Speaker cable length in a 5 or > channel system?

[rmcohen]

<font color='#000000'>Hi,

Should speaker cable in a 5 or &gt; channel surround system be of the same length for all channels. That is, should the front three channels have speaker cable runs as long as the surround channels?

Thanks,
Robert</font>

 

[Audioholics]

<font color='#008080'>No. No need for that. Run your cables as short as is comfortable (make sure you can move the front speakers to clean, etc...)</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Hmm, but, I thought it was recommended to keep all lengths equal? Is that advice really for all fronts of equal length, and separately, all rears of equal length?</font>

 

[gene]

<font color='#000000'>Despite many of the myths surrounding speaker cables and length, they DO NOT have to be equal length. &nbsp;It is important to keep them as short as possible, but there are very little electrical differences between say 10 vs 20 ft of 12AWG wire. &nbsp;Transmission line effects do not apply to audio cables at the common lengths we are dealing with.

Just be sure you use 12AWG or lower for all of your runs and you should be ok.

For more cable info I encourage you to read our articles at:
Cable Principles</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Thank you very much for the clarification and the reference. I had previously read through some of the links, however, I didn't find an answer to my specific question.

Based on those articles, I am going to purchase either the Sound King or Monster Navajo cable. However, when I look at the description of the Monster Navajo on the Parts Express web site, they list it as 16 guage. In the speaker wire face-off acrticle it was described as 12 guage. Could someone please confirm.

Thanks,
Robert</font>

 

[gene]

<font color='#000000'>Robert;

The Monster Navajo we tested measured around 12AWG. &nbsp;I am not sure if they have different versions of that wire, but it was as physically thick as other 12AWG wires we measured. &nbsp;You may wish to check with Monstercable before purchasing.</font>