Long vs Short Speaker Cables: Will They Sound Different?

gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
For anyone on our forum wondering if having speaker cables of different lengths between speakers will adversely affect the sound, you need to read our editorial and watch our related Youtube discussion for the answer.

Folks often wonder if the cable length between the main front channels need to be identical. They are often misinformed by exotic cable vendors or cable forum cult hobbyists that cable lengths need to be kept identical to a void amplitude or phase/time delay differences between the two. They even go so far as to claim transmission line effects can be seen at audio frequencies.

This article and related YouTube video serves to demystify the nonsense surrounding this topic.



Read: Speaker Cable Length Differences: Do They Matter?
 
C

Chu Gai

Audioholic Samurai
If you have been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder keeping the lengths equal is of paramount importance. They must be symmetrical in every way.
 
tyhjaarpa

tyhjaarpa

Audioholic Field Marshall
Even if there was some effect from cable lenghts modern receivers will adjust the delays and the problem is solved. I myself have even lenghts for front speakers but for surround speakers the lenghts are not equal as it is not practical to have them with same length and I haven't noticed any problems with that. Does my receiver notice the difference? I can't tell.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
When I attended CEDIA, one of the seminars I was scheduled to attend was called 'Audio Setup Calibration'. I thought it would/might be a useful class, but I was wrong. The guy spent over half of the time telling us how cool he and his company were and then, he proceeded to say that all cable lengths needed to be equal. One of the guys asked if we should coil up the excess and leave it in the walls- he said we should. I'm not sure CEDIA was monitoring the seminars, but I was a bit less than enthusiastic in my review of the course.
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Even if there was some effect from cable lenghts modern receivers will adjust the delays and the problem is solved. I myself have even lenghts for front speakers but for surround speakers the lenghts are not equal as it is not practical to have them with same length and I haven't noticed any problems with that. Does my receiver notice the difference? I can't tell.
The delay cable length adds is in the nannoseconds which isn't the detectable by your ears or adjustable by receiver delay settings. It's a moot point.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
The delay cable length adds is in the nannoseconds which isn't the detectable by your ears or adjustable by receiver delay settings. It's a moot point.
And yet......

I know someone who uses cable lifts for his speaker cables and when I tell him that something makes no sense, has no basis in science or it's just BS, he says "It's experiential".
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
If you have a home theater type receiver, you can experiment with delay times. But it will be in milliseconds not microseconds or nanoseconds.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
If you have been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder keeping the lengths equal is of paramount importance. They must be symmetrical in every way.
This is a good point, I know some OCD people who wouldn't be able to have it any other way.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
The delay cable length adds is in the nannoseconds which isn't the detectable by your ears or adjustable by receiver delay settings. It's a moot point.
Now you gave something to put into those hi-end gear, adjustments for cable length variation.
You lost a lot of royalty payments. ;) :D
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
If you have a home theater type receiver, you can experiment with delay times. But it will be in milliseconds not microseconds or nanoseconds.
Not for long. ;)
New add on to hi-end gear. :D
 
hk2000

hk2000

Junior Audioholic
A whole article about the effect of cable length differences? Are you merging with Stereophile or some other snobby publication? I honestly don't think any reader who frequents this site even remotely suspects it makes any difference. there must be a thousand other more useful subjects you could've written about.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
A whole article about the effect of cable length differences? Are you merging with Stereophile or some other snobby publication? I honestly don't think any reader who frequents this site even remotely suspects it makes any difference. there must be a thousand other more useful subjects you could've written about.
I think you would be surprised about how many elementary questions some of us have answered over the years.
 
Last edited:
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
A whole article about the effect of cable length differences? Are you merging with Stereophile or some other snobby publication? I honestly don't think any reader who frequents this site even remotely suspects it makes any difference. there must be a thousand other more useful subjects you could've written about.
Except most of the writers at Stereophile think cable length differences are a problem!
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
... I honestly don't think any reader who frequents this site even remotely suspects it makes any difference. ....
How about the folks who don't frequent this site but want such answers anyhow? Who will answer them in a realistic manner?
Did you read it? Why? If not, why bother replying?
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Imagine how long it would take to make a change of 100mS if they don't allow larger increments than 1nS.
Time is of no importance to those who fret over lengths. ;)
But, one solution is to pre calc and enter or just ask for speaker cable lengths as it asks for speaker distances. Small upgrade to software programming, even if nothing happens. ;) :D
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
I know! But I thought for Audioholics like us, it goes without saying, no?
Yes, it does. But there are many who just visit and read the board without reading the tech section at home page.
 

Latest posts

newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top