[jqp]

This company, Flatwire Solutions, proudly displays flat cables which may be applied to the wall and paint4ed over. They have very specific applications for various audio and video compnents, including subwoofers and HDMI!

http://www.flatwiresolutions.com/index.html

When if ever do cables like these make sense? Obviously they could be very convenient for some unless they undo all the effort to achieve hi fidelity.

When would a cable application become dangerous because it was pasted on the wall an painted over?

How can flat speaker wire be called 12 gauge?

[JoshK]

Goertz cables are flat, Nordost's uber expensive cables are flat.  Jena Labs are braided in a flat configuration. 

I think the properties that this gives is higher inductance and lower capacitance, vis a vis a round geometry, all else being equal.  IMHO, whether this makes for better or worse sounding cables is likely to be topologically specific to the amp. 

When would a cable application become dangerous because it was pasted on the wall an painted over?

When the insulation was compromised.

How can flat speaker wire be called 12 gauge?

I think they are thinking equivalent gauge, so it is the area of the cross section that matters, regardless of shape.

[brj]

I believe that there are also potential RFI/EMI issues involved as well, due to the many smaller gauge wires running in parallel and carrying various legs of the signal.  That comment, however, is based on vague recollections of issues with parallel interface cables in computers when people first started "rolling" the otherwise flat cables into round configurations.  Audio signals in speaker cables are operating at different voltages and frequencies, and may thus be more or less prone to such issues.

[jqp]

I think one thing to consider is that these ribbons could be a very nice antenna...they remind me of cell phone antennas, which are of course much smaller.

[JimJ]

Probably not any more than a round wire of similiar resonant length.

[Marty Freeman]

The 12-gauge spec probably applies to cross-sectional area, ohms per foot.  I wonder if they make any effort to cross the wires over periodically to duplicate the effect of a twisted pair.  If not, it could be more subject to noise pickup.  Could be very useful in cases like needing to run speaker wires under a rug.  Terminating it might be a bit tricky. 

[Occam]

.......
I think the properties that this gives is higher inductance and lower capacitance, vis a vis a round geometry, all else being equal.  IMHO, whether this makes for better or worse sounding cables is likely to be topologically specific to the amp. 
......

Bingo! Give that man a cigar. In the best of all possible worlds, we'd ideally like a twisted of star-quad geometry for its inherent emi rejection, though its generally moot in other than very noisy environments with speaker level signals. But many amps are designed with finicky feedback/compensation networks that simply preform poorly with capacitive ls cables beyond a certain length. Naim amps, LLanos, Nakamichi PA-7 and 9 to name a few. [if anyone wants to whinge about such 'poor designs', start another thread] I once sent an amp on a tour for a friend, with TARA TFA cables with specific instructions not to twist them, as that amp simply didn't like capacitive LS cables. They didn't oscillate with capacitive cable, they simply didn't perform very well. Inevitably, I'd receive the package back with the cables tightly twisted......

Nordost cables with the runs side by side are low cap, high inductance, like these flatwire products which they developed. While the Goertz are also flat, the wires are not side by side, but are on top of each other, and are therefore high capacitance/ low inductance. If your preferred amp-speaker combo doesn't handle a high cap cable well, for heaven's sake, don't put a Zoebel to fudge the compensation network, get a more appropriate LS cable.

FWIW