Cables & Leads Behind Your System

[RobbieGong]

Hi guys, Looking at the rear of my system, the excess speaker cable and one or two leads look a bit, lets say untidy hanging on the floor. I've heard that excess speaker cable should be folded up and over in a figure of eight type of configuration to avoid it acting like an attena ? What is the best way to keep the wires, leads, cables etc at the back there ?

[realysm42]

As short as possible.

And nothing touching if possible.

[Wakefield Turntables]

just keep the cables seperated, else, life is too short to be worrying about stuff like this!

[Barry]

Preferably as short as possible. But if they are of good quality with good shielding, it won't matter if they are all jumbled up. Or even if they are touching the walls, floor, ceiling or anywhere else!

Unshielded speaker leads can, under some circumstances, act as antennae to RFI. But you will only be troubled if you live close to an airport or radio transmitter (or repeater). Speaker cables should not be coiled up (figure-of-eight, or otherwise), the excess length should be folded up as a 'zig zag' (or boustropheidon - look it up, if you don't know what it means!).

[Audio Al]

boustropheidon

That sounds like something you get on a prescription

[synsei]

That sounds like something you get on a prescription

Either that or some newly discovered Dinosaur... hehe

[jollyfix]

That sounds like something you get on a prescription

[Marco]

Hi Rob,

Hi guys, Looking at the rear of my system, the excess speaker cable and one or two leads look a bit, lets say untidy hanging on the floor. I've heard that excess speaker cable should be folded up and over in a figure of eight type of configuration to avoid it acting like an attena ? What is the best way to keep the wires, leads, cables etc at the back there ?

As others have said, by keeping your speaker cable as short as possible. After all, there would be no excess to deal with in the first place if you didn't have as much... Didn't you measure what you needed first before buying it, daftee?

Anyway, the best plan is to measure exactly how much cable you need (taking care if possible to ensure that both speakers are 'fed' by the same amount), leaving a little extra for some 'wiggle room', and then cut off the excess, using the opportunity to bare and expose some nice fresh wire, and then clean the plugs, before re-terminating the cables. You may even perceive an improvement in sound quality, as a result!

Marco.

[Effem]

boustropheidon

Sounds like a shot of Penicillin is needed to cure that one.

Near me is a village called "Botus Fleming" and that always sounds like a nasty chest infection to me as well

[icehockeyboy]

Hi Rob,



(taking care if possible to ensure that both speakers are 'fed' by the same amount),

Marco.

I thought it had been established here that equal lengths were not important?