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Uneven speaker cable lengths and cable termination

Hi,

I'm getting new speakers that are single-wire only. This means I can't use my old MIT Terminator 2 cables, and need something new. My budget is limited as I've just spent all of it on the speakers :)

I'm not sure what the stance on cables is here on audiogon, so I hope I'm not starting a war :)
Anyway, I have some questions:

- Are equal lengths for both channels required? Is it possible to hear a difference? (my amp will be positioned to the left of the left side speaker, so I will need about a 4m run to the rightmost speaker. I was thinking of getting 4m and 2m runs)

- If I buy bare cable, is unsoldered termination helpful? The monster quicklock spades and bananas look really nice, but I wonder if they are worth the cost. (http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=4584)

My speakers are Audio Physic Scorpio II with Krell KAV-400xi btw. General recommendations are welcome.
ahochan
tim_j_thomas
43 posts
 
For that short of a distance uneven cable lengths will be fine.
thorman
1,262 posts
 
I would consider going both the same length,,bare wire Paul Speltz Anti cable..Stiff but very easy to wrk with..Works very well bare wire..At 4 meters it would be a very modest investment..........
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
I personally would get equal length prs. or lengths alittle closer together. (Say 4m/3m.) Not knowing the cost of the cables you are thinking about, but resale maybe difficult w/unequal lengths. I went to RS one day and they had the banana version of that connector. I thought they were an excellent design and sound just fine. (I got 2 prs. I had to use banana connector w/the spks, because the palastic nut on the bidding post got stripped.) Bare wire connection should be fine and most likely sound the best. Good Luck!
mr_hosehead
210 posts
 
Assuming sufficient AWG, at those distances you cannot hear any difference and equal lengths are not required. If I were purchasing commercial speaker cable I'd probably buy equal lengths 'cause that's how most pairs are sold & re-sold. Otherwise I just might buy some bulk 10 or 12AWD at HD or Lowes, cut to needed length, and either go bare or terminate w/ bananas from places like Parts Express or even Monoprice. Those Monsters sure are purty, ma'am - but it's kinda hard to crawl behind my gear to show 'em off, y'know?
rodman99999
6,107 posts
 
Keep the lengths as even as you can afford, but don't wind any excess into a coil. Doing so will form an inductor, and affect that channel's frequency response. Bare wire is fine- but disturb the connections often, as oxygen will have easier access than with spades. Unsoldered connectors offer another bare metal junction prone to corrosion, unless mechanically pressed(cold welded) into a high integrity bond. If you can fit it into your budget: Walker SST on all connections would serve you well. You'll get a lot of negative opinions in here from those that haven't tried SST(seems they can't help themselves). If you are able to hear the differences that an upgrade in your cables can make; you'll definitely appreciate the Walker products.
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