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Post by PinkFloyd on Jun 30, 2009 20:41:09 GMT
What lengths do you guys use? I have been using 0.5 metre for most of my adult life but recently have made up a few 0.25 metre (250mm) interconnects and do believe I'm getting a bit more clarity as a result.
It could be the cable I'm using (the same stuff I use with my Little Pinkies - Evolution OFC) and not the length that is making the difference, I'll have to put a 0.5M length together and compare it to the 0.25M length.
I'd like to think it is the shorter "length" that is making the difference though. Nothing I hate more than yards of "cable" hanging all over the place.... it is so much more tidy to crop it to the exact length required to do the job and if you are going from CDP out to headphone amp this can be as short as 200mm.... there's really no point in having 1 metre if you can get away with 200mm is there?
Anyways..... back to the original question.... what length do you guys normally use?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 20:53:58 GMT
Depends; If making them up myself, I've always made the shortest to do the job. eg. 40cm from cdp to 'phone amp. Retail tend to be 60cm unless the 1m is needed. BUT, that 40cm job will definitely not reach the TV  Sometimes only a really long one will do  |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jun 30, 2009 21:42:08 GMT
Depends; If making them up myself, I've always made the shortest to do the job. eg. 40cm from cdp to 'phone amp. Retail tend to be 60cm unless the 1m is needed. BUT, that 40cm job will definitely not reach the TV Sometimes only a really long one will do 400mm from CDP to headamp seems quite excessive, I'm sure you could shave a good 100 - 150mm off if you tried?..... I must take some pics, everything looks just "right" when the cable is made to measure .... maybe it's placebo but it "sounds" right too  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 23:43:17 GMT
400mm from CDP to headamp seems quite excessive, I'm sure you could shave a good 100 - 150mm off if you tried?..... I must take some pics, everything looks just "right" when the cable is made to measure .... maybe it's placebo but it "sounds" right too I came from the school of "don't put boxes too close together, especially transformers to sensitive circuits". (careful with that axe Eugene?) If I butt the cdp close up to any of my headphone amps, you hear transformer buzz, so I'll be sticking to my 40cm for that reason. Though I dare say if your mix of boxes can take less, why not, shorter signal path etc. Placebo effect must have some say, when you know your cables are minimal and dressed, it does sound better ;D |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2009 23:59:07 GMT
400mm from CDP to headamp seems quite excessive, I'm sure you could shave a good 100 - 150mm off if you tried?..... I must take some pics, everything looks just "right" when the cable is made to measure .... maybe it's placebo but it "sounds" right too I came from the school of "don't put boxes too close together, especially transformers to sensitive circuits". (careful with that axe Eugene?) If I butt the cdp close up to any of my headphone amps, you hear transformer buzz, so I'll be sticking to my 40cm for that reason. Though I dare say if your mix of boxes can take less, why not, shorter signal path etc. Placebo effect must have some say, when you know your cables are minimal and dressed, it does sound better ;D Chris I use good quality 1 metre interconnects wherever possible. My longest interconnect is 2 metres, out of necessity, because my X-DAC V3 is at the opposite end of the entertainment cabinet to the preamp. As the preamp sits on top of the Power amplifier, but the transformers are in a separate Rack case below, I use quite short interconnects between the preamp and the power amplifier . Well designed CD players should exhibit very little change in SQ when using cables less than 1 metre long. Alex |
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insomniac
Been here a while! 
Team Zopiclone
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Post by insomniac on Jul 1, 2009 22:17:32 GMT
I usually go with the custom baked shorter interconnects too for the same reason as Mike, avoiding excess coils of cable behind the gear. Not sure if it improves the SQ but surely the shorter the distance the signal has to travel the better?
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
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Post by rickcr42 on Jul 2, 2009 11:20:29 GMT
Everything from special 6-9 inch captive "pigtails" on passive devices where cable length needs to be tightly controlled to keep signal loss at a minimum and also by being "captive" means A-I lose a choke point,the crap RCA connector B-Not for everyone because they can't use their "Bling Bling" cables-no where to plug in except the input  To various "standard" Cinch/RCA cables in the 1,2 and 3 meter range after which I go to 600 ohm balanced lines for long runs which for me is anything over 15 feet or so being very anal about keeping RFI out of my system entirely (and also why I run so much of my electronics open loop-no RFI path  ) I am an old school pragmatist not "new school" micromanager so I use what is needed for the job at hand rather than try and find THE ONE then convince myself it is the correct way for all things like so many do so while I go fast and light when I can;2-Wire twist for the "shorties",Kimber style 3-Wire and Quad braids for longer runs with NO screen counting on geometry or smart placement or true balancing to deal with any RFI problems in concert with proper input and output networks. In short the shorter the cable,the closer it is to a simple "hookup wire" with both a hot and a ground but as we extend outwards into the EMI/RFI jungle steps are taken that increase proportionately as the cable length increases. Special cases ? High gain.Being seriously susceptable to any hum or hiss that if it gets in WILL be amplified by the gain stage by the same margin as the signal means phono and mic cables are fully screened BTW-never realized just how much grunge was being added to my music due to RFI contamination in my speakers until I built filters that mount right at the speaker terminals,one of those ear opening experiences that seldom come my way these days and proof that once "off beat tweaks" are rapidly becoming system essentials in these days of rampant RFI contamination in every home due to all our electronic "toys" |
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