2. cables
  3. 1120343518

Are Speaker Cables Longer than 6 FT. Superior?

Hello,
I am puzzled!
I have read from a few sources that speaker cables 8 feet or longer are sonically superior to their counterparts that are 6 ft. long or less.
Granted, a couple of the sources that I read the info from were either cable manufacturers and/or companies that sell cables, or have them made for them, such as from the latest Mapleshade catalog, etc.
I do not understand how this could be possible.
Longer cables would have more dielectric coming into contact with the signal conductor, more opportunity for the signal to come into contact with EMI/RFI, and more conductor to degrade the signal, etc.,etc.
If this is indeed true, how is it scientifically possible?
Has anyone out there had any experience comparing an 8 ft. or longer version of a particular speaker cable to a 6 ft. or shorter version of the same cable?
Which was sonically superior?
In what ways?
These same sources do agree that shorter interconnects are sonically better, but they claim speaker cables should be 8 ft. or longer for best sound
Any comments or answers about this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Lanny
daltonlanny
justin_time
100 posts
 
This topic has come up regularly many times before. You may want to do a search on this to a get a pretty good spectrum of opinions and explanations.

My experience has been the opposite. I get better results with long interconnects (4 meters) and short speaker cables (6 feet).

I do not care to debate this issue and leave it to the EEs to explain why this is so or why I did the wrong thing. I have only my ears to rely on.
albertporter's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
albertporter
4,949 posts
 
I agree with Justin_time, short speaker cables and long interconnects.

My interconnects are 36 feet from preamp to amps and no issues other than expense. However, it was MUCH less expensive than long speaker cable would have been.
pabelson
344 posts
 
Shorter speaker cables are better than longer.

Shorter interconnects are also better than longer.

If you've got to go long with one or the other, there's no strong technical reason to go with long ICs (or vice versa). If you think one way is better than the other, use it--it can't hurt. If it's more convenient to go one way than the other, go for the convenient way--it probably can't hurt, either.

By the way, if you doubt what these cable manufacturers are telling you about lengths, should you believe everything else they tell you?
albertporter's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
albertporter
4,949 posts
 
By the way, if you doubt what these cable manufacturers are telling you about lengths, should you believe everything else they tell you?

For the record, my cable manufacturer DID recommend I go with long interconnect and short speaker cable.

Same suggestion I got from Steve McCormack, Tube Research, Atma-Sphere and other reliable sources.
More to discover