Cable Length Query

A number of past threads have addressed the question of long speaker cables/short interconnects vs. short speaker cables/long interconnects. Opinions tend to be divided, and the answer is clearly system dependent, with many variables being involved. A few of the more important variables are:

1)The lower the impedance of the speakers, the more critical it becomes to keep the speaker cables short.

2)Long balanced (XLR) interconnect cables stand a better chance of providing good results than long unbalanced (RCA) interconnect cables.

3)The lower the output impedance of the component driving the interconnect cables, the less critical the length of those cables tends to become.

4)The adverse effects of driving long interconnect cables with a component having high output impedance can be mitigated by choosing cables having low capacitance per unit length (e.g., less than 25 pf/ft or so).

Without knowing anything about the particular preamp, amp, and speakers you are using, based on the facts you have stated IMO the odds are that 4 meter XLR cables + 2 meter speaker cables would be the better choice.

Regards,
-- Al

Al, if running 15ft magnet wire on Mirage speakers with Minimum impedance: 4.25Ω at 93Hz
Estimated nominal impedance: 6Ω

Is the performance of the speakers compromised by the length of the wire?

Thanks, Elizabeth. Emerson (Foster_9), can you describe the speaker cables more specifically, including what gauge they are? And are they a specific make and model, or just generic two-conductor hookup wire?

Best,
-- Al

Al, JW Audio Cryo Nova. I think it is 12awg solid core OFC.

Emerson, yes the JW Audio Cryo Nova is described as AWG 12, consisting of two solid core conductors twisted together. A 15 foot length of that cable is reasonable in terms of resistance and inductance, relative to the impedance characteristics of your speakers. And I would feel safe in assuming that the capacitance of the cable would be no problem for any reasonably designed amplifier.

Given that, IMO all that can be said with certainty is that whatever sonic effects the cables may have will be greater than if the length were shorter, essentially in proportion to the length difference. Beyond that it comes down to speculation. My speculation is that compared to say a 6 foot length of the same cable, the differences are not likely to be great enough to warrant concern.

Best,
-- Al

Wow, thanks everyone for the information. I have a SIM Audio Preamp and just purchased a Krell KSA250. Like Elizabeth, I have built into the left wall a custom equipment enclosure. However, the Krell is too deep to fit into this rack. Coupled with the weight, I plan to set it between my Martin Logan Ethos speakers. From the back of the rack to the center of the wall would require a set of 4 or 5 meter XLRs. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to have balanced cables.
Marcus

Sounds like an excellent plan, Marcus.

The Sim Audio preamps appear to all have low output impedances (e.g., 50 or 100 ohms).

You will be using balanced interconnects.

The impedance of the Ethos speakers descends to very low values at high frequencies (in this case 0.8 ohms at 20 kHz), as is typical of electrostatics. Assuming that the goal is for the speaker cables to behave in as neutral a manner as possible, that makes minimization of their inductance an especially important factor. Inductance is proportional to length, for a given cable type.

For a 2 meter cable length, I would expect the great majority of good quality (not necessarily expensive) speaker cable types to have adequately low inductance per unit length for use with your speakers.

It all adds up to long interconnects/short speaker cables being the right approach in your situation.

Regards,
-- Al

I am using long balanced interconnects and short speaker cables....Vandersteen recommends that for his speakers, so I went with it. The system is extremely quiet ..even on phono.