Long vs Short Speaker Cables: Will They Sound Different?

[Jersey Jim C]

In the Video/audio Cable Budget Guide (not sure that is exact title) there is no discussion of phono cables - the connection between the tonearm and pre-amp. Isn't this the most sensitive of all audio cables? That seems like a major omission to me.

 

[Speedskater]

It may be that phono cartridge to pre-amp input cables are an entire world of their own. They have different needs than other interconnect cables. In that the cable's total capacitance affects the high frequency tuning of the circuit.

 

[Jersey Jim C]

Exactly. In this case cable really does matter and it is where guidance is needed the most. I'd like to know if there is a way of accurately measuring the resistance and capacitance of cables. Holding probes of a multi-meter at each end doesn't seem reliable, especially for pF measurements.

 

[Speedskater]

The few times I measured RCA cables, I didn't have problems. But test leads with clips are available.
It's takes a good DMM with a low capacitance value range. As a 3 foot (1 meter) cable could read as low as 45 pF. But must phone cartridge / pre-amp combinations require well more capacitance than that.

It's not easy to measure the end-to-end resistance of the shield. With a good cable, it would be under 3 Ohms per 1000 feet. Only 4 terminal Ohm-meters can read that low. And the center conductor end-to-end resistance doesn't matter at all.

 

[mtrycrafts]

It may be that phono cartridge to pre-amp input cables are an entire world of their own. They have different needs than other interconnect cables. In that the cable's total capacitance affects the high frequency tuning of the circuit.

One way to solve it is a CD/BD player.

 

[Jersey Jim C]

One way to solve it is a CD/BD player.

I do have a decent CD deck and a universal deck for SACD, HDCD, and DVD-a; but I have hundreds of LPs that I really enjoy listening to. In a very real way, the media we have collected drives our systems, since after years of collecting, the financial investment in it is larger than in the hardware.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I do have a decent CD deck and a universal deck for SACD, HDCD, and DVD-a; but I have hundreds of LPs that I really enjoy listening to. In a very real way, the media we have collected drives our systems, since after years of collecting, the financial investment in it is larger than in the hardware.

Indeed.
The cartridge maker should specify the capacitance each cartridge can work best with, and yes, in this application it matters a lot.
Then you look for one that meets those specs the best.

 

[Speedskater]

Some cartridge maker's do suggest an ideal capacitance each cartridge. But it's the sum of the cable and pre-amp input stage capacitance that matters.

 

[Jersey Jim C]

An how many cable manufacturers publish their capacitance specs, inclusive of connectors? And since so many of them make snake-oil claims; why should I believe their specs?

 

[Jersey Jim C]

The few times I measured RCA cables, I didn't have problems. But test leads with clips are available.
It's takes a good DMM with a low capacitance value range. As a 3 foot (1 meter) cable could read as low as 45 pF. But must phone cartridge / pre-amp combinations require well more capacitance than that.

It's not easy to measure the end-to-end resistance of the shield. With a good cable, it would be under 3 Ohms per 1000 feet. Only 4 terminal Ohm-meters can read that low. And the center conductor end-to-end resistance doesn't matter at all.

Working on a 28" female DIN to RCA phono cable, my MM measures one DIN to RCa shield combination at 6.4 mOhms, and all 3 (excluding center ground) others as open. That 6.4 mOhm Din socket must be the one to measure, right? Not so sure. The measurements are not reproducible and range from 1.7 to 0.047 nF. Worse yet some of the other DIN combinations to the same shield measure as high as 0.049 nF.
I think I'd better trust mu auditory perceptions and stop wasting time on this bullshit! Anyway, the cable's contribution to overall capacitance or resistance (I have both MC and MM carts) is probably minute. And if it makes me feel better to believe that smearing my cables with butter helps the electrons slide around easier, 'taint no body's bizznis but my own. ...and the ants'.

 

[Speedskater]

An how many cable manufacturers publish their capacitance specs, inclusive of connectors? And since so many of them make snake-oil claims; why should I believe their specs?

All good bulk cable manufactures publish cable specs. Mogami has the most detailed spec sheets.

 

[Montucky]

What would your thoughts be on running thin gauge wire across super long distances? While I 100% agree with the article in 99.9% of cases, I just ran across an install where the AV company ran like 16 AGW wire to 4 outdoor speakers (4 ohm load) at a distance of like 500'. Good amps, decent speakers, but it sounds TERRIBLE. I've been tasked to make it sound better, but I'm scared to suggest that we might be trenching up and replacing all that wire with something thicker. I already tried swapping speakers with the far superior RBH R8s, but didn't make much difference which tells me something else is up.

 

[Speedskater]

A good outdoor system would use a:
70V Constant-Voltage Audio Distribution System