is an important part in selecting speaker wire. However, this step has far greater impact than just visual appearances. The length of the wire will affect how resistant it is. Even though the effect isn't usually noticeable at long distances, it can significantly reduce sound quality. The longer wires can pick up interference from radios and static, which could affect a listener's enjoyment.

Resistance

Before you purchase any speaker wire, you must first look at its resistance. A speaker wire with a lower resistance means that the amplifier is able to send more power through the coil. Because speaker wires of this type have low resistance, they are shorter in length and thicker. It can cause a dangerous audible effect if the resistance exceeds 5% of the loud speaker's impedance.

Connectors And Wire Type

You can get speaker wires with or without connectors. It's your choice whether to buy a bundle or a raw wire package and choose your termination. If you do that, make sure to purchase a wire stripper/cutter. If your speaker uses circular sockets, a banana plug will work best. However, a pin connector is required for spring clip terminals (square-shaped clips that clamp onto the wire and slide up). Although you can use either bare or plated wires, they are difficult to manage.
You don't have to be concerned about the wire type if you run speaker wire between desk speakers or monitors on bookshelves. You should look for units rated CL2 and CL3 if you plan to run wire within your walls. You should only use wire that is rated for direct burial if you plan to run wire outdoors and/or underground.

Price

It is a matter of debate whether higher-priced speaker wires are better than those at lower prices. There is general agreement that speaker wires of higher quality will perform better than lower-priced models. This conclusion comes from extensive listening tests, as well as research by audio professionals. The best speaker cables are those that fall in the middle price range. While the least expensive may be more durable, they will not have a greater impact on the audio quality. You should save some money on more important gear, like amps and receivers or interfaces.

Capacitance

Capacitance is the capacity of conductors for retaining very little electricity. When electricity travels through conductors, small amounts of electricity are retained along the length of each wire. It can cause adverse reactions if there is an excessive buildup of electricity in these conductors. This can lead to an increase in resistance and damage to your speaker. You can reduce the likelihood of excess capacitance by using shorter speaker wires.

Inductance

Inductance is the resistance that results from a change of electrical current. Inductance is a property of all conductors, including speaker wires. You might encounter resistance more frequently if your speaker wire is used in an area where electricity voltage fluctuates. To minimize resistance, it is best to use speaker wires of a lower gauge.

FAQs

What type of car audio cables do I need?

The type of car audio cables you need will depend on the type of car stereo system you have. Generally, you will need either RCA cables, speaker wire, or a combination of both. RCA cables are used to connect the outputs from the head unit to the amplifiers and the inputs to the head unit from the CD changer or other sources. Speaker wire is used to connect the amplifier to the speakers.

How do I know which car audio cables to buy?

You’ll need to know the make and model of your car stereo system in order to determine what type of car audio cables you need. Additionally, you’ll also need to know the power and impedance ratings of the speakers and amplifiers in order to ensure you buy the correct gauge of speaker wire.

What is the difference between shielded and unshielded car audio cables?

Shielded car audio cables are designed to reduce interference from outside sources, such as radio signals or cell phone transmissions. Unshielded car audio cables are less effective at blocking out interference but are usually cheaper and easier to install.

Can I use car audio cables for home audio systems?

Yes, you can use car audio cables for home audio systems, but you should be aware that there are some differences between car audio and home audio systems. Car audio systems are typically designed to be powered by a 12V power source, whereas home audio systems are typically powered by a 110V power source. Additionally, the impedance ratings of car audio systems are typically much lower than home audio systems.

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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.