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Are unequal length speaker cables really bad?

Ok, I've been into audio since the 70's and always have used equal length speaker cables to the right and left channels. Considering the electrical signal flows through the cable at a significant fraction of the speed if light, it seems that speaker placement that is unequal by as little as a 1/4 inch would have a far greater negative impact on channel balance, soundstage, etc than would unequal cable length as the speed of sound is very slow compared to the flow in the cables.

What do the people that really know say?
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Showing 2 responses by almarg

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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Your analysis is correct, in that if there are any audible consequences resulting from having unequal lengths, they would not be due to the infinitesimal difference in arrival time that would result at the listener's ears.

However if other parameters, such as resistance, inductance, capacitance, and possibly skin effect, are not small enough to be negligible in the longer cable (all of those effects being proportional to length) a length disparity could conceivably have audible consequences.

Whether those consequences would result in sound quality that is better or worse than if the shorter cable were lengthened to equal the length of the longer one is speculative, IMO, and most likely system and listener dependent.

For further discussion see this thread.

Regards,
-- Al
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almarg
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09-06-13: Sonic_genius
Equal lengths are best since there will be sonic differences.
However, as I indicated in my earlier response, the existence of differences does not necessarily mean that having equal lengths will be better.

When the issue of unequal lengths is being addressed, presumably the length of the longer cable cannot be reduced, or it won't reach the speaker that is farthest from the amplifier. So the question then becomes whether it is better to:

(a)Use an equal length in the other channel, so that the sonic effects of the cables in both channels are the SAME, or

(b)Use a shorter cable in the other channel, so that the sonic effects of that cable are REDUCED.

I see no reason to necessarily expect that (a) will produce better sound quality than (b). Either outcome seems possible, presuming that there is a difference.

As I said in my earlier post, a length disparity could conceivably have audible consequences, NOT due to timing differences, but due to various cable effects that are proportional to length. And,
09-05-13: Almarg
Whether those consequences would result in sound quality that is better or worse than if the shorter cable were lengthened to equal the length of the longer one is speculative, IMO, and most likely system and listener dependent.
Regards,
-- Al
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