What is AWG?

AWG is the gauge size and denotes the thickness of the cable. The lower the gauge, the thicker the cable. AWG stands for 'American Wire Gauge' and is a standardized wire gauge system used throughout the industry.

When would I use one gauge size of speaker wire over another?

The main consideration when choosing speaker wire should be the distance of the run. Longer runs require thicker conductor (lower AWG numbers) to make sure the signal does not degrade over the distance. On the other hand, a thicker conductor cable will be less flexible, more expensive, and potentially more difficult to terminate.