I used the flex whip 4 gauge in my last build to run a second battery and, in turn, an amp. I was very happy with it. Super easy to work with and very cost effective.
The shop I work at part time sells MESA cable. It’s manufactured by Scosche. The kit is 199.99 and the wire off the spool is 6.99 per foot. It’s really nice wire but a bit pricey.
I have dual runs of 1/0 flex whip from ebay in my truck running about 6k watts rated power(not after rise). I'm extremely happy with it, although I wish I had just gone with a single run of 2/0 flex whip. After I did my truck build, I did a build in my girls car using that same exact orange 2/0 flex whip that you tested, and I am also extremely happy with it. It is plenty flexible and really caries the power well.
I’m trying to redo my entire car with it too! Welding cable stands up to the rest of time and has all the ratings that car audio cable falls short on….wish I had known about this before I bought temco the worst most flexing wire on this planet and now I have some conext link cable which is way more compliant but still I don’t like the idea of my car catching on fire due to it poor jacket
Thanks for all the work you put in on this list, Mr Vega. You have probably helped a couple hundred people pick the right wire for their installation. There's only 1 wire left that I'm personally curious about, and that's the wire you can get at AirGas welding supply stores, as I believe they are very wide spread across the country. I had 2 runs of thier 1/0 wire in my last build, and it did great for me at about 4k watts. I can send you a sample of the 1/0 if you want. I have plenty left. I'd really like to see their 2/0 and 3/0 wire as it was pretty cheap per foot.
My thing is this...I never needed much flexibility with my 1/0size wiring I avoid any design that need lots of twits and turns with ANY 1/0 wire but 8/12/10/16/14 yes flexibility is a must
I'm the same, I prefer it stiff, no homo. When big wire is flexible it always seems to catch and rub on everything not like the smaller wires you can tuck anywhere.
I’ve been running KnuKonceptz wire for about a year now and I think it’s great. I’m using all ofc, and the ability to buy their wire by the foot Is an added benefit. Not saying it’s the best but works great for me
The mesa is available in a 0g amp kit its between 199 and 250. Mobile electronic specialists of america m.e.s.a. they have been around for atleast 6 yrs if not more there pretty decent not necessarily great
You need to get more wire soon. Your reviews are great. The honesty you provided is great. Some of the companies wires you did a review have bigger wire as well. Some how need to get more pieces, especially the bigger ones.
on the last 1/0 video you tested 2/0 ewcs welding wire . in this video you tested memphis 0 gauge wich is a kit w/o rca costs $250 . i just ran 4/0 Gauge EWCS Brand 100% Copper Premium Industrial Grade Extra Flexible Welding Cable 600 Volt - 25 Feet Red that was on amazon for $158 . lets be honest this is the most bang for your buck . im in the middle of doing a el cheapo 160db set up in a explorer sport suv . i pulled the a/c and intalled a 220 amp 1 wire LActrical High Output Black Alternator $158 to 4/0 ewcs wire $158 to 4 Powermall 12V 100AH Sealed Rechargeable Deep Cycle Batterys $155 each . the box will be a tapped horn with 2 gonzo robot underground 18s with mack motors $444 each im building the box out of 3/4 grade a1 WALNUT PLYWOOD . next is what amp ? jp23 the new cab , gonzo 3k , or i found a soundstream xxx for $600 used
@@HifiVega i can be wrong..but im just passing what ive been told by installers i know..its seems to be a brand only sold to shops for install..i have some and searched the net forever trying to get more..asked a buddy who installs and he laughed...said ill never find it..its not sold to the public.
This test makes me want to measure the " marine grade" cable I use. Unlike car audio stuff it actually has to meet a standard (UL 1426). Its not nearly as flexible, especially when cold. Fortunately it comes in a bunch of different spool sizes.
Yeah def on those 2! Plus a comparison of pneumatic crimpers vs hammer crimps handheld crimpers tube crimpers crimper/cutters strippers linesman pliers. And of course a comparison of terminals
That welding cable is that k or m?..there is a difference.. Im sure its k They say it's tinned..melt the tin off I googled mesa 0 aught and found 4guage lol mesa
Hey Robert going back and watching your first 1/0 shoot outs the welding cable listed as having the most grams of copper (92.7) is mislabeled, it is not Tempco but rather Royal Excelene.
That flexwhip cable is sold out most places but you can find it on Ebay for about $128 for a 5' piece. I ended up ordering the Stinger wire for $197.99 plus tax $213 total for a 50' roll. Sky High wire is $259.95 so I got a decent value. I'm curious how much copper JL Audio 1/0 has since it's $500 for a 50' roll.
I’d like to see where eb flex welding wire ends up on the board. It’s usually cheeper per foot then the temco especially when they have a sale. I’ve used there 4/0 in most of my vehicles
Yes overall, but since you’ve already purchased the Skar I would run it because the performance increase will be minimal depending on the level of power you’re running.
What are the benefits to having a wire that is tinned ???? Here you mentioned if you need a wire that is tinned … No flex cable that is pure copper well that looks like copper that I know it looks better. Why is the silver stuff that you call Copper better or is it better
LOL... I wish I would've seen this video a month ago, when I started buying my amp kits... At first, I wanted to buy a full Recoil setup (PCK0 and PBG3 kits), but apparently they're eternally sold-out. My big 3 kit ended up being (presently) #12 on the cheat sheet, and unfortunately the full runs haven't been tested... Hopefully not too much farther down the list if it ever does... 😅
@@HifiVega That's comforting to know... My thanks! Oh, just for clarification, the RWK0CU kit from Rockville is the Amp kit I bought; figured it had a good price for what quality it claims to be.
I want to ask you a repetitive question but it is one I have for the build I am doing as we speak? What do you recommend car audio branded wire or oversized welding cable for your power runs.
All I use for power and ground is welding cable. I have people try to argue against it, but how can you argue. It's cheaper, OFC, tends to have stronger jacketing, and it's usually true to size which means no fitment issues
I was beginning to wonder if you were going to test the sample I sent in. You were gathering more samples. That 2/0 is bad ass. When you bent that bastard, I knew we had a winner.
Great video and update. I have a question, i have stinger pro 1/0 wire but it doesn't say ofc on it. It is not Stinger Select, it's the Pro and i can't find too much info on it, it looks just like the one you showed on the video and was wondering if it the same wire with different lettering. Thanks for the information man.
I honestly thought the CBD, I mean certified bass head wire, was going to be a duplicate of somebody else’s on the market.... it remains a mystery...😛 good upload man!!!
@@HifiVega makes sense. There's a HUGE price delta between RCAs. Stinger 9000 vs Krystal Kables... for a daily driver is the price difference worth it? Not sure. Thanks for the reply.
when it comes to wire pat said this - There's been some unsolicited promotion lately by, 'independent', reviewers about the benefits of OFC over CCA wire. The fact is that both are fine, it comes down to the capability of the wire and the application, (How you're going to use the wire). This applies both to it's use as speaker wire and power wire... And to throw a wrench into the machine, manufacturers are developing a new type of wire that has the heft of OFC but the capacity of CCA and costs half that of CCA. Last time I heard, it was the addition of tin, so now your wire will rust instead of just turning green. First off, let me debunk the 'testing' that's been going on in some of these videos. Several videos have the wire in coil, which makes for a big inductor.. Never a good idea to test wire this way. This is also not how wire is used when in the car or boat. First, I would use a standard length that's in a kit, say 16'. Second, identify both the wire's material and it's diameter. After that you can actually use a chart to determine what can be used before it affects both performance and your ability to inhale large amounts of toxic smoke. Don't worry about what is, 'spec', or what GA vs AWG mean. Look at the material, diameter and length. (By the way, in the wire industry there are three standards, China wire, Taiwan wire and American wire gauge. That addresses why one brand will say, 4ga and another will say 4ga but the actual wire diameter will be different. It has nothing to do with 'quality'. It has to do with different standards.) Second you have to look at how the wire is applied. Most standardized tests done are for an 'open air' test, meaning the wire is suspended in the air so that it can be cooled by methods of convection. Then on top of that, you have to calculate what the ambient air temperature affects it. Even more calculation if the air is moving, how fast it's moving, is it recirculating or is is coming in from a fresh source.. Just like when you want to cool your amp with a fan. But enough of all that, most of the applications used in car or boat audio are fine with CCA. All wire just has an ampacity. A capability to transfer current. For mobile audio, this is not constant power. It's pulsed which makes a big difference. On top of that, you'll see on many charts what the resistance of a certain gauge wire is at 1000'! That's a big difference than the 16' to 25' that you're using. These charts are up over 100A you can see no difference. Take into account that speaker wire is nowhere near that type of power and is it really that important to have 10 AWG OFC? No. The big push of OFC is in the profit margin vs CCA. The total volume and especially the margins of mobile audio have eroded significantly in the past 20 years. It's no wonder brands would pay to stage an 'independent test'. There's a good chunk of cash on the line, even after all the erosion. In the world of audio, they can even get away with paying people with just product for good reviews instead of the usual chubby envelope given to more 'reputable' sources like magazines. Do you really think people buy $10,000 cables? Ok, ok... An example of power application. Let's take the standard Taiwan spec 8ga CCA used by Metra in their Raptor line, (Just changed to 'full spec' this year). Not getting hot enough to melt the fuse, you can still use this with a crappy, standard AGU glass 60A fuse. This is plenty for most systems. It may even be cheaper and have a lower profile to use multiple strands of 8ga CCA. Of course each strand is good for up to 60A. For 4ga CCA from Raptor, we go up to 100A AGU fuse. Anything beyond that would require 2 or 0ga CCA or multiple runs. Also, I recommend to many clients that get the OFC bug, to just add another run of wire rather than pull out the 'bad' CCA and go all copper. The industry is again employing the snob tactic that you want to be superior over others. This of course only costs you more money, that those, "poor", or "crappy", type of people won't pay. I never agree with these tactics as they create small wars of "us vs them". Apple is famous for using this marketing strategy. In the end however, everyone of the unwashed masses remembers the way snobby people act and they always get taken down a notch or just taken out by an angry, poor mob. As for OFC, if you can get a good price on it, use it. It's not any better than CCA, it just has a greater ampacity than CCA when compared with all other things being equal. Most of the time people never even get close to the ampacity of what the wire can do. Now if you're competing and want to do hair tricks, that's a completely different story. Just because they use it on a $150k demo car, does not mean that you need it for your the single 10" sub you have in your '87 Crown Vic that your grandma left you. Use common sense, use Craigslist and always get more information than you need. Remember that when you buy retail, from a store, you're paying for that store. Nothing good or bad about that. Just remember that you're paying for the store plus product, plus mark-up robotunderground.blogspot.com/2013/
Ok copy and paste the same argument is in favor of ofc. The bottom line is copper is a better conductor and costs more because copper is more valuable. Manufacturers don't push ofc because it has better margins. the margins are likely similar they would rather just not sell something that is more likely to be not suitable for an enthusiast. No one wants multiple runs of 4ga shit wire. The differences in 4ga ofc to 4ga cca are quite substantial.
@craigengelman4534 which brand of 1/0 gauge wiring kit would you recommend for upgrading the big 3 in my 2001 Chevy Silverado. I am pushing a JL Audio slash 1000/1 and an Alpine 1000
I use the Flex Whip made by Ultraflex. Not only does it have more copper its 99.9% pure copper. Plus the jacket is way more durable than regular car audio wire. I also weld with the Flex Whip.
But welding cable is OFHC copper which is more pure than OFC copper and is better for high current applications. It is more pure copper than regular OFC. It is minimal, but I want the best. I will always use welding lead. I tried using some car audio cable on my welder and within 2 days it was melting the jacket off the wire. Car audio jackets are soft and fragile, cannot take the harsh environment of welding.
Some of it can even be found tinned with silver. However it's really just a gimic since the silver is in such a low quantity it doesn't really help the conductivity of the wire. It definitely does help against corrosion given that silver is very non corrosive
@@WafflosityX yeah like 60-70%. Sorry I should've clarified. I was saying there's not really a benefit of going from 2/0 cca to 1/0 ofc other than mass and volume. Although the heat displacement makes a difference. But 00 cca carries roughly the same current as 0 ofc
@@HifiVega Sorry, you mentioned it at the very end. LOL! I'm running a line of it in my 2019 Ram 1500. Currently 2xAlpine PDX-V9 amps and a PXE-0850 DSP without any issues. Stuff was super easy to run too!
@@HifiVega well they make 1/0 or atleast they did. Yeah I def wasn't talking the 8/0 you'd def not have anything to compare it to. Although that'd be awesome if they sent you some. You should do a 2/0 shootout
I got excited when you brought out the Memphis wire. I bought 30’ of that 9 years ago and have been using it ever since in every big car audio setup. I guess if you have only had hamburger you think it’s great, until you try a sirloin steak. That’s my thought on the Memphis wire. It is ok wire but it appears as though it really doesn’t compare to others on the market now. Ohh, and I paid $10 a foot for it!!! But I owed my buddy so I didn’t mind paying MSRP for the wire. Thanks for the testing Rob!!!
Yeah I picked up 2 boxes of skar cca speaker wire 12 & 14 gauge. It looks and feels nicer than most of my other speaker wire(Diablo, JC power, scoche, audiopipe,soundqubed, soundstorm plus some Walmart speaker wire and raptor from AutoZone) it's about as good as my orion cobalt. I'd say my knu konceptz & sky high is my favorite. Yeah I buy alot of temco products. I've gotta try their wire.
M.E.S.A.= Mobile Electronics Specialist of America. Try Custom Sounds .com or Santa Fe Auto Sound or ebay. I believe it is made by the same people as Scoche.
One of the best value for the money I have ever used imo is the conext link 2/0 on Amazon u can get 20ft for 80$ and it is a true 2/0 maybe even a little over sized which I don't prefer hard to get into connectors or use one size up and don't get a good crimp
1/0 OFC Cheat Sheet updated 2/14/21
rb.gy/oe93pb
Memphis amp kit
amzn.to/3akPKOn (affiliate link)
Skar amp kit
amzn.to/3aZ5u8A (affiliate link)
Stinger Pro 1/0 OFC
amzn.to/2N76qzZ (affiliate link)
Get some whip fo yo whip!
When I told hifi about doing a review on shok wire I figured you woulda already done 1 cuz they claim they bring tha powaaa!
Robert you are one of the hardest working guys in the RUclips car audio universe...👍
Appreciate that man!
@DogMan420 thanks!
I used the flex whip 4 gauge in my last build to run a second battery and, in turn, an amp. I was very happy with it. Super easy to work with and very cost effective.
Fo sho
The shop I work at part time sells MESA cable. It’s manufactured by Scosche. The kit is 199.99 and the wire off the spool is 6.99 per foot. It’s really nice wire but a bit pricey.
I have dual runs of 1/0 flex whip from ebay in my truck running about 6k watts rated power(not after rise). I'm extremely happy with it, although I wish I had just gone with a single run of 2/0 flex whip.
After I did my truck build, I did a build in my girls car using that same exact orange 2/0 flex whip that you tested, and I am also extremely happy with it. It is plenty flexible and really caries the power well.
Yeah seems solid from what I can tell
I’m trying to redo my entire car with it too! Welding cable stands up to the rest of time and has all the ratings that car audio cable falls short on….wish I had known about this before I bought temco the worst most flexing wire on this planet and now I have some conext link cable which is way more compliant but still I don’t like the idea of my car catching on fire due to it poor jacket
Results I expected. Welding cable is the best cable period. Great Video Rob!
9:20 that wire is the same as 2/0 welding cable not 2 gauge. I have both.
Excellent video. Short, clear and concise, with all pertinent specs listed. Great stuff, man!
Thank you! I appreciate you noticing I really try to condense the information as much as I can
Oh man. I really wish I had found this video prior to installing the Big 3 on a Chevy truck. 🎉 thanks
Great and informative video as always!!
Thanks man!
Thanks for all the work you put in on this list, Mr Vega. You have probably helped a couple hundred people pick the right wire for their installation. There's only 1 wire left that I'm personally curious about, and that's the wire you can get at AirGas welding supply stores, as I believe they are very wide spread across the country. I had 2 runs of thier 1/0 wire in my last build, and it did great for me at about 4k watts. I can send you a sample of the 1/0 if you want. I have plenty left. I'd really like to see their 2/0 and 3/0 wire as it was pretty cheap per foot.
Thank you! You can send them for sure I’ve got my shipping address in the description
The Mesa wire is only sold at car audio stores. My brother in law runs a shop and they sell the Mesa 1/0 for around $8-9 a foot retail.
My thing is this...I never needed much flexibility with my 1/0size wiring I avoid any design that need lots of twits and turns with ANY 1/0 wire but 8/12/10/16/14 yes flexibility is a must
For main runs flexibility isn’t paramount, but it’s always nice to have a lil extra flexibility when you need it
I'm the same, I prefer it stiff, no homo. When big wire is flexible it always seems to catch and rub on everything not like the smaller wires you can tuck anywhere.
I went back and watched the whole series last week. Very informative
Knukonceptz is the only wire that I use. There speaker wire is amazing as well!
Just ordered some more 12ga myself!
I’ve been running KnuKonceptz wire for about a year now and I think it’s great. I’m using all ofc, and the ability to buy their wire by the foot Is an added benefit. Not saying it’s the best but works great for me
@@jlspunn I would say it's the best. Well... The best I've used.
The mesa is available in a 0g amp kit its between 199 and 250. Mobile electronic specialists of america m.e.s.a. they have been around for atleast 6 yrs if not more there pretty decent not necessarily great
You need to get more wire soon. Your reviews are great. The honesty you provided is great. Some of the companies wires you did a review have bigger wire as well. Some how need to get more pieces, especially the bigger ones.
Thanks! I’m working to test all the 1/0 available I’ve tested 26 wires so far I believe
on the last 1/0 video you tested 2/0 ewcs welding wire . in this video you tested memphis 0 gauge wich is a kit w/o rca costs $250 . i just ran 4/0 Gauge EWCS Brand 100% Copper Premium Industrial Grade Extra Flexible Welding Cable 600 Volt - 25 Feet Red that was on amazon for $158 . lets be honest this is the most bang for your buck . im in the middle of doing a el cheapo 160db set up in a explorer sport suv . i pulled the a/c and intalled a 220 amp 1 wire LActrical High Output Black Alternator $158 to 4/0 ewcs wire $158 to 4 Powermall 12V 100AH Sealed Rechargeable Deep Cycle Batterys $155 each . the box will be a tapped horn with 2 gonzo robot underground 18s with mack motors $444 each im building the box out of 3/4 grade a1 WALNUT PLYWOOD . next is what amp ? jp23 the new cab , gonzo 3k , or i found a soundstream xxx for $600 used
More gonzo
Stinger makes mesa..its usually found at install shops...have a few buddys who install and they told me about mesa..
Crazy they make it with more copper than their own wire!
@@HifiVega i can be wrong..but im just passing what ive been told by installers i know..its seems to be a brand only sold to shops for install..i have some and searched the net forever trying to get more..asked a buddy who installs and he laughed...said ill never find it..its not sold to the public.
These are by far my favorite series.
Thanks bro!
I've always used Sky High Car Audio wire for as long as i have been in car audio Robert your the man
Skyhigh wire is legit!
Mesa wire can be only found at stores that are part of the mesa group. I don't know if that helps
This test makes me want to measure the " marine grade" cable I use. Unlike car audio stuff it actually has to meet a standard (UL 1426). Its not nearly as flexible, especially when cold. Fortunately it comes in a bunch of different spool sizes.
Yeah you should, but I’m certain it’ll meet standards
I was hoping to see some gp no bs wire in the lineup. Maybe next time. Good video lots of good information here when choosing wire 👍
Tested Gp a while back check the 1/0 cheat sheet in the description 👍🏼
These are neat comparisons. I'd like to see one comparing what lugs and crimpers people like to use.
Yeah def on those 2! Plus a comparison of pneumatic crimpers vs hammer crimps handheld crimpers tube crimpers crimper/cutters strippers linesman pliers. And of course a comparison of terminals
That’s a good idea
That welding cable is that k or m?..there is a difference.. Im sure its k
They say it's tinned..melt the tin off
I googled mesa 0 aught and found 4guage lol mesa
Hey Robert going back and watching your first 1/0 shoot outs the welding cable listed as having the most grams of copper (92.7) is mislabeled, it is not Tempco but rather Royal Excelene.
I’ll check that out thanks
That flexwhip cable is sold out most places but you can find it on Ebay for about $128 for a 5' piece. I ended up ordering the Stinger wire for $197.99 plus tax $213 total for a 50' roll. Sky High wire is $259.95 so I got a decent value. I'm curious how much copper JL Audio 1/0 has since it's $500 for a 50' roll.
Not much I’ve tested that one as well, but here is the entire playlist of every 1/0 I’ve compared
ruclips.net/p/PL4A7BkPvLrL_t8DImZpMz6LtTmb0JGWUA
Very interesting! That Flexwhip definitely surprised me too! Awesome video, very informative brother.
Thanks!
Grate comparison keep the info coming thanks for all you do for the community.
Thanks for always watching and commenting!
I’d like to see where eb flex welding wire ends up on the board. It’s usually cheeper per foot then the temco especially when they have a sale. I’ve used there 4/0 in most of my vehicles
I recently purchased a Skar Big 3 wiring kit and was wondering would I be better off going with "SkyHigh" 1/0 gauge??
Yes overall, but since you’ve already purchased the Skar I would run it because the performance increase will be minimal depending on the level of power you’re running.
Mesa is a custom sounds wire kit
What are you guy’s thoughts on the Kicker 0guage wire for 2 L7 15’s 4Ohms
I like the 2aught 2/0 welding cable.
What are the benefits to having a wire that is tinned ???? Here you mentioned if you need a wire that is tinned … No flex cable that is pure copper well that looks like copper that I know it looks better. Why is the silver stuff that you call Copper better or is it better
Tinned copper will have more corrosion resistance and is preferred in marine applications
You should review Cardas Audio products. They are easily one of the best sounding cables in my opinion.
LOL... I wish I would've seen this video a month ago, when I started buying my amp kits...
At first, I wanted to buy a full Recoil setup (PCK0 and PBG3 kits), but apparently they're eternally sold-out.
My big 3 kit ended up being (presently) #12 on the cheat sheet, and unfortunately the full runs haven't been tested... Hopefully not too much farther down the list if it ever does... 😅
Honestly I doubt they’re would be a huge difference in current capability from the top 3 to the 12th spot
@@HifiVega
That's comforting to know... My thanks!
Oh, just for clarification, the RWK0CU kit from Rockville is the Amp kit I bought; figured it had a good price for what quality it claims to be.
What about connex?
Keen to get my hands on the new tinned Sky High wire.
I love the bright pink colour that Certified Basshead offers
The color options definitely play a part in the decision
I want to ask you a repetitive question but it is one I have for the build I am doing as we speak?
What do you recommend car audio branded wire or oversized welding cable for your power runs.
I personally like car audio cable for the flexibility and it’s relatively the same price for the amount of copper per gram
I'm going to buy index cards!!! Great way to get the thinks organization!!!
Dude, I love index cards... I think people are starting to notice 😂
All I use for power and ground is welding cable. I have people try to argue against it, but how can you argue. It's cheaper, OFC, tends to have stronger jacketing, and it's usually true to size which means no fitment issues
Nothing wrong at all with running welding cable I’ve done it many times myself
@@HifiVega❤❤❤❤❤
What’s up Bro I am about to purchase some cable. I see you put the Tamco 2/0 cable on top. Would you recommend the 1/0 cable they offer ?
Absolutely
@@HifiVega fasho 👍👍
I was beginning to wonder if you were going to test the sample I sent in. You were gathering more samples. That 2/0 is bad ass. When you bent that bastard, I knew we had a winner.
Yeah man it was surprising in a good way
Hardest working man in car audio!!!
Thanks bro!
Dont the tinned wire conduct less electricity threw it then straight oxygen free non tinned wire?
Maybe if you were using it for AC current
Good vids as always bro
Thanks!
Great video and update. I have a question, i have stinger pro 1/0 wire but it doesn't say ofc on it. It is not Stinger Select, it's the Pro and i can't find too much info on it, it looks just like the one you showed on the video and was wondering if it the same wire with different lettering. Thanks for the information man.
That should be tinned OFC if it isn’t you’ll notice it’s way lighter in weight than it seems like it should be
@@HifiVega You are right. Thanks man! 👍🔊🔊🔊
I honestly thought the CBD, I mean certified bass head wire, was going to be a duplicate of somebody else’s on the market.... it remains a mystery...😛 good upload man!!!
Gotta be someone making it for them, I mean... they’re only so many wire companies in the world
Great vid, Vega.
Thanks!
Thanks for your great contributions
Thanks for watching!
Great job bro !!! MESA Wire is a Private Company !!! So which is your Favorite Real Og Wire ??? Since that Orange Welding cable was 2g
Knu or Skyhigh
No KnuKonceptz?
Yep already tested check the 1/0 cheat sheet in the description
What's the advantage of tinned wire?
Corrosion prevention
Dean would be a great person to check with..
I only check with Dean about important stuff like Wanda Vision and the Mandalorian lol
@@HifiVega touché
Great comparison, always un bias &
fair testing. How about a fast food
burger comparison 😂
Five guys
I appreciate the video HiFi
Thanks for watching!
why would I NEED tinned wire? Corrosion?
Yep that’s it
That Flex Whip Orange ain't playing no games!
Fo sho!
Is the flex whip wielding cable ofc copper
It’s pure copper not technically OFC
@@HifiVega ok thanks!
Can you do something with RCA cables?
I want to I just need to figure out how I can visually show folks
@@HifiVega makes sense. There's a HUGE price delta between RCAs. Stinger 9000 vs Krystal Kables... for a daily driver is the price difference worth it? Not sure. Thanks for the reply.
What’s the best amp wiring kit ??
www.hifivega.com/product-page/hifivega-1-0-ofc-amp-kit 😉
amzn.to/3y0oJv0
@@HifiVega seen this message too late.. went with sky high amp kit
@@buffboyzauto Skyhigh kits are solid as well
when it comes to wire pat said this - There's been some unsolicited promotion lately by, 'independent', reviewers about the benefits of OFC over CCA wire. The fact is that both are fine, it comes down to the capability of the wire and the application, (How you're going to use the wire).
This applies both to it's use as speaker wire and power wire... And to throw a wrench into the machine, manufacturers are developing a new type of wire that has the heft of OFC but the capacity of CCA and costs half that of CCA. Last time I heard, it was the addition of tin, so now your wire will rust instead of just turning green.
First off, let me debunk the 'testing' that's been going on in some of these videos. Several videos have the wire in coil, which makes for a big inductor.. Never a good idea to test wire this way. This is also not how wire is used when in the car or boat.
First, I would use a standard length that's in a kit, say 16'. Second, identify both the wire's material and it's diameter. After that you can actually use a chart to determine what can be used before it affects both performance and your ability to inhale large amounts of toxic smoke.
Don't worry about what is, 'spec', or what GA vs AWG mean. Look at the material, diameter and length. (By the way, in the wire industry there are three standards, China wire, Taiwan wire and American wire gauge. That addresses why one brand will say, 4ga and another will say 4ga but the actual wire diameter will be different. It has nothing to do with 'quality'. It has to do with different standards.)
Second you have to look at how the wire is applied. Most standardized tests done are for an 'open air' test, meaning the wire is suspended in the air so that it can be cooled by methods of convection. Then on top of that, you have to calculate what the ambient air temperature affects it. Even more calculation if the air is moving, how fast it's moving, is it recirculating or is is coming in from a fresh source.. Just like when you want to cool your amp with a fan.
But enough of all that, most of the applications used in car or boat audio are fine with CCA. All wire just has an ampacity. A capability to transfer current. For mobile audio, this is not constant power. It's pulsed which makes a big difference. On top of that, you'll see on many charts what the resistance of a certain gauge wire is at 1000'! That's a big difference than the 16' to 25' that you're using. These charts are up over 100A you can see no difference. Take into account that speaker wire is nowhere near that type of power and is it really that important to have 10 AWG OFC? No.
The big push of OFC is in the profit margin vs CCA. The total volume and especially the margins of mobile audio have eroded significantly in the past 20 years. It's no wonder brands would pay to stage an 'independent test'. There's a good chunk of cash on the line, even after all the erosion.
In the world of audio, they can even get away with paying people with just product for good reviews instead of the usual chubby envelope given to more 'reputable' sources like magazines. Do you really think people buy $10,000 cables?
Ok, ok... An example of power application. Let's take the standard Taiwan spec 8ga CCA used by Metra in their Raptor line, (Just changed to 'full spec' this year). Not getting hot enough to melt the fuse, you can still use this with a crappy, standard AGU glass 60A fuse. This is plenty for most systems. It may even be cheaper and have a lower profile to use multiple strands of 8ga CCA. Of course each strand is good for up to 60A.
For 4ga CCA from Raptor, we go up to 100A AGU fuse. Anything beyond that would require 2 or 0ga CCA or multiple runs. Also, I recommend to many clients that get the OFC bug, to just add another run of wire rather than pull out the 'bad' CCA and go all copper. The industry is again employing the snob tactic that you want to be superior over others. This of course only costs you more money, that those, "poor", or "crappy", type of people won't pay. I never agree with these tactics as they create small wars of "us vs them". Apple is famous for using this marketing strategy. In the end however, everyone of the unwashed masses remembers the way snobby people act and they always get taken down a notch or just taken out by an angry, poor mob.
As for OFC, if you can get a good price on it, use it. It's not any better than CCA, it just has a greater ampacity than CCA when compared with all other things being equal. Most of the time people never even get close to the ampacity of what the wire can do. Now if you're competing and want to do hair tricks, that's a completely different story. Just because they use it on a $150k demo car, does not mean that you need it for your the single 10" sub you have in your '87 Crown Vic that your grandma left you. Use common sense, use Craigslist and always get more information than you need.
Remember that when you buy retail, from a store, you're paying for that store. Nothing good or bad about that. Just remember that you're paying for the store plus product, plus mark-up
robotunderground.blogspot.com/2013/
Ok copy and paste the same argument is in favor of ofc. The bottom line is copper is a better conductor and costs more because copper is more valuable. Manufacturers don't push ofc because it has better margins. the margins are likely similar they would rather just not sell something that is more likely to be not suitable for an enthusiast. No one wants multiple runs of 4ga shit wire. The differences in 4ga ofc to 4ga cca are quite substantial.
@craigengelman4534 which brand of 1/0 gauge wiring kit would you recommend for upgrading the big 3 in my 2001 Chevy Silverado. I am pushing a JL Audio slash 1000/1 and an Alpine 1000
No rockford cable? Tisk tisk
Already tested RF wire. Check the 1/0 cheat sheet in the description
Cool videos hi/fi bud, I run d,d wire tru o tinned ofc!!
This is the first DD wire I’ve seen and it seems solid
I believe Mesa wire is exclusive to certain audio shops
I think so
I use the Flex Whip made by Ultraflex. Not only does it have more copper its 99.9% pure copper. Plus the jacket is way more durable than regular car audio wire. I also weld with the Flex Whip.
Yeah flex whip definitely surprised me
OFC is always 99.9% copper. With that being said I use welding cable myself. I just can't justify paying extra for the branding
But welding cable is OFHC copper which is more pure than OFC copper and is better for high current applications. It is more pure copper than regular OFC. It is minimal, but I want the best. I will always use welding lead. I tried using some car audio cable on my welder and within 2 days it was melting the jacket off the wire. Car audio jackets are soft and fragile, cannot take the harsh environment of welding.
If you can pm me i can send literature to read if you would like.
@@travismclendon8961 welding cable is OFC and even if it were OFHC it wouldn't make any difference
Mesa high as F. I bought 6 foot of 4 awg wire the other day at a local dealer and it was $4.99 a foot. FOR 4 AWG MY GUY!
Wow that’s 😵
Cool video!!!
🤟🏼
What is the benefit of tinned wire vs not?
Tinned is easier to solder and prevents corrosion.
Yeah they use it for marine applications to prevent oxidation which leads to corrosion.
Like these guys said more corrosion resistance
Some of it can even be found tinned with silver. However it's really just a gimic since the silver is in such a low quantity it doesn't really help the conductivity of the wire. It definitely does help against corrosion given that silver is very non corrosive
Maybe I'll replace my 2/0 CCA
Maybe???!!! You go change that cca wire right now, Mister! Or else..... Lol! Just kidding!
@@tatialo37 lol. I've got two runs of CCA because 2>1.
They carry about the same current. Cca can be better for certain applications.
@@wayneslain9444 aluminum carries 60% of the power copper is able to.
@@WafflosityX yeah like 60-70%. Sorry I should've clarified. I was saying there's not really a benefit of going from 2/0 cca to 1/0 ofc other than mass and volume. Although the heat displacement makes a difference. But 00 cca carries roughly the same current as 0 ofc
Shoot, I had some Kolossus Kable I should have sent to you. Very flexible stuff as well!
I’ve already tested that one in an earlier video and it’s definitely good flexible wire
@@HifiVega Sorry, you mentioned it at the very end. LOL! I'm running a line of it in my 2019 Ram 1500. Currently 2xAlpine PDX-V9 amps and a PXE-0850 DSP without any issues. Stuff was super easy to run too!
That six to find out I paid 100 bux for the scar kit and its realy 2 gauge abs off wire
It happens bro... That’s why I’m trying to test all of them that I can so people can at least have some sort of gauge to compare them
@@HifiVega 50 foot of tbat 2/0 cord on amazon is like 200 dollars i just checked.
Why not test Sky High Car Audio wire
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zJyEtBGppmM8aWOZIJ6PxwfcHQG4HWhnU451OUvl-hU/edit
I just watched the other video lol quick response message though
@@jaredbird9619 no sweat man since I broke them up people often miss some of them
I've never seen anybody review Russell wongs shok industries shok wire
I’d have nothing to compare it to! But yeah I’d like to get my hands on some
@@HifiVega well they make 1/0 or atleast they did. Yeah I def wasn't talking the 8/0 you'd def not have anything to compare it to. Although that'd be awesome if they sent you some. You should do a 2/0 shootout
@@HifiVega yeah hifi I ✔ them out again all they have is that 8/0 and 1/0. In the 0 gauge they have 2 different ccas and 1 ofc.
Great video.
DEVIANT HAS ARRIVED. Before this starts, I hope u did some Project Farm type testing!!
That’s all I do
Oh hell, ofc death match!!!!! vega you do stay busy man.
I’m just over tryna entertain y’all 😂
I got excited when you brought out the Memphis wire. I bought 30’ of that 9 years ago and have been using it ever since in every big car audio setup.
I guess if you have only had hamburger you think it’s great, until you try a sirloin steak. That’s my thought on the Memphis wire. It is ok wire but it appears as though it really doesn’t compare to others on the market now. Ohh, and I paid $10 a foot for it!!! But I owed my buddy so I didn’t mind paying MSRP for the wire.
Thanks for the testing Rob!!!
It happens man I’ve been gotten like that a few times so that’s why I make these vids for y’all!
RF ofc is awesome
I think knukonceptz wire is the best, come with oversize compare to another brand and have a cheaper wire cca ( KCA ) super super oversize
Cool video!
Thanks John!
I’ll get you the price on the MESA TOMORROW
THAT MEMPHIS WAS CRAZY
Yeah the Memphis was like 🤔
HiFi lam pretty sure it is nickle plated or it should be nickle and not tin they use it for anti corrosion in marine apps PS great work
No, it's definitely not nickel plated but rather tinned for moisture laden/corrosive marine applications especially...
No, they don't nickel plate it; but rather, tinned to help eliminate moisture/minimize corrosion..
Jeez I just got the skar 1/0 ofc kit I feel robbed lol 😂 damnit.
It happens man! I just hope folks catch this video early enough
@@HifiVega if I wasn’t having the system installed Monday I’d send it back hopefully it’s sufficient enough for what I’ll be running.
@@HifiVega for the amount of copper jl audio wouldn’t be a good choice ? Would sky high be better O Gauge ?
Very nicely done and very objective. Surprised that Stinger, didn't represent better.
Is there any way a Sound deadening shootout is possible?
Thanks. I wouldn’t mind doing a sound deadener comparison, but it’s been done so well on the forums that I don’t know that I could add anything to it
Yeah I picked up 2 boxes of skar cca speaker wire 12 & 14 gauge. It looks and feels nicer than most of my other speaker wire(Diablo, JC power, scoche, audiopipe,soundqubed, soundstorm plus some Walmart speaker wire and raptor from AutoZone) it's about as good as my orion cobalt. I'd say my knu konceptz & sky high is my favorite. Yeah I buy alot of temco products. I've gotta try their wire.
I think you're missing some big name brands
Check the 1/0 cheat sheet in the description I’ve tested almost 30 brands
@@HifiVega I have one that's not on your cheat sheet that I think will rank pretty high.
M.E.S.A.= Mobile Electronics Specialist of America. Try Custom Sounds .com or Santa Fe Auto Sound or ebay. I believe it is made by the same people as Scoche.
HiFi Vega coming in with a new video. I especially like it because it's not CCA.
#CCA4LYFE 😬😉
So bottom line skar wiring kits are ass even if it says ofc
Definitely buy the ofc if you’re getting the Skar kit, but they are a bit undersized
Try gpc wire its American made
GP car audio?
@@HifiVega yes i think they might be a good one if you haven't posted them yet
@@c.n.h4841 I actually already tested gp wire, good stuff. Check the 1/0 cheat sheet in the video description
@@HifiVega will do thank you for taking the time to reply
One of the best value for the money I have ever used imo is the conext link 2/0 on Amazon u can get 20ft for 80$ and it is a true 2/0 maybe even a little over sized which I don't prefer hard to get into connectors or use one size up and don't get a good crimp
👍
I've downloaded the pdf file lol
Yeah buddy!
Im using nothing but Sky High. Great vid tho. Very informative
Sky High is super solid
@@HifiVega only wire ive ever used
Dont the tinned wire conduct less electricity threw it then straight oxygen free non tinned wire?
Honestly, I don’t know for sure, but it might be something worth testing
May be some good future content.
Shouldn't have any affect since it's used for DC current