Do speaker cables for L & R channels have to be the same length?

[Speedskater]

The main reason for matching lengths is so the speakers' crossover/drivers "see" the same driving impedance to prevent small frequency variations between (among) speakers.

'Don' please come back to the real world.
Drivers and crossover components have bigger tolerances than that.

 

[Chrispy]

Skipped to end of thread but can't imagine in most domestic situations how this could matter to any but the most OCD.

 

[preload]

Heres a demo of OFC vs CCA.

...or you could use thicker CCA wire!

 

[Chrispy]

...or you could use thicker CCA wire!

Yep just do the 3g difference thing to equate somewhat, altho some some other issues in terms of flexibility/breaking has been reported....

 

[MrPeabody]

I am a little confused as there is a lot of conflicting information about this, do cables for right and left channels need to be the same length?

The manual for Revel F226be specifically states that left and right channel speaker cables have to be the same exact legnth.
From the manual "• No matter which connection method you choose, the speaker cables used for the left and right loudspeakers should always be the same length."

Maybe someone can clarify this issue for me, as I am currently using a 3 foot speaker cable and a 8 foot speaker cable as one speaker is further away from the amplifier than the other.

Thanks in advance

What the Revel manual says would make sense only for speaker wire much, much smaller in cross section than anyone who isn't very stupid would ever use.

Assuming that the gauge is a typical gauge used for speaker wire, it wouldn't matter unless both of them were very long, maybe about a hundred feet, and one of them were twice as long as the other.

With the lengths of wire you have, and assuming a reasonable gauge, the impedance of both cables will be orders of magnitude below the threshold where the cable could have any audible effect.

 

[blestin]

Thank you for all the informed responses, helps a lot!

 

[restorer-john]

'Don' please come back to the real world.
Drivers and crossover components have bigger tolerances than that.

Speaker cables should be as short as possible, adequate in gauge and identical in length. For all the reasons @DonH56 articulated.

 

[NTK]

If I need a 3 ft reach for my left speaker and 12 ft reach for my right speaker, does Revel recommend what to do with the excess length for the left speaker? Coil them up?

 

[restorer-john]

If I need a 3 ft reach for my left speaker and 12 ft reach for my right speaker, does Revel recommend what to do with the excess length for the left speaker? Coil them up?

Not coil (inductance) , just lay back and forth.

 

[watchnerd]

I don't know how you guys with unequal lengths live with having an assymetrical system with your amps off-center.

 

[kipman725]

Its common to use CCAW wire for driver voice coils as you often want to minimize moving mass but want better solderability than pure aluminum wire. A bit weird to use it for speaker cables though.

 

[Chrispy]

If I need a 3 ft reach for my left speaker and 12 ft reach for my right speaker, does Revel recommend what to do with the excess length for the left speaker? Coil them up?

Revel is too ACD to come up with the proper suggestion of cutting the longer one down?

 

[blestin]

I am actually starting to get confused now, it seems like the general consensus is that it does not practically matter as long as using 12awg with a short length difference, such as 4 feet and 8 feet. But some believe it always matters, regardless of gauged and length of cable. Does it matter just technically speaking or is it actually audible.

 

[Doodski]

I am actually starting to get confused now, it seems like the general consensus is that it does not practically matter as long as using 12awg with a short length difference, such as 4 feet and 8 feet. But some believe it always matters, regardless of gauged and length of cable. Does it matter just technically speaking or is it actually audible.

In a pure technical sense it matters if you are a electron-physics geek but in everyday use it doesn't matter for the length and gauge you are using.

 

[Beave]

I am actually starting to get confused now, it seems like the general consensus is that it does not practically matter as long as using 12awg with a short length difference, such as 4 feet and 8 feet. But some believe it always matters, regardless of gauged and length of cable. Does it matter just technically speaking or is it actually audible.

It will not cause an audible difference, but it will upset some people's obsessive-compulsive disorders.

 

[Mr. Speakers]

I am actually starting to get confused now, it seems like the general consensus is that it does not practically matter as long as using 12awg with a short length difference, such as 4 feet and 8 feet. But some believe it always matters, regardless of gauged and length of cable. Does it matter just technically speaking or is it actually audible.

It is absolutely not audible, unless one side was like 200 feet, and the other was 2 feet.

 

[Doodski]

I found a very simplified speaker wire chart for copper conductor.

 

[pjug]

If you terminate them with bananas or whatever it seems worth making them the same length just to have a pair of cables that are not so oddball.

 

[Beave]

I don't know how you guys with unequal lengths live with having an assymetrical system with your amps off-center.

My ass is asymmetrical. Does that make it assymetrical?

Does having your amp off-center affect soundstaging and imaging?

 

[blestin]

I think it shifts the soundstage via a psycho acoustic effect that is audible only by veteran highly trained audiophiles experts, they can even audibly detect if speaker cables are elevated.