below 100hz, do speaker cables matter?

I think it does. Especially if the woofer is inefficient. Heavier gauge speaker cable has less resistance. Longer runs require heavier gauge to minimize resistance. I recently tried Kimber Kable 8 PR for the bass modules of my VR-4JRs and the bass is deeper and better defined.

Bass notes have harmonic overtones that are directional. And the quality of cable certainly does make a difference both in the fundamental bass note and its harmonics, IME

Every time I've upgraded speaker cables the bass has improved as much as the mids and highs. I vote yes.

Yes, more than for other frequencies in most cases.

My argument lies with voltage divider effect, eloquently explained by Al (Almarg) in this thread http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1336159920&openflup&3&4#3

Given that most speakers exhibit their lowest impedance in a range below 100 hz, it would follow that the impact of cables inductance would be the greatest on the bass notes.

Also the omnidirectionalality of bass frequencies has to do with the propagation through air and not of the signal in cables. So the fact that bass is omnidirectional and mids and highs are not, IMO should have no bearing on cable design.

Nick, thanks very much for the compliment.

One slight correction to your post: The word "inductance" should be "resistance" instead. As I indicated in some of the posts in the other thread, inductive reactance (the impedance that is presented by inductance) is proportional to frequency. It will therefore have negligible effects at low frequencies, and usually at all frequencies that are below the upper treble.

Resistance may of course be significant at low frequencies, if the gauge is not large enough to limit the resistance of the particular run length (times 2, reflecting the total resistance of both conductors) to a very small fraction of the impedance of the speaker at any frequency.

Best regards,
-- Al

Below 0 Hz cables don't matter.

Al, it seems I am still a little confused on the issue.

If inductance has a neglible effect at low frequencies due to its proportionality to frequency. Then the slight correction, is no longer slight.

The op sates "outside of cable gauge", or in other words, other than insuring low resistance, all other factors should not have an impact on low frequencies.

What I understand from your post is that you agree with this statement. That is within the realm of measurable and predictable outcomes.

Hi Nick,

Yes, if the gauge is large enough to assure adequately low resistance, and if (as is usually but not always the case) capacitance is low enough to not affect amplifier performance, I can't envision any speaker cable effects that would be significant at deep bass frequencies WITHIN THE REALM OF MEASURABLE AND PREDICTABLE OUTCOMES, to use your well chosen words.

However, I do not by any means assert that there won't be effects that are not within that realm.

Best regards,
-- Al

Al agreed!

Douglas, at negative hertz values you can use imaginary cables "i cables"