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Shotgun connection

I have following case regarding loudspeakers connection.
I have a speaker cables that have two internal wires.
I would like to connect each loudspeaker using double run of my speaker cables, so I have four wires on disposal.
In that case I can connect the speakers in two ways:

1. Each of the two wires on the cable goes to the positive and negative speaker terminals.

2. Both wires within the each cable shortened with each other and one cable goes to positive, and the other to the negative speaker terminal.

The first variant is the gain that wires the plus and minus are twisted together.

In a second variant the gain is that the dual cores plus and minus are better insulated from each other, because there is external insulation.

How is theoretically better?
milimetr
milimetr OP
139 posts
 
Thanks for all inputs.

My cables are rather short - less than 2 metres long.
Both runs are as close physicaly one to another as possible.
Ocellia speaker cables have only one gauge, so there is no possibility to use different gauges for LF and HF.

I do not have bi-wiring or bi-amping options. Single pair of binding posts at amp and speaker side.
So shotgun connection is only to increase overall gauge.

I am using Ocellia cables for about two years and have tchem connected like in variant 1. But I am considering trying variant 2 just for curious. Cables are rather fragile (I use bare wire no connectors), so I would like to learn theoretical approach first.

Thanks.
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Here's another way to look at it:

With Option 1, you are connecting two Ocellia Reference cables in parallel.

With Option 2, in effect you would be connecting two cables that are no longer Ocellia References in parallel, since with the + and - conductors no longer being closely twisted together, you are in effect redesigning the cable. The "redesigned" pair of cables will have much higher inductance than in Option 1, and I suspect it would also have significantly higher inductance than if you were running just one cable per channel rather than two.

At a 2 meter length it might not make much difference either way, but why "redesign" an excellent cable, with unpredictable results?

Regards,
-- Al
milimetr OP
139 posts
 
Good point.

I will try to audition both options and will report the results.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,476 posts
 
In my experience I found that shotgun cables offer only very mild difference if any to the non shotgun.
maplegrovemusic's avatar
maplegrovemusic
1,113 posts
 
read this thread last night . decided to give it a try . I am using some mogami 2921 speaker cables. 4 conductors per cable . The improvement on my electrostats is incredible. bass weight is much improved . nice !!
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