Unequal speaker cable length

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Comments

  • esowden
    esowden Posts: 55
    edited January 2010
    Jetmaker737 wrote: »
    Funny... found this post in AVS forum:

    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9836372#post9836372

    Quote of the year candidate::D

    "If you have unequal length wires to your speakers they will explode and destroy the house."
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited January 2010
    Better go check my homeowners insurance policy, make sure they cover damage from unequal speaker wire lengths.:p
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited January 2010
    If the OP is concerned about spending audio coin you might consider getting out, this hobby like others regarding fine materail things or performing arts has a way of sucking you in, as I am noted to saying...inside the big audio Rabbit Hole.

    I keep my two channel speak cables the same, my pre-amp does not allow for any possible time delay for the stereo rig. My HT rig processor does so those cables are different lengths. Not going to get into what any individual might be able to disertain in hearing a recording, however, the work done by Meridan and Nordost to name a couple indicates preringing in CD players measured in pico seconds is able to be heard or at least that it causes the recording to be less musical sounding.......so for hi-fi stereo I just keep the lengths the same for posterity if nothing else.

    RT1
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited January 2010
    pearsall001 wrote: »
    Hey Holmes, I'm ever more anal than you (if that's possible :rolleyes:). I use this method of measurement & kill two birds (salmon really) with one stone. Once I lay them out end to end, I then lay the speaker cable next to them stretching from nose to tail. Once I'm happy with "precise" equal measurements, I then grill them up for a superb dinner!!! :eek::D;) There you have it...spot on equal cable lenghts & dinner!!!!

    http://afsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1577/1548-8640%281967%2929%5B238%3AAMOMLO%5D2.0.CO%3B2?cookieSet=1&journalCode=ficu

    You are a kook!
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited January 2010
    Jetmaker737 wrote: »
    Funny... found this post in AVS forum:

    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9836372#post9836372

    How about the guy who says that a rack will not affect the sound of your components.:rolleyes:
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited January 2010
    reeltrouble1 wrote: »
    ...My HT rig processor does so those cables are different lengths.

    FWIW, the HT adjustments are incremented for the speed of sound/speaker distance to your head, not the speed of light wire-feet distance.

    My take is that it makes f*ckall difference in the timing, however, the coloration added by the wire will vary with length. So if you want to be OCD, keep pairs the same length, but there's no point in having the same length to your rears as your fronts since there's a lot more added by the room.

    The biggest thing is that if you end up with extra wire, DO NOT coil it up. It's begging to pickup any stray EMF and depending on the wire configuration can modify your signal.
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  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited January 2010
    unc2701 wrote: »
    FWIW, the HT adjustments are incremented for the speed of sound/speaker distance to your head, not the speed of light wire-feet distance.

    My take is that it makes f*ckall difference in the timing, however, the coloration added by the wire will vary with length. So if you want to be OCD, keep pairs the same length, but there's no point in having the same length to your rears as your fronts since there's a lot more added by the room.

    The biggest thing is that if you end up with extra wire, DO NOT coil it up. It's begging to pickup any stray EMF and depending on the wire configuration can modify your signal.

    What kind of length are you talking about? The OP is talking about 8 vs 15ft. No they won't hear a difference. I think you would hit voltage drop issues before you would hit timing issues when considering how long the cable would have to be for a timing offset to be noticed.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited January 2010
    unc2701 wrote: »
    FWIW, the HT adjustments are incremented for the speed of sound/speaker distance to your head, not the speed of light wire-feet distance.

    My take is that it makes f*ckall difference in the timing, however, the coloration added by the wire will vary with length. So if you want to be OCD, keep pairs the same length, but there's no point in having the same length to your rears as your fronts since there's a lot more added by the room.

    The biggest thing is that if you end up with extra wire, DO NOT coil it up. It's begging to pickup any stray EMF and depending on the wire configuration can modify your signal.

    Yep the best way to situate the excess cable would be an S pattern, crossing any other cables, especially power cables, at 90 degree patterns
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited January 2010
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    Yep the best way to situate the excess cable would be an S pattern, crossing any other cables, especially power cables, at 90 degree patterns

    Which is almost impossible to do with Mapleshade Clearview cable since it is a twisted pair (+/-) of solid core wire. Hence, the left front is 8 feet, while the right front is 16 feet. This leaves little slack cable to interfere with each other.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited January 2010
    BlueFox wrote: »
    Which is almost impossible to do with Mapleshade Clearview cable since it is a twisted pair (+/-) of solid core wire. Hence, the left front is 8 feet, while the right front is 16 feet. This leaves little slack cable to interfere with each other.

    Yes sir. That cable has the flexiblity of a coat hanger. I've seen it at Phil's.
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  • mhmacw
    mhmacw Posts: 832
    edited January 2010
    Keiko wrote: »
    It will take a second or two longer for the sound to reach the speaker with the longer cable.

    jk :p

    Shouldn't make any difference. In my experience anyway.



    how much longer would it take if you were stacking **** at the speed of light?haha
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  • ShinAce
    ShinAce Posts: 1,194
    edited January 2010
    billbillw wrote: »
    You might not always have the same exact layout and you might want longer lengths at some point. Pay for an extra 7 feet now or you might end up needing a whole set later.

    +1

    I only need 6 feet and 10 feet right now, but I've setup my speakers with two runs of 15 feet.
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited January 2010
    unc2701 wrote: »
    FWIW, the HT adjustments are incremented for the speed of sound/speaker distance to your head, not the speed of light wire-feet distance.

    you are correct unc.

    RT1
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  • Jetmaker737
    Jetmaker737 Posts: 1,047
    edited January 2010
    I should have been more specific in my original post. Obviously the different travel times of the signals would be imperceptible... I figured that fact would be taken for granted!

    I was more concerned with the changes in capacitance and resistance (assuming inductance wouldn't change much unless you coiled the cable tightly) and if those effects would be perceptible.
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