Longer Speaker Cable or RCA: Which is Better?
Comments
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"Day and night" and "huge improvement" are certainly over-used in this hobby, unless one is moving from a transistor AM radio to an AVR. Not everyone is qualified to do a good review of equipment, so you have to take these comments in the proper context.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
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Night and day in audio means a noticeable difference, might be small, medium or large, just that it's noticeable.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 -
Night and day in audio means a noticeable difference, might be small, medium or large, just that it's noticeable.
So it's a completely meaningless term. Got it.
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Pio Elete Pro 520
Panamax 5400-EX
Sunfire TGP 5
Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
PS Audio GCPH phono pre
Sunfire CG 200 X 5
Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
GFA 555
Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
Ft - SDA 1C
Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
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 -
Night and day in audio means a noticeable difference, might be small, medium or large, just that it's noticeable.
That's exactly what my thoughts were. After all, just as in dawn and dusk, there are varying degrees of night turning to day, and day turning to night, correct? It doesn't all of a sudden go from daytime to nighttime instantly; that is, there are varying degrees of day turning to night, and night turning to day. It is/are these varying degrees that determine the small, medium, or large noticable differences.
Of course, it depends upon the audio aspects (typically based upon the piece of gear in question) in question that determine how mach variation will be evident in what the listener hears.
@WilliamM2, it's only meaningless if you cannot hear the difference. Otherwise, the term has substantial meaning to those that can hear a difference.
Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
"I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion."
My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....
"Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson
"Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee -
Man, cable debates are bad enough, now we have to debate the meanings of words and phrases ? Does anyone just say wtf they mean anymore.....and does anyone understand simple words anymore ? Sheesh.....talk about splitting hairs.....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 -
You guys are night and day in your hearing abilities.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
I dunno, I've had some morning and afternoon differences in Beer....just sayin...
Fixed that for ya pal.
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 -
It's a self-fixing dilemma if you have enough audio experience. I know if someone says their $600 DAC is a "HUGE IMPROVEMENT" over their $400 DAC, they are either full of sht, just overly excited, or have a broken $400 DAC. I have compared $120 CD players to $1800 DAC's and indeed heard "significant" improvements---they weren't "huge" by any stretch of the imagination. Again, context, experience, and the author of the review all need to be taken into account.
Having said all that, I believe speakers may qualify for the "huge improvement" observation; but not much else when speaking in relative terms.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 -
So when I read about the DB840 woofer change in the Lsi15 for instance ((which I happen to own a pair)) I see descriptions ranging from ....
Barely sure is was different at all.....
a very small differerence......
It was far better sounding......
A day and night difference.......
Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
"Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
...a little subtle this and little subtle that, it can all add up to a dream system2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
txcoastal1 wrote: »...a little subtle this and little subtle that, it can all add up to a dream system
Amen! That's part of what makes this such a fun hobby. I've made mostly subtle improvements to my system over the past 5-6 years and I've enjoyed the thrill of each improvement. Few, if any, of my changes were jaw dropping, but to compare the system I have now to the one I had 6 years ago would be no contest.Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
When my cables are a little short, I use a cable stretcher.
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
txcoastal1 wrote: »...a little subtle this and little subtle that, it can all add up to a dream system
Bingo....add them up and you could have a totally different system on your hands. Audio is so personal to each of us, it's more of a journey than just plopping down a set of speakers and hooking up any xyz receiver.
Only by way of personal exploration can you arrive at those "ah ha " moments. When you stick your hand in your pants and only count one instead of 2.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 -
txcoastal1 wrote: »...a little subtle this and little subtle that, it can all add up to a dream system
Absolutely, good point.
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 -
Rich, I have this high end cable stretcher that's extremely effective.
Damn, your cable stretcher is much better than mine!Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
Back on topic; this is really a question of potential interference---not cable differences. It's much better to have shorter low-level signal cables, which are more prone to interference. So I would opt for longer speaker cables, shorter IC's.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
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I'll repeat my actual experience with long RCA IC's. They were in close proximity to one 20 amp power cable run from wall on right to the two amps in center between speakers. Pre amp was single ended ModWright SWLP 9.0SE pre amp.
Longer speaker cables would not be a solution in my old setup. IF I put the gear between speakers on that south wall, digital or vinyl wouldn't sound good due to the bass loading that occurred when speakers are boxed by corners. Talk about vibes, bad vibrations. Gear, except for amps, had to be on west wall. I could not play anything above 75dB with gear between speakers on that south wall. Had tube CD/SACD player, tube pre amp with tube phono.
"If you want advice based on actual experience, long RCA's works just fine. I used shielded coax, stranded center conductor for flexibility. They are 18 or 20 feet long and still in use connected to R and L subs as I have since went balanced to amp with different gear.
The system was dead quiet and as dynamic as shorter RCA's. Period. "
I can supply names of folks that heard this setup. Jay (agfrost) Doug (DKG999) Aaron (ALL212) to name three.
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
^ Listen to the man, he knows what he's talking about. ^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 -
I've never had a problem with long runs of either. I think as long as you buy a halfway decent cable, it isn't going to matter much unless we are talking the extreme in distances. Most decent cables are pretty good at noise rejection these days, it's the cheap stuff that I'd worry about.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