Length??

[Tom-Brown]

Yet another question that's probably been asked, and we all have awkward room shapes....But which is better Shorter interconnects and longer speaker cables or the reverse???

[walpurgis]

Probably the first option. But unless limitations can be heard, longer interconnects won't hurt.

[cloth-ears]

Yet another question that's probably been asked, and we all have awkward room shapes....But which is better Shorter interconnects and longer speaker cables or the reverse???

Without a doubt I would always keep the phono leads as short as possible. Voltage loss is inversely proportional to length of cable. The highest voltage is through the speaker cables so can take the hit. Hope this helps

[Arkless Electronics]

Interconnects long and speaker cable short ;) There's no loss in the interconnects as we're only talking around 1mA whereas it's amps in the speaker cable. Low speaker cable resistance also helps maintain the damping factor of the amp.

[Tom-Brown]

Without a doubt I would always keep the phono leads as short as possible. Voltage loss is inversely proportional to length of cable. The highest voltage is through the speaker cables so can take the hit. Hope this helps

That's interesting, and makes sense - would it help me then connecting my 8ohm tabs on my amp to connect my 6ohm speakers, currently connected to the 4ohm tabs?? If I employed longer speaker cables..

[struth]

Interconnects long and speaker cable short ;) There's no loss in the interconnects as we're only talking around 1mA whereas it's amps in the speaker cable. Low speaker cable resistance also helps maintain the damping factor of the amp.
I would go with jez if using extreme lengths.

[Spectral Morn]

If one is using dual differential balanced equipment, with a pre-amp and a mono or a stereo power amplifier then yes I think long interconnects and short speaker cable is the ideal way to go. The nature of dual differential means that XLR outs and ins are used and as the output signal is generally more robust than on single ended audio equipment, combined with the way XLR cables are good at rejecting noise (also an advantage in dual differential kit) the long interconnects won't be an issue

The other advantage of this is its possible to keep the equipment between the speakers to a bare minimum, say a single amp or pair of mono amps - on low amp stands. My personal opinion is that by putting equipment between the speakers on tall stands or a single large storage unit to get short speakercable runs will cause more issues than longer speakercable runs might cause. Of course one could have the kit far back (bay window) and the speakers forwards of the kit, or kit on the floor, but I don't feel this is particularly ideal either.

There is kit out there using XLR ins and outs, but often these are not genuine balanced designs but simply single ended kit fitted with XLRs, and my past experience of such - that I have heard, played with - informs me (maybe not true in all cases) that these are best used single ended and sound better via their RCA ins and outs. The problem though with long interconnect runs and single ended kit is that I think the potential losses in sound quality - output levels not as robust - override those gains in using shorter runs of speaker cable.

If you are using an integrated amplifier then you either put the kit between the speakers on a rack or use long runs of speaker cable, there really isn't any other option unless you are prepared to grovel on the floor to use your kit.

In my own case I have always opted to have longer speaker cable, between 5m to 7m but no longer in order to keep my kit out of the area between my speakers. Obviously in audio, everything is a balancing act and one of compromises - so your mileage, experience may vary.

I can't back this up by technical specifications or measurements, just personal experience since the late 80s.

[Tom-Brown]

Cheers Guy's, more to think about and play with. I'm in agreement with you Neil !!! I'm not talking extreme distances - maybe 4m max as my man cave is about 6m long x 4m wide and once you add furniture knock a 1/3 off those distances so I should be ok :) :)

[Reffc]

Interconnects long and speaker cable short ;) There's no loss in the interconnects as we're only talking around 1mA whereas it's amps in the speaker cable. Low speaker cable resistance also helps maintain the damping factor of the amp.

This. Most interconnections are from low output impedance sources into high input impedance receivers (be that an amp, phonostage or whatever) so the minuscule impedance of the cable pales into insignificance. There are exceptions. One is phono interconnects from MM sources which are sensitive to capacitative loading, and where the capacitance of the leads needs to be accounted for and is additive to the input capacitance loading of the phonostage. The other is where the use of passive preamplification stages is concerned, where the shorter the interconnect, the better.

Speaker cables can be fairly long without any undue effects IF you're using an amplifier with adequate damping factor. Many valve amps with high output impedance will start to struggle with anything but very short speaker connections depending on speaker load because the loop resistance of the speaker cable is additive to the output impedance of the amplifier AND the DCR of any series inductors in passive crossover networks. To assess what might be adequate speaker cable gauge to limit this effect, you have to use twice the length of cable per side in DCR calcs because its the run too and from the amp that makes up total load.

[Marco]

Speaker cables can be fairly long without any undue effects IF you're using an amplifier with adequate damping factor. Many valve amps with high output impedance will start to struggle with anything but very short speaker connections...


This is interesting, Paul, because I have around 20 metres of Van Damme Blue Studio speaker cable, running from my Copper amp upstairs, to the lounge downstairs, supplying a pair of Celestion Ditton 15XRs, and they sound superb, with no audible sonic deterioration (as also others who've heard it, to their surprise, have commented).

Not bad for a valve amp, eh! ;)

Marco.

[Reffc]

This is interesting, Paul, because I have around 20 metres of Van Damme Blue Studio speaker cable, running from my Copper amp upstairs, to the lounge downstairs, supplying a pair of Celestion Ditton 15XRs, and they sound superb, with no audible sonic deterioration (as also others who've heard it, to their surprise, have commented).

Not bad for a valve amp, eh! ;)

Marco.

It will still drive the speakers no problem Marco, and the copper amp is not a high output impedance design as I understand it, so I think you have not perhaps understood what I said. There are many variables involved, but take a difficult load of say 3 or 4 ohms for a speaker, a high output impedance of say 2 Ohms for an amp (typical of a lot of chinese valve amps) and crossover/speaker cable losses of say another 1 ohm and you have a damping factor of just 1 1/3 which is useless in terms of speaker control. Take another speaker load of say 6 Ohms, with a combined output impedance plus losses of say half an Ohm and you have a very respectable DF of 12, more than enough in most cases at max load. If your valve amp/speaker combo falls more into the last camp, that will explain why you dont notice much sonic degradation. It's a mute point though because just about all high output impedance amps will have woeful low frequency control, irrespective of cable length and gauge.

[Marco]

Yeah, sure, I get that, Paul. The point I was making is that the Copper amp appears to have no problem whatsoever driving over 20 metres of speaker cable, (sounds like it could take a lot more, too), which not many valve amps would be comfortable with :)

In any case, I do agree with the position Jez and you have taken on this matter. However, purely in my own circumstances, I prefer short interconnects, as I like to 'dress' cables neatly behind my rack, and keep them up off of the floor, hanging in their own free space (as for me it sounds better that way).

That is nigh on impossible with long interconnects, as they tend to get all jumbled up together, making for a 'spaghetti junction' effect, and so often end up in close proximity to (or even jumbled up with) mains-carrying cables, which isn't good.

Marco.

[Reffc]

Yeah, sure, I get that, Paul. The point I was making is that the Copper amp appears to have no problem whatsoever driving over 20 metres of speaker cable, (sounds like it could take a lot more, too), which not many valve amps would be comfortable with :)

In any case, I do agree with the position Jez and you have taken on this matter. However, purely in my own circumstances, I prefer short interconnects, as I like to 'dress' cables neatly behind my rack, and keep them up off of the floor, hanging in their own free space (as for me it sounds better that way).

That is nigh on impossible with long interconnects, as they tend to get all jumbled up together, making for a 'spaghetti junction' effect, and so often end up in close proximity to (or even jumbled up with) mains-carrying cables, which isn't good.

Marco.

Agreed...keep it neat, avoid spaghetti!