Your short speaker cable experiences


I'm going to compare my present speaker cables with the shortest runs I can find -- perhaps as short as 2.5 feet from mono block to speaker.

I'm curious if anyone tried comparing their longer speaker cables against short runs of other ones and whether it made a difference or not. 

What changed? Did it cause you to reposition things?

Happy to hear stories. No trolling about "wire is wire," please. 

128x128hilde45

I don’t have that problem, I need and use 4 meter pair, actually 2 pair (biwire)....I doubt there is an audible difference between a few feet and what amounts to 13.1 feet (4m), especially if using quality cables.

@audioguy85 What problem are you referring to? I'm asking for people who have compared longer and shorter runs. You doubt there is an audible difference, but may I ask if you actually tried comparing things or are you just paper doubting?

I've been using 10' cables which were longer than I need.  I just made a pair of 5' cables with low mass connectors and love the results.  

When you go ultra short there is not much to them, you might consider low mass connections (to do low mass right, you should change out the binding posts on both the amp and the speaker.  I use BFA type connectors on my cables.  KLEI makes low mass connectors.)

I have a friend who does just what you do, balanced interconnects to his monoblocks and 18" speaker cables.  He swears by it.

Jerry

I have used 4 and 15 feet of the same speaker cable and it did not make a difference in my system!!

Now would be a good time to experiment with bulk small gauge solid core copper wire for a pittance, as you would be using short runs (throw stranded wire into the mix as well, but up the gauge a bit).

If 26 gauge scares you (my 47 Labs OTA is 26) try 22 gauge...

https://www.soniccraft.com/index.php/neotech-wire-teflon-solid-cu-c-296_175_183_221?osCsid=b4c061571da0b7d12a0d984e30ecd85e

I've used the OTA  succesfully with more contemporary/normal amps/speakers than those listed in my system (Carver MXR130/Musical Fidelity X-A1/Pilot 232/240 - Magnepan SMGA's/Reynaud Twins II/ADS L880/Klipsch Chorus II, just to name some).

I've only tried the OTA in short runs (approx. 2') with my current system and did not notice a difference, but only tried it for a few days as I was concerned about our cats being able to access the Bottlehead tube DH/SET 2A3 mono blocks and their high voltages (the BH tube preamp less so).

I would suggest using bare ends, sans connectors, if you consider doing so.

Also once tried the OTA in long runs 25'-30', or so, and it sucked - so this type of cable definitely has it's limits.

 

DeKay