Brainstorm for speaker cable length

[Sansiiro]

Hello!

I have decided to upgrade my speaker cables, I will buy Audio Quest Rocket 11 cable (13 gauge, 2,63mm2).

The thing is - my amp is very close to one speaker and further away from another.

I have always thought the cables should be of same length, but recently I have heard people doubting that necessity.

If I use similar length (3,4 m) on both channels I will need to coil up the excess cable and my concern is:
which would do more damage to the sound (if at all) - a) the coiled up long cable near the amp, or
b) cables with unequal length (3,4 and 1,4) ??

Thank you!

Veiko

[Firebottle]

I'm using uneven cable lengths, 6.5 and 3.5 metres. Cannot tell any difference.

[Macca]

Electricity conducts almost at the speed of light. So you'd need very unequal runs to be able to tell a difference. I suppose if one cable is several miles longer than the other you might be into problems.


There is the OCD factor of course.

[Bigman80]

Electricity conducts almost at the speed of light. So you'd need very unequal runs to be able to tell a difference. I suppose if one cable is several miles longer than the other you might be into problems.


There is the OCD factor of course.It's the resistance and capacitance that could prove to be a problem.

The longer the cable, the higher the capacitance which could cause a higher roll off on one channel creating a an imbalance that way.

There are other things too but as you say, it will probably be OK but I'd never recommend unequal lengths. Because I sell cables lmao

[Sansiiro]

Electricity conducts almost at the speed of light. So you'd need very unequal runs to be able to tell a difference. I suppose if one cable is several miles longer than the other you might be into problems.


There is the OCD factor of course.

Yeah, I have read about this speed, but I am more worried about this recommendation for equal impedance.
Again, some people have opinion that this unequal impedance is present already in the amp, since the transistors
are not 100% similar, and that this "problem" with cable length is only a drop in the ocean.
The thing is - I don't know whom to believe :O

The OCD factor of course is real - as is the $$$ factor so this is a battle

[Macca]

The longer the wire the more resistance but you still have to go very, very long before that is an audible issue. A few feet of difference is really not going to be audible in any possible way.

[walpurgis]

The longer the wire the more resistance but you still have to go very, very long before that is an audible issue. A few feet of difference is really not going to be audible in any possible way.

I agree, even though I tailor all my cable lengths to the last millimetre! :)

[Sansiiro]

The longer the wire the more resistance but you still have to go very, very long before that is an audible issue. A few feet of difference is really not going to be audible in any possible way.

Thanks. Great. That would make my life easier.

If I can overcome this OCD - any thoughts on the effects of this "coiling" the excessive speaker cable?

I understand, that since the signal in the speaker cable is already amplified and very strong, it mostly
is not receptive to outer influences, hence this cables are not even shielded, mostly.

However - one becomes to think, that yes, it is not receptive to OTHER influences, but as it's signal
is strong, it will ITSELF be the threat to other cables, including itself.

I wonder if this logic has any meaning?

[struth]

leccy in copper is 95% of the SoL which is 300,000 km/s, so a few yards isnt gonna make any odds

[Macca]

Thanks. Great. That would make my life easier.

If I can overcome this OCD - any thoughts on the effects of this "coiling" the excessive speaker cable?

I understand, that since the signal in the speaker cable is already amplified and very strong, it mostly
is not receptive to outer influences, hence this cables are not even shielded, mostly.

However - one becomes to think, that yes, it is not receptive to OTHER influences, but as it's signal
is strong, it will ITSELF be the threat to other cables, including itself.

I wonder if this logic has any meaning?

Thankfully no. Also you'd have to coil an awful lot of cable to start having problems. It isn't best practice I agree, neither is having signal cables close to power cables but it's easy to avoid doing that. Maybe the speaker cable does threaten itself but if it does (and it probably doesn't) there's not really a lot we can do about that.

[karma67]

ive got an un equal distance between speakers and amp,i just coil up the one closest to the amp,i cant hear sod all difference

[alphaGT]

While it won’t make any difference electrically, it can seriously affect the resale value of your speaker cables.

If you decide to upgrade one day, and want to sell your old set, if they aren’t the same length, you’ll take a beating on the price. Keeping them the same length sure doesn’t hurt! And, it will maintain its value.

Russell

[Sansiiro]

While it won’t make any difference electrically, it can seriously affect the resale value of your speaker cables.

If you decide to upgrade one day, and want to sell your old set, if they aren’t the same length, you’ll take a beating on the price. Keeping them the same length sure doesn’t hurt! And, it will maintain its value.

Russell

Thanks. Good point. However there is a temptation to pay less money now.

[thingfish]

ive got an un equal distance between speakers and amp,i just coil up the one closest to the amp,i cant hear sod all difference

+1

I keep em the same length.

[Haselsh1]

Back around 1994 I was using twin and earth as speaker cables. I had the same problem, I had one speaker closer than the other so used unequal lengths. Stupid idea that completely trashed the sound and the stereo effect. I went back to using 'real' speaker cables.

;)

[antonio]

If this is the stuff you are buying then resale value is not going to be much of a hardship since plugs can be re-used on any upgrade cable. Just go for the correct lengths you need, keeping things neat and tidy.

https://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/62941/audioquest-rocket-11-white-pvc-speaker-cable&utm_source=BingAds&utm_campaign=BingAds&utm_content=AQST-RKT-11-WHT?msclkid=ae96329ff06f18272b636fbd1af81909https://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/62941/audioquest-rocket-11-white-pvc-speaker-cable&utm_source=BingAds&utm_campaign=BingAds&utm_content=AQST-RKT-11-WHT?msclkid=ae96329ff06f18272b636fbd1af81909

[Pigmy Pony]

It's the resistance and capacitance that could prove to be a problem.

The longer the cable, the higher the capacitance which could cause a higher roll off on one channel creating a an imbalance that way.

There are other things too but as you say, it will probably be OK but I'd never recommend unequal lengths. Because I sell cables lmao

So I'm guessing you're not a fan of the KEF LS50 :D

[Barry]

There is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to using unequal lengths of speaker cable.

In the past I have used unequal lengths of cable between my amplifier and the speakers (Quad 57 electrostatics). The difference in length was significant: 6m to the right hand speaker and 16m to the left hand speaker. As far as cable loop resistance was concerned, there was a 2:1 factor, and as far as the speaker is concerned, the cable loop resistance adds to the output impedance of the amplifier, so affects the damping factor. With the Quad ELS, the inertial mass of the diaphragms is so low there is very little damping to do, and although this is a different matter when it comes to conventional cone speaker drivers, I didn't notice any ill effects at all with the Quads.

The physical time delay is insignificant. Owing to the high speed of propagation through the cable (probably 0.7x the speed of light, so less than 5ns per metre), and given the speed of sound of 340m/s, this is equivalent to a difference in speaker positioning of less than 2 micron/metre!). Likewise the difference in capacitance and loop inductance due to the difference in speaker cable length is insignificant when compared with those of the components of the speaker's crossover network.

So too the ohmic loss difference due to the unequal length. In my case, the 10m difference in cable length translated to a 0.1 Ohm change in cable loop resistance - which in turn, with a typical amplifier output impedance of 0.01Ohm and a speaker impedance of 10Ohm, lead to a difference in volume level of 0.086dB. Totally unnoticeable.

If however for piece of mind, you want the cables to be of equal physical length, try to coil up the longer length in a loose serpentine (boustrophedon) fashion, so as to minimise the increase in inductance.

[alphaGT]

There is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to using unequal lengths of speaker cable.

In the past I have used unequal lengths of cable between my amplifier and the speakers (Quad 57 electrostatics). The difference in length was significant: 6m to the right hand speaker and 16m to the left hand speaker. As far as cable loop resistance was concerned, there was a 2:1 factor, and as far as the speaker is concerned, the cable loop resistance adds to the output impedance of the amplifier, so affects the damping factor. With the Quad ELS, the inertial mass of the diaphragms is so low there is very little damping to do, and although this is a different matter when it comes to conventional cone speaker drivers, I didn't notice any ill effects at all with the Quads.

The physical time delay is insignificant. Owing to the high speed of propagation through the cable (probably 0.7x the speed of light, so less than 5ns per metre), and given the speed of sound of 340m/s, this is equivalent to a difference in speaker positioning of less than 2 micron/metre!). Likewise the difference in capacitance and loop inductance due to the difference in speaker cable length is insignificant when compared with those of the components of the speaker's crossover network.

So too the ohmic loss difference due to the unequal length. In my case, the 10m difference in cable length translated to a 0.1 Ohm change in cable loop resistance - which in turn, with a typical amplifier output impedance of 0.01Ohm and a speaker impedance of 10Ohm, lead to a difference in volume level of 0.086dB. Totally unnoticeable.

If however for piece of mind, you want the cables to be of equal physical length, try to coil up the longer length in a loose serpentine (boustrophedon) fashion, so as to minimise the increase in inductance.

I’ve learned a new word! Seriously, I had to look up ‘Boustrophedon’, a new one on me!

And the rest of your post was not lost on me either, that’s good stuff to know. I will immediately undo the coil of wire behind my right speaker and bundle it up correctly.

Russell

[Sansiiro]

Great input, Barry.
I am still waiting for my Rocket11 cable, but have been conducting tests during the time.

I used 1 m and 3.8 m cables.
Only used one channel at the time so the music would be exactly the same
(connecting one speaker to leftA, another to leftB), balance 100% to left and listening one at a time.
No difference were detected, so I wont have to coil my cable boustrophedon-style,
will just use different lengths.

What I have discovered - out of the box the amp sounded so bad, that I needed to use "tone control",
but as for now, I have noticed there is no such need. So I guess it burned in.

[thingfish]

I’ve learned a new word! Seriously, I had to look up ‘Boustrophedon’, a new one on me! (Russell)


Thought it were a fukin Dinosaur....!!!!