Speaker cables question/ high end short run vs mid range long run for same $$ amount

polkfarmboy
polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
edited April 2013 in 2 Channel Audio
In another thread I posted me whining about missing tubes, well since then I am dead set on tube monoblocks

Is it a good idea (conditions permitting) to buy really shorter run of a more expensive or ' subjectively better' cable for the same dollar amount as it would be for a lesser quality longer run?

Are there sonic benifits to cables in the range of 1m vs the traditional 3m?
Post edited by polkfarmboy on
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,734
    edited April 2013
    Are there sonic benifits to cables in the range of 1m vs the traditional 3m?

    Not in my opinion. In fact, the better cables start at 8 feet.
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2013
    Lets say we take the same high end 12 or 10 AWG cable and get a 3' run and an 8' run, will the longer cable sound better ?
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  • Glen B
    Glen B Posts: 269
    edited April 2013
    Three foot runs of speaker cable are too short. You will be forced to place your speakers too close together, and performance will suffer. You could get away with 6-foot pairs. There should be no difference in sound between 6 and 8 feet.
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  • doctor r
    doctor r Posts: 837
    edited April 2013
    If you are using mono blocks then you could use the short speaker cables by setting the amps next to each speaker. The downside is now you need to invest in quality long interconnect cables for the preamp to power amp runs.
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited April 2013
    Glen B wrote: »
    There should be no difference in sound between 6 and 8 feet.

    Any data, or past experience, to support that statement?
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  • Speedskater
    Speedskater Posts: 495
    edited April 2013
    BlueFox wrote: »
    Any data, or past experience, to support that statement?

    There is a simple test for anyone to do. Go to the big-box store and buy a 100 foot roll of 12-2 Romex®(NM) AC power cable. Cut off 6 feet to use as the shorter speaker cable. Compare the 6ft cable to the 94ft cable, well might hear a small difference. Now cut the long cable down to 50ft and compare again, you will have to listen very, very carefully (using well selected test signals & demanding speakers) to hear the small insignificant difference. Try again at 25ft, you have no chance of hearing a difference with music.
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2013
    Well here's my thing, if I have the dac/pre in the middle with 1 meter ic's running to mono's and then 1 meter speaker cables. Thats 12 feet long so its plenty wide, who has there speakers more than 12 feet appart? It would sound like there was giants on stage performing. I can buy speaker cables for 50% cheaper than I would pay so it seems like I can double down on the budget for cables. I think its a smart move as my MIT exp are fine for HT but 2ch is on another level so I cant skimp or my electrostats will hate me like they do now in this department
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,092
    edited April 2013
    Sound travels at over 1,100' per second. Do the math...do you really think a few feet will alter the sound?
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Speedskater
    Speedskater Posts: 495
    edited April 2013
    pearsall001 wrote: »
    Sound travels at over 1,100' per second. Do the math...do you really think a few feet will alter the sound?

    That's the speed of sound in air. Electrical signal's in cable travel at from 50 % to 80 % of the speed of light.

    Whether to have short interconnects and long speaker cables or long interconnects and short speaker cables is a different question.
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2013
    So in essence its better to buy the best cable that budget permits regardless of a few feet ?

    Jesse mentions in the second post that the 'better cables start at 8 feet' but not all of them do. I have saw some cables in the $1600 range and that way outa my league but when you could buy that same cable in a 1 meter size then you would only pay $800 and thats as high as I would ever dream of going this early in the game
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,092
    edited April 2013
    Speedskater wrote: »
    That's the speed of sound in air. Electrical signal's in cable travel at from 50 % to 80 % of the speed of light.

    Whether to have short interconnects and long speaker cables or long interconnects and short speaker cables is a different question.

    Simply splitting hairs, still no difference we mortals can hear. Now Superman...that's a whole different story.
    polkfarmboy wrote: »
    So in essence its better to buy the best cable that budget permits regardless of a few feet ?

    Jesse mentions in the second post that the 'better cables start at 8 feet' but not all of them do. I have saw some cables in the $1600 range and that way outa my league but when you could buy that same cable in a 1 meter size then you would only pay $800 and thats as high as I would ever dream of going this early in the game

    You're really over complicating things...just buy what you feel is the best that fits within your budget. At the differences you're talking about it's not a concern in the least.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2013
    Well then its settled, mono's, short high end spkr cables now I have to get into power cords :lol:
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  • Speedskater
    Speedskater Posts: 495
    edited April 2013
    pearsall001 wrote: »
    Quote Originally Posted by Speedskater
    Whether to have short interconnects and long speaker cables or long interconnects and short speaker cables is a different question.

    Simply splitting hairs, still no difference we mortals can hear. Now Superman...that's a whole different story.

    That's almost always True! But occasionally bad AC power wiring combined with the power amps on a different circuit can cause ground loops. A poor choice in long analog interconnects can cause 20db more noise.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,734
    edited April 2013
    polkfarmboy wrote: »
    So in essence its better to buy the best cable that budget permits regardless of a few feet ?

    Jesse mentions in the second post that the 'better cables start at 8 feet' but not all of them do. I have saw some cables in the $1600 range and that way outa my league but when you could buy that same cable in a 1 meter size then you would only pay $800 and thats as high as I would ever dream of going this early in the game

    Buy these, best $800.00 you'll ever spend. http://app.audiogon.com/listings/speaker-mit-shotgun-s3-3-spkr-cable-8ft-pair-gen3-demo-perfect-lifetime-warranty-2013-04-12-cables-85641
    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

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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2013
    I may just go for a pair of them but then I would be needing the shotgun ic's to go with. I have a few lines on some mono's so if I can squeeze it then hopefully I will have them in the next week or so when I start getting my first lil 2 ch system together. I have got my eye on another couple of brands that are local and I can demo in home, the MIT's don't really need a demo because everyone knows they sound great with pretty much everything
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  • RamZet
    RamZet Posts: 792
    edited April 2013
    I think you should get 6'-8' cables just because you dont know what the future hold. If you get short cables you are stuck with two amps, one next to each speaker. What if you get a different amp down the road and that same amp is going to power the two speakers. Now you have two short cables that you will have to sell for a fraction of what you paid for them.

    If your budget is tight I would get fancy interconnects and just normal/midrange speaker cables.
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