1 meter speaker cables

Thank you all for your responses.

@randymaqp and @soix  Good to hear.  That helps a lot.

@inna I am using Ayre monoblock amplifiers so hopefully interaction with the amp will be minimal

@tony1954 Words to live by.

@erik_squires I agree with your approach.  I am not really looking for any specific improvement or change in sound, just trying not to break things.  I just got new speakers and thought it would be a good time to revisit cables.  I am currently using Belden 12ga and they are a little too long, a little too stiff and a lot too ugly but they sound fine.

@mclinnguy Transparent is the reason I asked the question about demoing longer lengths.  Most of the shorter cables I have looked at, but not tried, are custom orders which I assume are not returnable.  Also, in the past I considered moving up the Transparent line in interconnects and did not like the result so I am hesitant to special order.

@jl35 I guess compromises must be made or I would have 5 or 6 feet of cable wandering around my family room 

@mitch2 Thanks.  That is what I was hoping.

@ghdprentice I wish that I could get by with 18 inches but Ayre put the connector block for the amplifier output on the right side of the case so for one amplifier I have to run across the width.  I guess I could put them perpendicular to the speakers but that would look a little weird and I am not sure I have the room.  If I could figure out how to demo a custom length without buying it with no return I would give it a try.

@lanx0003 I am hoping I don't have these concerns with SS amps.

@westcoastaudiophile I will add Kimber to my list cables to consider.

Thank you all.

As funny as it sounds, shorter is better!

The key driver of going mono-blocks path is an opportunity to shorten speaker cables.

Good speaker cables, like Kimber-Kable 12TC, allow to keep performance with longer cables. 12TC at 8ft length has 0.006 Ohm resistance per line, and very low, if not lowest in Inc., loop inductance! 

Ralph of Atmasphere would say that for tube amps difference between 1 meter and 2.5 meters speaker cables may very well be audible and could in fact be significant

Atma-Sphere utilizes OTL and zero feedback designs and, as such, its output imp. (5-15 ohms) has been relatively higher than the tube counterparts without.  It is understandable that Ralph will want cable as short as possible to reduce total impedance before the load.  Nevertheless, given the speaker cable impedance (0.005 ohm/ft) is two orders of impedance less than the most of tube amp., the difference caused by a bit longer cable is in general negligible.

Shorter is better is the general rule. I haven’t done that experiment for over 40 years since my system has dictated the length since then. A small (but important) improvement as I remember. 

However, my most trusted audiophile friend and source says there is a magical really short cable... in the 18" (monoblocks positioned right next to the speakers) where speakers really come alive due to the short connection. I had monoblocks on loan for a couple years, but never wanted to buy expensive speaker cables to find out how great a difference that was. However, if I had monoblocks... I would do it and find out.

I used 1M long speaker cables for years.  In my experience, and in my system, I could indeed hear differences in 1M long speaker cables. I actually have a variety of 1M speaker cables that I have compared and the sonic comparisons between given types of cables are similar to what I hear when comparing the same types of cables in my current set-up, where speaker cables are 2 to 2.5M long. 

One way to reduce the effects of resistance, capacitance, and inductance in a cable is to reduce the length of the cable.  Therefore, the sonic effect of 1M long speaker cables should theoretically be less than for longer speaker cables, although the difference may not be easily discernable.

Pierre at Mapleshade always said 8 feet is ideal...not more and not less... 

1. At 1m length do the differences that may be present at longer lengths of say 2.5m become less noticeable?

Obviously the shorter the cable the less resistance, but there is plenty more to a speaker cables function than resistance. 

If you agree with Transparent cable's philosophy every length needs its own specific network box to adjust capacitance, inductance etc. for maximizing sound quality: 

"The balance of a cable's electrical properties changes according to the length of the cable. Transparent not only optimizes for the cable design itself, it optimizes every network for every length of cable to meet that specific product's design criteria. Regardless of the length of cable required for a particular system layout, the performance will meet the standard for that cable design. With Transparent, there are no compromises for needing a longer or shorter cable."

Their stock cables start at 8 feet, but they do make custom lengths. Not sure what they say if someone wanted to order some 3 foot speaker cables for monoblocks, I am sure someone must have them, or do they suggest only longer lengths are possible? Of course these may be beyond your budget. 

My feelings are multiple. I do think speaker and interconnects matter more than the math about inductance, capacitance and resistance would lead us to believe.

I also think they are the least cost effective "tone controls" money can buy.

To get back to your question, longer cables should create more of whatever tonal effect they cause, but why? Your speaker choices and preamp are much better places to spend more money in finding the right combination of attributes you are looking for. Speaker cables are not IMHO a benefit, but rather a necessary evil for most of us who have passive speakers.

If you have monoblocks for instance, put them as close to the speaker as possible to shorten the speaker cables, at the expense of longer interconnects.

"Am I overthinking this?"

Of course you are, but the alternative is worse.

Nothing good happens when you underthionk.

Ralph of Atmasphere would say that for tube amps difference between 1 meter and 2.5 meters speaker cables may very well be audible and could in fact be significant

He just said it in another thread..

You should be fine.  The longer lengths will still exhibit the basic sound characteristics inherent in the design. 

I did exactly that:  I demoed 10’ cables and bought 4’ versions.  They both sounded the same to me (after break-in).  However, several weeks had passed between the demo and listening to my new, broken-in cables, so YMMV. 

Thanks. soix and jond.

So could I demo different cables at the longer lengths, pick the one I like and expect the same sound when I special order a 1m length?  Am I overthinking this?

+1 on both of the above!

Shorter is better that said the difference between 1M and 2.5M is likely indistinguishable.

With speaker cables shorter is better.  One of the benefits of monoblocks is that you can use shorter cables.