2. cables
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Speaker cable length.

I have a small weekend cabin in the country. I have a modest system there consisting of a set of Polk Audio Monitor 7 tower speakers, an NAD C316 BEE integrated, Schiit Modi 2 DAC and a Denon radio receiver. Sounds much better than you might expect.

Anyway, we recently got a fireplace installed. This means that there will be a speaker on each side of the fireplace with the components on the right side of the fireplace. That means the right speaker is within 2-3 feet of the amp/components. The cable for the left speaker will run under the house from the amp and then back into the house on the left of the fireplace because I don't want it on the floor in front of the hearth. This will require about 16’ of speaker cable.

Will the difference (16’ of cable to the left speaker vs maybe 4’ to the right one) make a difference on a modest system like this? If so, what to do about it? I certainly don’t want 16’ of cable piled on the floor on the right.

Thanks for any input.

P.S.: I have good quality bulk speaker cable from Transparent if that makes any difference.

n80
pennfootball71's avatar
pennfootball71
236 posts
 

Dude if they are different lengths your speakers will be OUT OF PHASE

wlutke
713 posts
 

Pull 16 ft under the cabin and loop it back up to the right speaker, if needed.

yoyoyaya's avatar
yoyoyaya
609 posts
 

@OP. You can do a simple experiment but it will require the two different lengths of cable. Use one speaker, and a mono source and then listen to the two respective lengths of cable and ask if you can hear a difference. Ideally, you would do this blind with someone else swapping over the cables.

It's not a perfect test because, theoretically, any difference could be magnified in the final stereo installation - but for the setup you are proposing i.e. not your main system, it's probably representative enough.

BTW since electricity in a copper conductor propagates at approximately two thirds of the speed of light there is not going to be an audible propagation delay factor in what you hear coming from the speakers.

However! As you have access to sufficient cable, why not just put the excess cable on the "short" run under the floor.

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thecarpathian
4,169 posts
 

"Dude if they are different lengths your speakers will be OUT OF PHASE"

What a ridiculous statement.

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