Monoprice 113722 speaker wire 16AWG 50ft black

Plenum-rated speaker wire

This Monoprice 113722 speaker wire is a 16AWG, two-conductor cable designed for in-wall audio installations in homes and commercial buildings. Its CMP-rated jacket meets fire-safety codes for plenum air spaces, so it can be routed through ducts and ceiling voids without additional conduit. The black jacket is softer and more flexible than traditional plenum cables, helping installers pull it through tight cavities. It suits anyone running speaker-level signals behind walls where building regulations demand a plenum rating.

CMP fire rating for in-wall use

The single specification that decides suitability is the CMP plenum rating on the outer jacket. This certification confirms the cable resists flame spread and smoke generation in building air-handling spaces, satisfying most local fire codes for concealed runs. Without this rating, standard speaker wire cannot legally be installed inside walls or ceilings in many jurisdictions. The 16AWG oxygen-free copper conductors handle typical home-theatre and distributed-audio loads, but the rating is the gatekeeper for code-compliant placement.

Flexible jacket eases pulls; verify gauge first

The pliable CMP jacket reduces kinking and snagging during long pulls through studs and joists, making solo installation practical. Color-coded inner jackets on each conductor simplify polarity matching at both ends. The main error is selecting 16AWG for runs exceeding the ampacity appropriate for the speaker impedance and power level; the wire itself carries no distance rating, so installers must calculate voltage drop for their specific load. Terminate with banana plugs or bare wire — no proprietary connectors are required.