Differnt lengths of Spkr Cable

Ok, I know this has been covered before but…………..
One of my speakers ( in total speaker cable distance) is about 2m from the hifi, while the other is about 4.5-5 metres away.

If I buy a 2m length and a 5 meter length of cable, will this have a detrimental affect to the sound. Would I be better off buying 2 5mtr lengths and keeping one curled up whilst the other runs around the skirting to the speaker.

I know there are other threads to this but they contain a lot of detail and technical jargon. Is there anyone out there who has this with no bad effects whatsoever or is this a big no-no.

The reason for two different lengths is A cost & B tidiness.

Many Thanks
Gpc1

 

BIG BIG No No, I can hear the timing difference between my centre chanel and the main fronts which has a half metre interconnect difference !

 

I have not only different lengths of speaker cable but different types at the moment and yet have a system that seems to amaze most visitors with it's timing and imaging.

You work it out

 

Welcome back mike

 

No difference whatsoever. I once had 1M and 3M with no perceptible difference. No wonder; someone over at HFC (I think) did the calculation and concluded that, for there to be a perceptible difference, one cable would have to be of the order of several kilometers longer than the other (a situation rarely encountered domestically).

 

does the same argument apply to interconnects of different lengths? applicable if placing monoblocs near speakers, say.

 

ahhh ......split opinions here.

Would a 3m cable diff really make such a diff?

I will tell you as soon as my cable arrives. What the hell....im gonna take the plunge a see for myself. Worse comes to the worse i lose a few quid but can answer an age old question.....or will it be all in my mind!!!!

Is there any device aout there that can test timing from one speaker to the other?

Gpc1

 

As Tones says, timing is not going to be affected unless you live in a different perception from time than the rest of us and can sense millionths of a second differences. Moving your ears half an inch nearer one speaker or the other will make more difference.

But I wonder, things like different impedence, capacitance and inductance might be different between same cable at different lengths. And that could result in slightly different tonal balance from each speaker, possibly? Or maybe even cause a problem for some stereo amplifiers.... I don't know, just a thought.

 

I know someone with an 18k system that uses different TYPES of cable of different lengths for each speaker, and neither he nor I (nor anybody else for that matter) can so far tell the difference.

Puts it in perspective !

 

Hi,

It will not make any difference, no.. not a bit... not at all... really...none. nil. 0.. zero..

Regards

 

From experience, I would beg to differ on this one, however, as a caveat I would say that it all depends upon the quality of your equipment and quality of the cables you are using.

Speaker cables should ideally be kept the same length for each channel in a two channel system.

When I used 1.5m and 3.5m lengths of Kimber 8TC in my system years ago there was a distinct effect on soundstaging and balance in the system. I lived with it for a week before acquiring a second 3.5m length of 8TC which brought everything back into focus and hasn't been replaced since.

If you have a decent amount of money invested in your equipment and are using good quality speaker cable then I would suggest keeping the lengths of cable the same.

Spenny

 

You can beg... but there is still no difference

Regards

 

Yes I've heard the difference .....But why do it ? You go to extreme lengths to get everything else right. Why introduce another factor into the equation ? The one thing you know for certain is that both speaker cables will be the same length, so the amp will see the same capacitance resistance and inductance. If you start to mess with this why not add a graphic equalizer or put your speakers different distances from the wall or listen of axis in the kitchen.

 

a good way to get rid of room modes

Im listening off-axis in the study as I type

 

but you don't do it all the time ......

I'm listening to the football in the other room as I type this, but I go back on axis in a minute.

 

But will the outcome of the game be changed if you remain listening off axis, and, if it's not the result you wanted, will you kick yourself for not listening to it in true stereo?

 

I ask again, do you have the same viewpoint wrt interconnect cables?

 

bump

 

you certainly

should not be hearing much if any difference if the cables match the amp and speakers in a proper electrical sense as the audio signals are so varied.
when recording in a studio or miking up at live gigs the cables are nearly always different lengths .
are some of you suggesting that it throws the timing etc out ?
give me some proof please.

 

Yes, a time delay exists. If you compare a 10m cable with a 1m cable, the time delay is equivalent to the one speaker being as much as 0,01mm further away. Try to remember stuff like this as you tighten up the head clamp. PM me if you want the spreadsheet.

BTW I'm sure you'll have no problem with any sensible cable design