Speaker Cable Length

[Nielsfrathy]

How long can a speaker cable be?
I know answers may be different, but sometimes you just need someone to talk to!
I have a Cayin LA34 tube amplifier, and just bought Buchardt S400 MK3 speakers - and I will re-arrange the setup in the slightly large living room.
This would mean that the amplifier would be off to one side, and the cable length be somewhere between 20 - 28 feet ( 6-8 meters).
I'm planning on Blue Jeans Cable 10AWG cable.

Would this length be prohibitive? Would it be felt?
Reducing length to around 8 feet (2,5 meters) would mean them pointing the wrong way into the room, and that is a bit of a shame too!

Help, encouragement wanted!

/Niels

 

[raindance]

I highly doubt it will be a problem. If one was 100 ft and the other 3 ft, then maybe

 

[sergeauckland]

Loudspeaker cables can be of any length. What matters isn't the length, but the loop resistance, and depending on the amplifier, possibly capacitance and inductance. If you need long cables, just make sure they're thick enough.

As to them being the same length, if you do the sums on signal transmission velocity, you'll find that even with 100ft and 3 ft, the time difference is comparable with moving your head a few microns. In other words, totally negligeable.

S.

 

[SteveC]

The first rule of Audio Wire Club is "are they long enough".

The second rule of Audio Wire Club is "don't use broken wire".

My speaker cables are also Blue Jeans Cables. Can't go wrong with them.

 

[voodooless]

Note that the output impedance of that tube amp is relatively high. This means that wire resistance plays a relatively high part in frequency response errors due to speaker impedance.

So keep the wire resistance low, and you should be fine. There are pile of charts to be found on AWG vs length.

 

[LTig]

Note that the output impedance of that tube amp is relatively high. This means that wire resistance plays a relatively high part in frequency response errors due to speaker impedance.

Isn't it the opposite? The wire resistance is rather negligible compared to the output impedance so should not play a role.

 

[voodooless]

Isn't it the opposite? The wire resistance is rather negligible compared to the output impedance so should not play a role.

Ideally yes, but if the wire is long and thin and the output impedance is relatively high, this is something to worry about.

 

[egellings]

My preference would be to site monaural amps right next to the speakers and do the output connection with short adequate cables. Use a shielded signal cable, preferably balanced in design, to send the audio signal from the preamp's outputs to the amplifiers near their speakers. It's easier to send a small signal than a large one any considerable distance. Of course, if your amplifier is a single stereo unit, then that connection scheme wouldn't be an option.

Ideally yes, but if the wire is long and thin and the output impedance is relatively high, this is something to worry about.

Tube amps can have an output impedance of maybe an ohm or more, whereas a competent S.S. amp will usually have an output impedance in the 10's of milli-ohms or even less. Cable resistance won't make that much of a difference with a tube amp if the cable's resistance is not absurdly high. With a S.S. amp, the cable's resistance can make a difference.

 

[LTig]

Ideally yes, but if the wire is long and thin and the output impedance is relatively high, this is something to worry about.

The OP wants to use AWG 10 which is rather thick and probably overkill. I would use AWG 11 (for the long cable and AWG 14 if, one cable is significantly shorter).

 

[egellings]

The OP wants to use AWG 10 which is rather thick and probably overkill. I would use AWG 11 (for the long cable and AWG 14 if, one cable is significantly shorter).

The oversized wire will certainly git 'er done, but it's really not needed. Of course if the length is long enough, then the extra gauge would help in keeping resistance (R) low, but would slightly increase C, and not have much effect on L at all.

 

[Redacted]

If you have longer runs, use thicker gauge wire to keep R comparatively small - not hard to find the resistance per metre of a given wire.

If you need unequal lengths for "tidiness *" in a normal lounge (not a stadium) - no problem, as you won't be able to tell on a blind test (or at all). Measurable of course, but relevant?

Honestly, I've used twin and earth before now, and nobody would have known. Of course, if they had seen what the wires were, they'd know for sure the audio was awful. I don't use it now as it is just too stiff to work around room features neatly. Maybe we can talk skin effect and bend radii/signal reflections at this point!

@Ropeburn may need a sick bucket.

 

[kyuu]

~30 feet is not a long run. 16ga would probably be more than fine, but just to be safe (and because the cost difference is minimal) just go with 14ga or 12ga and don't worry about it.