Speaker cables transmit power from your amps. The cables are in fact acting as capacitors, that is they store power which your speakers will draw on during those demanding passages in the music. Makes sense to have both cables the same length and a minimum of 8 feet long.
Pros/Cons of Same Length Speaker Cables?
Like many others, my amplifier, cd player, rack, etc. is off to the side rather than between the two speakers. This means the cable length is different for each. I've heard some (dealers!) say the cable lengths should be identical for both speakers. Aside from the cost issue for good cables, isn't it bad to have too much cable coiled up behind the rack? Why have identical lengths if it means one of the speaker cables has more than 6 extra feet coiled up? I know that resistance can be an issue, but is this really an issue with one cable at 16' and the other at 9'? Thanks in advance for your advice