Cable Length

[audiocr381ve]

My wife and I changed our room setup yesterday which serves as the living room, baby play room, and my 2 channel audio sanctuary (scary combo, I know). Anyway, the way we have it setup now is the best way to utilize the space as such.

Here's the problem (not sure if it's a real problem yet). I ordered 22 feet of Canare 4S11 from Blue Jeans Cable to make an 11 foot pair, but that was for the old living room setup! For my left speaker, from amp to speaker it measures about 12 feet.

This probably isn't a big deal, but my OCD is just kicking in strong. I'm okay having one speaker cable about 2 feet longer than the other right?

[EndersShadow]

I'm okay having one speaker cable about 2 feet longer than the other right?

Yup, no issues

[audiocr381ve]

Yup, no issues

GOOD news, thanks man.

[dorokusai]

I agree, you're just fine.

[MLZ]

186000 Miles Per Second: Not Just a Good Idea, it's the Law

[audiocr381ve]

186000 Miles Per Second: Not Just a Good Idea, it's the Law

But my ears can detect that :tongue:

Great, thanks guys. These are the ones that I'm going to make "pretty." I have some Techflex, heat shrink, and banana plugs coming tomorrow

[olilugo]

Why did you order exactly the amount of cable you needed? Why not order 2-3 feet more? You know just in case?
To answer your questions, you don't really specify what kind of receiver you have but most new receivers have distance measurements as part of the speaker setup and the receiver adjust according to distance from speakers to listening location.

Something else to consider is some speakers are hard to place, especially if they are too wide apart. I have found this to be the case when I used to have bookshelf speakers. If they are tower then 8-12 feet apart is very common. I think you should be ok.

[audiocr381ve]

Why did you order exactly the amount of cable you needed? Why not order 2-3 feet more? You know just in case?
To answer your questions, you don't really specify what kind of receiver you have but most new receivers have distance measurements as part of the speaker setup and the receiver adjust according to distance from speakers to listening location.

Something else to consider is some speakers are hard to place, especially if they are too wide apart. I have found this to be the case when I used to have bookshelf speakers. If they are tower then 8-12 feet apart is very common. I think you should be ok.

I actually ordered 4-6ft more than I needed, but like I said in my original post, we changed the layout of our living room last night.

I don't have a receiver, I'm running separates.

Placement was definitely an issue. I had to make compromises here for the better of my family since it is a heavily shared space (11 month old in the building!).

Thanks for the input!

[zingo]

If you are that OCD about cable length, you could always make both cables the same length, and then run the shorter distance out and back to cover the slack. This is what I've always done as I like symmetry.

[BlueFox]

To answer your questions, you don't really specify what kind of receiver you have but most new receivers have distance measurements as part of the speaker setup and the receiver adjust according to distance from speakers to listening location.

While true, that has nothing to do with the length of speaker wire to the speaker. The AVR delays the signal to each speaker based on the measurement setting from the speaker to your chair, and, ideally, the end result is the sound reaching your ears from all speakers at the correct time.

[CoolJazz]

186000 Miles Per Second: Not Just a Good Idea, it's the Law

What would the speed of light in free air have to do with the topic at hand??

The issue here is the interface between an active electronic output device and a motor hung at the other end of the wire. So propagation down a wire is only one part of the situation.

The answer is with different lengths of wire that there will be a difference in the characteristic sound. The question is....do you hear it? Do you hear the difference in the final frequency response due to the impedences and the characteristic timing changes (dependant on frequency), the dampening factor change, the fact the typical feedback loop in the amp now has something different between channels.

Much more happening than speed of light.... The web sites that preach this simplistic number stuff are vastly oversimplfying! Which for some is ok...

CJ

[mantis]

When it comes to this , I'm about as bad as it gets. I measure my wires and they have to be within a 1/16 of an inch or I'm jumping out the window.
When I move stuff , I change the wires. I have a box in the basement all custom made wires of all different lengths. I also keep a spool of Audioquest just in case.

I also will lose sleep at night and get up in the middle of the night just to fix it. I can't have it unequal.

[EndersShadow]

I have a box in the basement all custom made wires of all different lengths

Do I sense a Karma in the making :tongue:

[mantis]

Do I sense a Karma in the making :tongue:

Very possible as it's getting a bit nutty the amount of wire I own.

[pearsall001]

Yo Dan!! You of all people should know that different speaker cable lengths don't make a hoot of a difference unless you're over the 1K' mark. I feel your pain though.

[victor. askew]

You will be fine.