coiling unused speaker wire... bad?

[nadams]

Is it bad to coil unused speaker wire? The wire I have is nice PA speaker wire (with 1/4" jacks into banana plugs on the speaker side and bare wire on the receiver end), but it's way too long for my current setup. I've been just leaving it coiled behind the speakers, and haven't really noticed any bad effects. This is unshielded wire, but is it really going to do that much harm?

And yes, I know that the best run possible is the shortest run possible, but that's not an option right now. Thanks,

nadams

[Tour2ma]

Coiling can be bad...

Alternating current in a coiled wire will set up a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the coil. Although weak, this field can in turn induce current back into the speaker wire. Result... noise.

Now is it audible? Probably not, but it's not desirable and not necessary. If you are dead set against cutting and re-terminating, simply lay the excess in a serpentine pattern rather than a circular coil. The lack of a distinct center will keep the excess from generating a field.

The other, and significantly bigger, speaker wire run "no-no" is running it parallel to an AC power cord. Same concern as above, inducing a current in the speaker run.

Ain't science fun?