Speaker cable uneven lengths

[Bas V]

So I repositioned my hifi and my speakercables are now too short. I have 2 x 5 meters and need 1 x 2 m and 1 x 6 m. Is it necessary to go 2 x 6 m, or could one cable be shorter than that? It's really a hassle to hide the abundant cable...

 

[hifinutt]

should be fine , been using uneven cables for years and still sounds great

 

[Fergus]

It will add a bit of echo!

 

[tricky1]

Uneven lengths will make no difference at all but depends on your level of anxiety. Your inner self may always be doubting those different lengths.....

 

[Barrymagrec]

Does anyone remember the early BBC stereo experimental broadcasts using TV sound for one channel and FM radio for the other?

I bet there was more than 4 metres of cable length difference in that lash up.

 

[Salamander]

It will add a bit of echo!

??????

 

[CJ14]

Yes and Quadrophonic music TX from BBC , and at the Sound Org in York stereo from 1 speaker Ok not perfect but worked.
Try 10cc "One Night In Paris" listen for the bike.

 

[Salamander]

You'll be fine with a 6m and 2m length.

If it does worry you buy some £1 per metre cable, make up the lengths you need and give it a try.

Here you go, it won't break the bank. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/33074366...pid=5338728743&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1

 

[linvc]

you will be perfectly fine with different lengths. like hifinutt i have been using (high end) cables of different lengths for years with no issues.

 

[stevec67]

It will work, just watch out if you have amps that are not unconditionally stable (Naim, Exposure, NVA, etc) these need 4m of cable minimum each channel to make a Thiele network and ensure stability.
Amplifiers of superior design put the Thiele Network inside the case at a cost of about 20p per channel, the amp is then unconditionally stable and you can use anything you like as speaker cable.
I did hear tell of someone using cheap cable, he hooked up 1m one side, 6m the other, the 6m side sounded poor because of a long run of bell wire. Shortened off, it was fine.

 

[Rockmeister]

After about 1000ft difference in length there's a millisecond difference between one side and the other.

 

[martin clark]

^wut?!

Speed of sound, 343m/s - does not apply - and that'd be about 1sec of diff , if the other speaker was a 1000ft away. Not a problem most people have.

5m difference in cable length at speed of light = <10nS diff. Utterly imperceptible! The Haas integration time is about 30mS...

 

[gez]

This is definitely worth a watch! Even if you think you know all there is to know about the propagation of electricity in a wire.

 

[terrycym]

The Rega user manual for their amp mentions equal speaker lengths should be used

 

[gustavm]

After about 1000ft difference in length there's a millisecond difference between one side and the other.

Less than that:
1000ft ~ 300metres
300meters x (say) 5ns per metre => 1500 x 10^-9 or ~ 1.5 microseconds

 

[turbo al]

Using odd lengths of speaker cable with an Exposure amp no problems, neither is 4M long so i guess i have no Thiele network either and an unstable system, now i am worried, i didn't realise John Farlowe, Julian Vereker and Richard Dunn were such cheapskates or that i owned an amplifier of inferior design, ah well, you live and learn.

 

[martin clark]

This is definitely worth a watch! Even if you think you know all there is to know about the propagation of electricity in a wire.

In what way, is any of that a surprise..?

 

[gez]

In what way, is any of that a surprise..?

Do you understand what the word humility means?

 

[Rexton]

You will be fine but just make sure the atoms and cable alignment are in the correct direction.

 

[martin clark]

Do you understand what the word humility means?

Please - do illuminate us; at 2.98*10^8 m/s.

My prior post #12 stands, as does the better #15 by @gustavm