Athena AS-F2 speakers help

[MomurdA]

1. Quickest, easiest, cheapest way is to buy a stereo mini to rca cable from radioshack. I think they are less than ten dollars. If you get a good sound card with digital out, then you could just buy a digital coax/toslink cable and connect to ur HK with that.
2. 16 gauge is prob fine. I use 12 gauge, its kind of thick, but i got a crapload of it for cheap. You can use banana plugs for the connection.
3. I took an APC 350 va 12 outlet from my work cuz they had an extra one. It works fine. You could just buy a surge protector for like 20 bucks unless you want a power conditioner they are considerably more.

[sam2005_1980]

thanks a lot!

so now i am buying
1- stereo jack to 2 RCA cable
2- a basic power surge protector
3- 4 banana plugs

i think i should be able to get all the above stuff at Radioshack.


I will buy above stuff first, then later on probably buy a better sound card, i would have to throw only stereo jack to 2 RCA cable, and buy a digital coaxial cable. I think i have only option with sound card as i can use an external card, creative audigy2 nx usb, is there any other external sound card which is better than audigy2 nx?


Also I am still not sure about the speaker cable, would i be able to use 12 gauge speaker cable. I came across this forum on net, found this excerpt

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What is the deal with big big speaker wire?? You put big 12 guage speaker wire on it when the power cable for the whole system is only 14-16 guage. I havent ever seen bigger than 12 guage on an ac power cord, i think how can there be more current coming out than whats going in?
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Does it mean, if i am putting in 12 gauge cables, then i also would need a thicker power cable?

Please advice which speaker cable should i buy? I agree now that my earlier choice, 16 gauge would be a bit thin, but what else do i have to do (about power cables, etc ) so that 12 gauge cable would actually be used?

Sam