Gonk-o-rama:

Scratching at walls in attempts to play like one of those damnable felince creatures has given me experience in wiring in walls. (It doesn't taste too good.)

Hullguy is correct, though depending on your local building codes YMMV. The NEC is almost always the basic guide, but in some jurisdictions there are "local ammendments" that say if plain-old "CL-3" wire is good for in-wall residential use, or if you need "R" or "P" rated wirings. He's also correct that the ability to NOT use "R" or "P" cable only exists with true fire-rated (read metal) conduit. If the plastic conduit isn't fire rated, then it's a nice convenience for running wires, but doesn't help with fire codes.

More than anything, what works or doesn't is based on codes, local law and at the end of the day it REALLY boils down to whether or not the inspector is in a good mood or not. After I bit the local inspector when my master and mistress were building me a new house, it resulted in a red ticket even though things were OK. Talk about being sent to the dog house!

But what do I know, I'm only a dog...

ARF ARF, says Iggy!

Sraber,
The Canare 4S11 has four 14 AWG conductors. When you use two of the conductors for the red, and the other two for the black, you have 11 gauge.

So, if you want at least 12 gauge cable, and you are going to bi-amp, you'd need to run two lengths of the 4S11 for each speaker.

Hullguy and Iggy - You guys make some excellent points. It makes sense to not need plenum-rated in a residential installation. Clearly I need to unhook the work mindset a bit more completely from time to time.

Thanks for all the replies, folks. So I've been searching far and wide for this 12/4 speaker wire and not had a whole lot of luck. I found one brand that I've never heard of before and Monster to the tune of 3+ bux a ft. So now I'm thinking I might be better off running a pair of speaker wires to each speaker. I'd like to stick with 12 gauge. Any suggestions for a nice wire at a reasonable price? I'd like to try to keep it below a buck a ft., no more than 1.50 a ft.

I see that belden 5000UE can be had for about .39/ft. But I was also intersted in this offering from Axiom Audio @ .85/ft. Any thoughts?

As always TIA,

simp

Hello sraber.. You might try googling "UL CL3" (UL rated NEC listed CL3) and see what comes up.. You'll find lots of sources for in-wall wire. Blue jeans cable has some good info about what the codes actually mean and how they might affect what you are trying to accomplish. As others have said, you should check with your local building department to see how they interprate the codes before starting. Good luck!

Electricians point of view again! We just had the gentleman who installed the speakers at the Fleet Center, (soon to be called TD Banknorth Garden), come in for an audio tune up. The question of wire for speakers arose in conversation. At the risk of starting a wire war, his opinion was "some people think they hear a difference in the wire they use!" It is all copper after all. I'd do the Google search Steve suggested and buy a cable NOT based on a brand name. Save some money on the wire and splurge on the source. Jim

sraber,
I've not purchased any of their wire yet, but these guys' products look interesting. And at $1.40/ft. for 12/4 twisted pair, it does come in under your maximum, but just barely.

Jeff

http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KAR124BLS

I have to say the Fleet Center has an amazing sound. I've attended two concerts plus Bruins and Celtics games. Each time I've felt that I was sitting in my living room. I searched the Fleet Center website hoping to find some info on the design and equipment used in the system. No luck.

I saw garth Brooks play the Fleet many years ago. A few months after, I saw the same show at a venue in NC. It sounded so bad that I left 1/2 way through.

Avlis, all the concerts who come to the Fleet Center bring there own speaker and sound set ups tailored the way the show wants. Sometimes, like with AC/DC half the speakers hung by the stage are fake! The House speakers you hear at a game are Eastern Acoustic Works driven by Crown amps. Jim

Yeah, but nothin can beat the sound of the old Garden!