Best Flat Speaker Wire For Your Audio Setup

Best Flat Speaker Wire

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Flat speaker wire can get your speakers connected while still looking tidy.

I’m in a bit of a hurry! Just tell me the 3 best flat speaker wires:

  1. Monoprice Planate Series - 16 gauge
  2. Frankever Super Flat Speaker Wire - 23 Gauge
  3. JSC Wire Flat Speaker Wire - 16 Gauge

Looking for the best flat speaker wire? The type that lets you get your speakers to places in your home and still pass the tidy wiring, good looking test that Reddit will require of you?

Or perhaps you just need to get PAF approval (Partner Approval Factor) to put speakers in your lounge without ruining the aesthetic?

Well, we’re here to help. You might have already read our post discussing wireless surround speaker solutions but if we’re being honest, we’re still big fans of wires. We also have our AWG speaker wires post but this list is specific to flat speaker wires.

Editor’s Pick
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The Monoprice Planate 16 AWG Flat Speaker Wire is affordable and easy to work with if you don’t want the hassle of terminating ghost wires. Fits under carpet edges well and is CL2 rated for in wall use.

Flat Speaker Wire
Flat speaker wire is a great way to keep speakers looking good.

The confidence in the audio quality and direct connection allows you to know it’s not going to flake out and will sound great. It could be you need flat speaker wires for your front speakers, center or even your surround speakers.

We’ve rounded up the best flat speaker wires on the market with different gauge options – 12 gauge, 14 gauge and 16 gauge.

Speaker cables can be a contentious issue with audiophiles. I’ve tried cheap and expensive and I’m not convinced that spending a huge amount on speaker cables delivers a better audio experience.

In fact, I believe that a good quality speaker will easily overcome any shortfalls in both the cabling and even the source, although that’s a different debate for another post.

Ideally, you will want flat wiring that meets one or all of these criteria:

  • Speaker with included or suggested adhesive
  • Different color options, although flat white speaker wire is probably more likely there are some that come in black or brown.
  • Flat cable that is paintable
  • Super flat cable, flatter than flat? ?
  • 12 gauge, 14 gauge or 16 gauge wire options
  • 2 or 4 conductor flat speaker wire (bi-wire speaker cable)

Pretty sure we’ve covered most of this list below. Read on…


If you’re new to this speaker wire thing it’s important to know that Guage is essentially the thickness of the wire and that AWG and Gauge are interchangeable terms.

AWG stands for America Wire Gauge, which is the same but in scientific terms is the cross-section of the wire defining its current-carrying ampacity.


You might want to also look at getting speaker banana plugs (maybe not for ghost wiring) so make sure you also check out our 3 best banana plugs post.

7 Best Flat Speaker Wires Comparison

NameGauge / AWGPriceLength
Monoprice Planate Series16 Gauge / AWG$50ft
FRANKEVER Super Flat Speaker Wires23 Gauge / AWG$25ft
JSC Wire Flat Speaker Wire16 Gauge / AWG$50ft / 100ft
GearIT Pro Series Wire Cable 16 Gauge / AWG$200 ft / 500ft
Sewell 4 Conductor Ghost Speaker Wire$$25ft / 50ft
GearIT Elite Series Flat Speaker Wire - OFC12 Gauge / AWG$$$250ft
Nordost 2 Flat Speaker Wire18 Gauge$$$$N/A

7 Best Flat Speaker Wires

1. Monoprice Planate Series

The Monoprice Planate cable is an easy choice for home theatre enthusiasts.

4.5/5
Price Range: $
Brand: Monoprice
Monoprice Planate Series

The Download

Monoprice is a very well known brand in the affordable audio world. If you’ve read our best banana plugs for speakers list you’ll see Monoprice at the top for that too. The reason they sell so well is that they are good quality products but are not overly expensive.

The Monoprice flat cables stand out also because they come with a lifetime warranty. They include cable markings to make it a little easier to ensure you get things in phase. They are pure copper cables and not copper surfaced aluminum cables so you can have confidence in their ability to carry a good signal and over time they will retain their conductivity.

Stuff I like

  • Pure Copper Cable
  • Great price
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Length markers on the cabling
  • Works great for home theatre or car audio cabling
  • Available in 50ft or 100ft rolls
  • CL2 rated for use in residential building
  • 16 gauge / AWG

Stuff I like less

  • If you want completely naked cabling, this isn’t it.
  • Nothing else of note.
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars

2. FRANKEVER Super Flat Speaker Wires

Does require some extra work and special attention, but great value ghost wiring.

4/5
Price Range: $
Brand: FRANKEVER
FRANKEVER Super Flat Speaker Wires

The Download

The FRANKEVER is the super flat speaker wire option on this list. Super flat meaning it’s even flatter than flat cable. This is not round-wound like some of the other regular cables.

It comes in 16 gauge and 23 gauge. There is an installation video and it’s recommended you watch that before installing this slim profile option. It’s an indoor-only product.

FRANKEVER don’t identify this as ghost wiring but essentially it is.

You need to terminate this wiring, like all Ghost speaker cable, with termination terminals. See more at the product link above. It’s not complicated at all but will require a couple of extra accessories. Watch the video from Sewell further below in the section for Sewell Ghost wiring.

Stuff I like

  • Super flat for a really low profile
  • Discrete
  • Includes adhesive
  • Multiple-gauge options

Stuff I like less

  • More fragile than other options so be careful with installation.
  • Requires termination
Overall Rating: 4 / 5 Stars

3. JSC Wire Flat Speaker Wire

Great price and quality if you don’t need the thinnest of cabling

4.5/5
Price Range: $
Brand: JSC
JSC Wire Flat Speaker Wire

The Download

What I like about the JSC flat wire is that it’s more like a copper wound cable but the copper strands are patterned in such a way that the cable remains flat. You can see this in the photo above.

The JSC has externally printed markings to ensure you get your polarity right and once you have connected banana plugs you could then paint the cable to make it blend in with your house.

It’s a little thicker than some of the other speaker wires on this list so may not be ideal if you are planning to run this under the carpet or in really tight spots along your baseboards. Not saying you couldn’t make it fit but the Monoprice is a slightly thinner option for that. Size is around 5/8” X 3/32”.

If you’re not completely stuffed for space where you are running the cable then the price and quality of this will be a good choice.

Stuff I like

  • Great price
  • Good copper wiring
  • Feels nice in hand, not flimsy or work-earable (breakable)
  • It is pure oxygen-free

Stuff I like less

  • Not as thin as some other cables
  • No others for this price
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars

4. GearIT Pro Series Wire Cable

Not technically flat, but a popular choice by home theatre enthusiasts.

4.5/5
Price Range: $
Brand: GearIT
GearIT Pro Series Wire Cable

The Download

Why is this in here? It’s not even a ‘flat speaker wire’? You’re right, it’s not but it is only 7mm thick and very popular so we’ve included it. Look at option #6 below for true flat speaker cabling option from GearIT.

This GearIT flat wire comes in 4 sizes. 50ft, 100ft, 200ft and 500ft. 500ft would be a good choice for those wiring their house up completely – it’s a lot of cable!

This is a 16 gauge (AWG) cable and has been around a long time with many strong product advocates. The retail packaging is the first thing that gives you confidence.

This is a CCA speaker wire. CCA stands for Copper Clad Aluminum. There are mixed feelings on CCA. As someone who lives near the Ocean, I prefer the pure anti-corrosion properties of Pure Copper – although CCA cabling is said to have the same longevity.

One real positive of CCA is that it offers more affordability, you get more for your money.

The final comment on CCA is that is also more flexible. This might make a difference depending on where you are running the cabling.

Stuff I like

  • CCA for those who prefer
  • High strand count

Stuff I like less

  • Not truly flat cable
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars

5. Sewell 4 Conductor Ghost Speaker Wire

Super flat and easy to paint. It’s not hard to make these disappear.

4/5
Price Range: $$
Brand: Sewell
Sewell 4 Conductor Ghost Speaker Wire

The Download

This is flat, really flat. Flatter than a thin-based Marguerita Pizza Hut pizza. Like the FRANKEVER above this ghost flat speaker wire will require terminating but never fear, Sewell has a video to help you do exactly that. You can view it below.

You will need the termination block as well for this to be most successful. You can get these here: Sewell Ghost Wire Termination Block.

You can also get the Ghost 2 Conductor Speaker Wire from Sewell.

This is perfect speaker wiring for putting under your carpet or any other flat surface. You could also run it along walls or in your car for car audio.

It includes adhesive on the cable already – all you have to do is peel back the tape and stick it on.

Not the cheapest of the bunch but this is a 4 conductor speaker cable, meaning it could be used for bi-wiring speakers. By including 4 wire conductors you can run this to the bi-poles on your speakers and hook it up.

Each conductor is 1cm wide and it’s 18 AWG wiring. It is pure copper cable and is rated up to 10 amps.

This video from Sewell explains better how to terminate a ghost 2 conductor speaker cable, which is similar to this 4 conductor cable.

Stuff I like

  • Can be painted on one side
  • Nice and flat for running under carpet etc
  • Available in 2 conductors or 4 conductors
  • Ideal for high mounted surround sound speakers or height mounted speakers where you need to run external wiring but want to paint it so it ‘disappears’

Stuff I like less

  • Can be fragile so treat with care when installing
  • Does require termination blocks to be purchased. See video above
Overall Rating: 4 / 5 Stars

6. GearIT Elite Series Flat Speaker Wire – OFC

Nice and thin, well rated cable with clear copper and white options.

4.5/5
Price Range: $$$
Brand: GearIT
GearIT Elite Series Flat Speaker Wire - OFC

The Download

We chose the brother of this GearIT cable because it was kind of skinny, but this Elite series is the real flat deal. How thin is it I hear you ask? Well, it’s about as thin as a nickel coin. So if you have one of those in your wallet, have a look.

Available in White or Clear Copper this super flat speaker wire comes in 16 gauge AWG sizing. This roll is 500ft but there is a 250ft option also.

Pure oxygen-free copper cable with a high strand count for better conduction of signal. It works with screw-in, self-clamping or pin-type banana plugs for connecting to your speakers.

GearIT seems to do really well in the cable market and these flat cables, which come in a clear finish or white finish are a great choice, especially if you need a long roll.

Stuff I like

  • White or Clear Copper finish
  • CL2 rating for use in residential building
  • OFC (Oxygen Free Copper)
  • Cable markings for matching polarity

Stuff I like less

  • Not everyone needs 250ft or 500ft roll
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars

7. Nordost 2 Flat Speaker Cable

If you have the cash, and believe in the audio quality difference, have at ’em.

4/5
Price Range: $$$$
Brand: Nordost
Nordost 2 Flat Speaker Cable

The Download

Nordost is a curious company. They only sell through HiFi stores and not online market places. Their website has always made me feel like they might be lacking some marketing finesse – it’s hard to really find what you need, and how the products differ.

Finally, they are really expensive, like really.

I’ve never figured out if audiophiles love them because they are harder to get and more expensive, or if it’s because they really are kick-arse cables.

The Nordost 2 Flat Speaker Cable is 18 gauge (AWG) speaker wire and works with spade or pin banana plugs.

Stuff I like

  • Known for great cables
  • Thinner than a credit card ?
  • OFC
  • Audiophiles stop here.

Stuff I like less

  • Expensive
  • Harder to buy
  • Fewer reviews around
Overall Rating: 4 / 5 Stars

Conclusion

It’s easy to get swept up in the talk from audiophiles and the HiFi or Home Theatre community about the importance of good cables. I’m not debating that. All I’m suggesting is a decent gauged flat speaker wire, from a reputable dealer, that is correctly phased (polarity matches) is enough for most home enthusiasts – semi-serious or not.

In this instance, the Monoprice is our pick for the best flat speaker wire in terms of price and quality.

Best Flat Speaker Wire
Monoprice Planate Series 16 Gauge Flat Speaker Wire
Quality
Value for Money
Sound Quality
Overall Review
4.7

Endless hours of experimentation, professional work, and personal investment in Home Theatre, Hi-Fi, Smart Home Automation and Headphones have come to this.

Former owner of Headphones Canada, a high-end headphone specialty retailer.

This post was last updated on 2024-03-28 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.


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