Which brands of flat speaker wire (16g or lower) would you suggest? Specifically the variety with the self-adhesive backing. To give you a better idea of what I am asking, see this link or (for the more expensive looking) this link . Thanks!

I didn't like the self-adhesive backing one I tried; it was pretty cheap and cheesy, and the adhesive was not kind to paint.

However, Axiom sells some self-adhesive flat wire that I think is 12 gauge.

Axiom has some.

Yeah, unfortunately the Axiom version are just prohibitively expensive at the moment. Anyhow, found this site which was relatively helpful. Since I will be renting in my new apartment, in-wall installation isnt an option, and this could be a good compromise to just having wires visible.

I believe in one of JohnK's past speaker wire posts about lamp cord, he described his cost effective method of making flat speaker wires using: a roll of lamp cord, an anvil, and a sledge hammer.

I can't take the credit, but Larry's suggestion appears to have merit. Just because a wire was made round doesn't mean that we're not allowed to "tweak" it a little to better fit our needs.

The geometry of wire does have an effect on its capacitance and inductance which in the extreme will change its frequency response.

That said, factory made flat wire already as these issues (different depending on if the wires are run side by side on the wall, or layered over top of one another), so flattening lamp cord probably won't be any more of a problem. Just keep the runs short.

I just run Blue Jean's 12-white right down my white walls. It really isn't that noticeable. If you're looking at your speakers, let alone the wire, in a home theater you're doing something wrong.

Yes, if I had a dedicated HT room I would keep everything exposed for better tweaking and playing... but my girlfriend would have a heart attack in our current 1br apartment! Sounds like I can pretty much go with any of the 12g flat variety with no worries. I also have a puppy that seems magnetically drawn to wires, the cute bastard.

I will be doing a full install of flat wire to the surround sound speakers in about a month. I will be taking lots of photos and doing a write up on the whole thing.
I plan on running the flat wire under hardwood flooring from the front of the room to the back, hiding the wire in the walls.

Very cool, looking forward to seeing/hearing how the project pans out. Have you decided what brand of flat wire you will be using?

I have not decided yet. I will start a thread once I do to document the project.

That sounds great. I'll be moving into my new apartment in early August, so hopefully I'll be able to learn a thing or two from your experience. Goodluck!