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Post by manic on Apr 30, 2006 22:44:51 GMT
Here's another question. I overheard a conversation when an audio sales rep advised a customer that the minimum length of (any) speaker cable should not be less than 4 metres. I was very tempted to interrupt this twaddle - do you think length matters???
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 30, 2006 22:55:48 GMT
Only when it get so long you get into voltage drop territory and, in such cases, you up the rating of the cable to fit the circumstamces. Whether you can "hear" the difference between a 1 metre cable over a 5 metre cable of the same type is questionable IMO but I tend to think quite a lot of interconnect hype is just that...... hype. so probably not the best person to comment ;D
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Stormy
100+
Advocates putting smokers in a "Sin Bin"
Needs to learn to keep his big mouth shut.
Posts: 153
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Post by Stormy on May 1, 2006 9:48:25 GMT
Ooh, controversial.
I have always read that short speaker cables = better, even when that means using longer interrconnects. Some people have been looking into using monoblock amps connected "directly" to the binding posts of their speakers to eliminate the speaker cable altogether. Apparently some amps are sensitive to capacitive loads, and using long lengths of inherently capacitive speaker cable will probably make matters worse rather than better.
Methinks the sales rep was just trying to sell 8 metres of expensive speaker cable instead of 4.
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bigtony
<100
Mr. Musical Fidelity
Posts: 6
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Post by bigtony on May 1, 2006 10:05:16 GMT
Personally I always recommend at least 100M (per side) of my Nu-Vista speaker cable.
Connect to the output of the amp,do a few laps of the gaff and then into the binding posts on the speakers.For good measure always bi wire/bi-amp.Check polarity,stand back,and fire up !
This ensures that my next visit to the Maserati dealership results in a new piece of Italian (for that read re-cycled Zanussi ) craftsmanship to take home.
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xerxes
Been here a while! 
Posts: 1,115
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Post by xerxes on May 1, 2006 13:56:04 GMT
Speaker cable should always be roughly the same length as the distance between the amplifier and the speaker. If it is too short, you will find that you don't get any sound at all.  |
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on May 1, 2006 14:02:30 GMT
Big tony nailed it ! more about the pocket than about the SQ and no matter how many times I read why I MUST use short cable to the speakers and long interconnects or my SQ will suffer I have not once in thirty five years of screwing around with audio gear actually HEARD a difference even with cables up to thirty feet long ! Blame Fulton and their Big Red speaker cables for starting all this even though they are not around to reap the financial benefits once Monster Cable came on the scene with their superior ad copy  Ever see a pro installation ? You think they put an amp right at every speaker to keep the cables short ? At this time I am using 12 ft per side twisted pair 18 Guage magnet wires as my main speaker cable and am using regular telephone wire at forty feet per side for my rear channels (  ) and it sounds as good as any high end cables I have had in system as loaners in both locations. the magnet wire looks lame so I need to come up with a way to "pretty it up",maybe some round cotton covers from the local sewing craft store,maybe even a Kimber 4 wire braid style,but the telephone wire (dirt cheap in bulk spools,each twisted pair connected as a single cable) is not seen by humans since being designed to be used in the home for long runs it is tucked and hidden all the way to the point where it climbs the walls at which time it is painted the same color as the wall for a low profile. as usual just an opinion,mine  |
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