For example, a 16 AWG wire might work for runs up to 48 feet with 8-ohm speakers, but if the distance is longer, you should use a thicker speaker wire with a lower gauge number.

Speaker wires can be easily trimmed with a wire cutter, but you can’t add wire to a unit that’s too short. Remember, if your cable run is longer than 50 feet, you’ll want to pick up a ...

It’s measured in AWG (American Wire Gauge), and the lower the number, the thicker the wire. For shorter runs under 50 feet, 16-gauge wire works fine for bookshelf or smaller tower speakers.