cable length

In any kind of cable--IC, speaker, or power--you generally want it the shortest that it takes to get between whatever points it's connecting. Of course, you'll want some slack to facilitate moving, installing, positioning, and such. But don't use 15 feet if you only need 10, for example. Increased length only adds series resistance, series inductance, and shunt capacitance to the overall circuit.

70242: Since you are back and able (and into the numbers of this all). There is talk by certain manufacturers (not all involved in cable) that a certain minimum length is required with some cable and some components to achieve best sound, or signal transfer be it may. Off hand, Bel Canto suggests (in regard to their DAC) that the analog IC's be the same, or even better, longer than the digital IC for the best sound. Mapleshade claims that their speaker cable sounds best when used in 8 to 12 ft lengths under normal circumstances (note the maximum length). In regard to digital cables I have read that 42" (think that was it) is the optimum length and that it had something to do with completing a full "wave length" or "cycle"
that is produced with the tranmittal of digital signals. I don't have a clue as to what these people are talking about, but in the case of Mapleshade I was talked out of using their speaker cable until I could shorten the length of my runs. The alternative was using the cable un-twisted and isolating each wire (four total) from each other by 12" (which is a 36" spread). It also seems that I have read that some PC's work better when they are a minimum of 5' long. I would seem that if any of these claims are true, that shorter is not always better. The one that interests me the most is the "digital wave, or maybe they used the word "cycle" length. Has anyone else, that understands them, read these claims.

I read something similar a while ago about length of digital coax cable. I can't remember which company it was, but they were talking about the ringing in the cable. Some of the signal echos in the cable, and if the cable was less than 1.5M long, then the digital echo could interfere with the signal currently being processed. They claimed that 1.5M was the shortest cable that should be used for digital connections, but I found it funny that after explaining all of that, that company sold 0.5M, 1.0M digital cables as well.

In reply to Dekay and Panzercat and regarding the length of digital cables, there are indeed certain design parameters which dictate the "ideal" length and these include keeping relflected waves to a minimum. Speaking as a manufacturer we only make digital cables with a minimum 60" cable (approx 1.5 meters) length as we have found this gives the best performance for our particular cable topolgy. I think Kevin from Muse would be the best qualified to comment on this subject in general due to his expertise in the digital field. Hope this helps? Regards, Richard.

Four foot or eight foot makes no difference. You only need wire large enough to deep from degrading the damping factor of your amp. Power cords are not in the signal path and therefore cannot effect fidelity. They only need to be big enough to deliver the required current which is not very much.