Monoblock amplifiers with short ~1foot speaker cables

I was doing some reading and a few people mentioned a potential advantage of using monoblock amplifiers, was that you could physically place them closer to each speaker and thus use a shorter length of speaker cable. So instead of a 6-8ft pair you could get away with 1ft or less connecting each amp to it's speaker.

Of course, this would require longer power and RCA cables. But the "idea" was that it's better to have shorter speaker cable runs versus shorter power/RCA.

Has anyone personally had any experience setting up monoblock amplifiers like this? Any thoughts on perceived or actual benefits to super short speaker cable lengths?

It seems like on one hand, a shorter cable length looks desirable due to reducing inductance, resistance, and capacitance. However, other people claim that 6-8 feet is the "sweet spot" regarding length.

Comments

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    Nice. Well that pretty much answers that.

    I knew that balanced cables were recommended for long runs which makes perfect sense due to their construction and intended usage. The example he uses is much longer/different than mine.

    I'm guessing for me it wouldn't make a difference either way. I'll just stay with my 8ft SCs.
  • tratliff
    tratliff Posts: 1,651
    Those videos from Paul at PS Audio are very informative. I really enjoy watching them. If you get a chance watch the one about his listening room at PS Audio. Very nice setup.

    I have tried to keep both SC and IC as short as logically possible. And to use XLR's when I can. When I say logically possible I mean to have enough to tidy them up a bit. They are not as short as they could be but close, and very careful planning has gone into equipment placement before cables have been ordered. Each piece of equipment on my rack has its designated spot due to cable length.

    I have not spent much time with longer than needed cables with my monoblocks but I have found that the degree of channel separation is greatly increased when going to a monoblock design. Some what off topic but something to consider if you are thinking about trying them.
    2 Channel Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II, 2 REL Carbon Limited, Norma Revo IPA-140B, Lumin U2 Mini, VPI Prime w/SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC, Modwright PH 150, Denon DP-59l w/Denon DL-301MKII, AudioQuest Thunderbird Speaker and Interconnect Cables, AudioQuest Niagara 7000 w/Dragon and Hurricane Power Cables
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    It's hard to imagine a speaker cable less than one foot long unless the speaker and the amp were back-to-back of each other. :p Maybe I could just remove the passive radiator and place some monoblock amps inside the cabinets right underneath the crossovers. :D
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    They already have those, they're called powered monitors :)
    Viking64 wrote: »
    Maybe I could just remove the passive radiator and place some monoblock amps inside the cabinets right underneath the crossovers. :D

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    The distance between 1 ft and 8 ft is pretty insignificant with speaker cables. Don't waste your time and efforts.

    Comes into play more so on extremely long runs.
    HT SYSTEM-
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    Understood. Thanks guys!
    tonyb wrote: »
    The distance between 1 ft and 8 ft is pretty insignificant with speaker cables. Don't waste your time and efforts.

    Comes into play more so on extremely long runs.

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited January 2018
    tonyb wrote: »
    The distance between 1 ft and 8 ft is pretty insignificant with speaker cables. Don't waste your time and efforts.

    Comes into play more so on extremely long runs.

    Well -- I would say so, too -- but there are those who figure every thing that reduces "damping factor"* is anathema.

    __________________
    * don't get me started... ;)
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited January 2018
    actually, I had another comment (perhaps slightly less pointless than the one I just made above!) as to this thread.

    The question being asked presents what us science guys like to call a testable hypothesis. In the perfect world* the only variable should be cable length. Two sets of speaker cables, short(er) and long(er). Try 'em both (i.e., short pair "versus" long pair). Go with the ones that sound better to the person who will be using the hifi most. That's scientific enough.


    __________________
    * Don't worry -- I'm not going down the blind testing road, nor the confirmation bias road nor any of those other alleyways :| It's OK to be empirical and just let it be. Still, comparing two things by ear, I think, is always a wee bit better than making a decision a priori. :|
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    LMAO Professor, apparently you flunked out of "short answers 101" back in the day.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    ... and the worst part is, unlike Dickens, I never got paid by the word! :(
  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,638
    Ask Doc what time it is and he will tell you how to build a watch... B)
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,042
    I have mono's in my main rig. I tried using 2 pair of 30'' Canare bananas and spades bi-wires on each side of my 1.2tl's. While it did sound nice I found out that there's a lot more to speaker wires than keeping them short. I now use 8' MIT Shotgun bi-wires and the Canares are a distant memory. This was an interesting experiment for me and I'm glad I got to hear the differences as I more than likely would not have believed it if I hadn't tried it out for myself.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    Ask Doc what time it is and he will tell you how to build a watch... B)

    ... and you won't ask again, either (for one reason or another)!

    ;)
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    tonyb wrote: »
    The distance between 1 ft and 8 ft is pretty insignificant with speaker cables. Don't waste your time and efforts.

    Comes into play more so on extremely long runs.

    Well -- I would say so, too -- but there are those who figure every thing that reduces "damping factor"* is anathema.

    __________________
    * don't get me started... ;)

    What if (inhales deeply off a hand rolled "cigarette") the amp builders factor in an 8ft speaker run when building their amps and an 8ft speaker run is the exact damping required for optimal sound/control and 1ft is too short? (exhales)

    Far out, like, far out, man.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    kharp1 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    tonyb wrote: »
    The distance between 1 ft and 8 ft is pretty insignificant with speaker cables. Don't waste your time and efforts.

    Comes into play more so on extremely long runs.

    Well -- I would say so, too -- but there are those who figure every thing that reduces "damping factor"* is anathema.

    __________________
    * don't get me started... ;)

    What if (inhales deeply off a hand rolled "cigarette") the amp builders factor in an 8ft speaker run when building their amps and an 8ft speaker run is the exact damping required for optimal sound/control and 1ft is too short? (exhales)

    Far out, like, far out, man.

    I like your thinking....man. lol
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    I found out that there's a lot more to speaker wires than keeping them short.

    BINGO!!!

    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited January 2018
    kharp1 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    tonyb wrote: »
    The distance between 1 ft and 8 ft is pretty insignificant with speaker cables. Don't waste your time and efforts.

    Comes into play more so on extremely long runs.

    Well -- I would say so, too -- but there are those who figure every thing that reduces "damping factor"* is anathema.

    __________________
    * don't get me started... ;)

    What if (inhales deeply off a hand rolled "cigarette") the amp builders factor in an 8ft speaker run when building their amps and an 8ft speaker run is the exact damping required for optimal sound/control and 1ft is too short? (exhales)

    Far out, like, far out, man.

    oh, wow....

  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    Alright, I'm going to go test this short speaker wire theory.

    evf1b5mw8s0v.jpg
  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    I like to use two different lengths of speaker wire to equalize things when the amps bias is out of synch... ;)>:)
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
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    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,521
    IMO, I rather have a long "high level" cable (speaker wire), than a long low level (IC) which would be far more subject to extraneous noise.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    steveinaz wrote: »
    IMO, I rather have a long "high level" cable (speaker wire), than a long low level (IC) which would be far more subject to extraneous noise.

    That's my general sense, too (FWIW) -- but the "ultra-high damping factor posse" will disagree (and I guess we could always use balanced "interconnects" if we're really worried about noise).

    :|


  • mhardy6647 wrote: »
    steveinaz wrote: »
    IMO, I rather have a long "high level" cable (speaker wire), than a long low level (IC) which would be far more subject to extraneous noise.

    That's my general sense, too (FWIW) -- but the "ultra-high damping factor posse" will disagree (and I guess we could always use balanced "interconnects" if we're really worried about noise).

    :|

    But if you really want that mega damping factor to mean something, you need to get the passive XO out of there by using an active XO into an amp that connects directly to the woofer!

    Cheers, Jim
    A day without music is like a day without food.
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    edited January 2018
    your mom goes to college
    I disabled signatures.
  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,505
    I have thought about this.

    Keeping the wire short saves money. But for me, buying a pair of monoblocks is more expensive.
    Magico, JL, Emm, ARC Ref 10 line, ARC Ref 10 phono, VPI, Lyra, Boulder, AQ Wel, SRA Scuttle Rack, Bluesound
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    edited February 2018
    I get the idea of keeping it short, but how useful is that, really? All your really going to gain is having to find a place for your mono block amplifiers where they will be hidden :) however the saving money thing also makes sense...
    But not really. :lol:
  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,505
    mlistens03 wrote: »
    I get the idea of keeping it short, but how useful is that, really? All your really going to gain is having to find a place for your mono block amplifiers where they will be hidden :) however the saving money thing also makes sense...
    But not really. :lol:

    It makes sense when your cords are expensive. The difference is in the thousands which adds up
    Magico, JL, Emm, ARC Ref 10 line, ARC Ref 10 phono, VPI, Lyra, Boulder, AQ Wel, SRA Scuttle Rack, Bluesound
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    Oh... I didn’t think about that. I just use monoprice so for me there is no gain, but now I actually understand.