Minimum speaker cable length?

[cayorob]

Whilst the Nait XS amp hasn't yet arrived i just browsed the manual online and it states that the speaker cable length should be at least 3.5 meters! I've not heard of this before, anyone know a reason?

Obviously both sides should be even but i only need 2.5 to each speaker and i don't want it coiled up behind the equipment.

 

[chebby]

Don't worry too much.

Naim's newer amps (like your XS) will be OK with 2.5m

These intructions apply more to older models.

 

[Anonymous]

With what possible logic?

It certainly helps to be able to position your speakers with a bit of flexibility, so if you're spending a lot on the cable, you may as well allow yourself a little slack. If you move house, move rooms, re-arrange the furniture, you won't want to have to bin your cables and do the whole thing again.

But from an electrical point of view, I can't see any reason to have longer cables or any reason whatsoever why older Naim gear would behave ANY differently from new Naim gear. Sounds like folklore to me ;-)

 

[Andrew Everard]

In very basic terms, older Naim amps needed a certain amount of impedance in the speaker cables, and were susceptible to problems caused by cables with strange capacitance characteristics, which is why Naim suggested NAC A5 - a simple, multistrand copper cable you need to heat with a hairdryer if you want it to go round corners(!) - as the best choice.

More modern Naim amps are designed to be somewhat less choosy about the speaker cables.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:
In very basic terms, older Naim amps needed a certain amount of impedance in the speaker cables, and were susceptible to problems caused by cables with strange capacitance characteristics, which is why Naim suggested NAC A5 - a simple, multistrand copper cable you need to heat with a hairdryer if you want it to go round corners(!) - as the best choice.

More modern Naim amps are designed to be somewhat less choosy about the speaker cables.

I thought an amplifiers job was to drive the speakers, not force current up a resistive speaker cable. If they want something to push against, wouldn't they be recommended for less sensitive speakers, rather than suggesting a resistive cable? Why would you want resistance in the cable between the amp and speaker?

 

[Anonymous]

cayorob: Obviously both sides should be even but i only need 2.5 to each speaker and i don't want it coiled up behind the equipment.

I've read different opinions on this topic. I have two 3m runs at home, but was hoping when I get around to buying a power amp to use the two 3m runs on one side and buy two new 1.5m runs for the nearside.

Given that the distances are pretty short compared to the speed of electromagnetic radiation. I'd have thought that unequal lengths of cable would not make a noticeable difference, a few millionths of a second.