Speaker cable lengths - Same length on each speaker or not?

[hammill]

Sorry, but there is no exaggeration here. The pseed of light is 300000000 metres per seconds (or 186282 mph in old money). That is about 7 times around the earth in a second. Electricity in a copper cable travels at 99.9% of that speed. A metre difference in cable gives a delay of 300000000 of a second, which even the people on this forum cant hear

The speed of a phone call cannot be compared due to the various exchanges and processing the signal goes through

 

[Gerrardasnails]

hammill:
Sorry, but there is no exaggeration here. The pseed of light is 300000000 metres per seconds (or 186282 mph in old money). That is about 7 times around the earth in a second. Electricity in a copper cable travels at 99.9% of that speed. A metre difference in cable gives a delay of 300000000 of a second, which even the people on this forum cant hear

The speed of a phone call cannot be compared due to the various exchanges and processing the signal goes through

Exactly. As I said, a few posts up - it's a myth that you need to have equal lengths.

 

[professorhat]

I'm not sure about all this myth stuff... sounds like some sort of mystical wizard told us all to do it! I'd say it's a recommendation based on proven science (for once!) that may or may not affect the sound depending on the difference in lengths - if you're not sure or can't be bothered to test, just use the same lengths, whereas if you want to try it out and find that it doesn't affect the sound don't use the same...

 

[Anonymous]

In my humble opinion there should be a blind test with several different (and also ridiculously different!) cable lengths in the next issue of WHAT HI-FI

!!!

 

[bigblue235]

Alsone: I know but having a longer run of cable has a similar effect as it delays the sound to your ears by a few millisecs.

There are delays with both, granted. But the difference between them is so huge it's impossible to compare them.

Delay on amps is all to do with distance from speakers, I've never heard of anyone setting a delay in their amp because of the length of their speaker cables

FWIW, I have equal lengths on my cables too, just.. because!

One of my mates is a scientist in this field and I'm wary of giving him 'advice' in hi-fi. But there are some things that don't make sense scientifically, but seem apparent in real-world testing. One of these being a blind test with speaker cables (cable talk 3.1 vs QED SA) in which the 'better' cable was picked out with ease.

If it makes you happy, do it. If you don't care, I don't think you'll suffer too much!

 

[Alsone]

 

[fr0g]

Alsone:
fr0g: Sorry. A delay...Well the signals speed means it would go around the world 7 times in one second, so the chance of you hearing a delay in a few metres, is...guess)

Funny that because call the other side of the world or even the middle east and there's a few seconds of delay. I think the word exageration creeps in here!

Granted in a speaker run its going to be milliseconds at the most but arguably anything out of sync is not going to sound as good as anything in perfect sync even if you can't discernably hear the difference in timing per se. I guess some will believe in even lengths some will not. However, if you want to guarantee something as near perfection as possible then its the only way to do it, at least so far as left to right is concerned.

Ahem. Nope no exaggeration. The phone line is not a valid analogy for reasons laid out in previous posts.

1. There is (near enough) zero delay...
2. There is a definite difference of electical properties...which may, or may not be audible.

I dont think its a myth. There is a difference, however delay is a red herring. and that difference to a certain extent, is almost certainly inaudible, unless you happen to be a flying mammal.

 

[Cofnchtr]

al7478:Meh. I wish zoe ball was here.

Hi,

We do have a Fat Boy Slim Fast - is that close enough??

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.