Speaker cable length

I've heard and seen a lot of systems with equipment between the speakers. It shouldn't be stacked "between" the speakers. If you go low and against the front wall, there is nothing wrong with that.. HECK just low and streamline works perfect for me..

As far as between speakers one of the best setups I EVER heard was a 3 speaker Trainural analog system. It had a 3rd speaker dead center, and recommends an equal or BETTER speaker for the center..In other words BIGGER.

Like MC said the give away compared to gain, you've lost ground..
Move part of it to the side. Pre, TT and amps leave them by and between speakers, just LOW...

My monitors the lowest driver "used" is 18" off the ground. That make a BIG difference too. What exactly is being messed with when drivers are that high? Something above 18"? Use the 18" and below. No problems for me.. Folks have better ears than mine, for me it's maybe a change, but not an improvement in SQ.. There is always a work around.. Just fruit for thought..

Regards

@bkeske interestingly, everything i’ve heard says the complete opposite - that the IC’s should be kept as short as possible while speaker cables - which carry a very weak signal, can be much longer.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

NO OP the speaker cable need to be short, not the line level, no one here is giving you bad advise.. The heavy load is the Speaker cable, and the power cord for the power amp, not the line level amp feed.. You literally got your wires crossed. But 4 foot cable off a stereo isn't gonna happen either.. 2 or 3 meter will work though..
I use 2, 3 and 4 meter cables. not in the same room.. Great cables though, are gonna be the same length..
This is not a surround system...

Do what you will, but running longer speaker IC will degrade speaker performance. The question is, will you hear it? I can tell the difference in a 1 meter and a 3 meter of the same construct.. I have used .5 meters and gone to 1 meter and gotten better results on SS amps.. Same construct. There is TOO short.. in some cases.

Zip cord who cares double the run for each one (20 x 2) and (8 x 2) used #12 save your money..

Regards

Yea about that.. If the cable that's hooked to only one of two main speakers has a so so cable, or for that matter both main speaker monitors.  Then throw three parts of cable building 101 out the window.. You kind of get what you get.. And deserve it..

If I was to use zip cord, vs 12tg 24 conductor a folding weave, I bet the different length will make all the difference in the world. Zip cord length is tough to tell, between 1 meter and 10 meters.
BUT really complex weaves and length are like tuning forks.. Every foot adds, I can't hear that good, but 1 meter vs 3 meters I can..
Zip cord I can't tell the difference only copper vs alu/copper, I can..

The deal is, I don't use anything but SOOW or JSOOW 99.999 copper unless it's a main monitor cable.. BASS is BASS it likes heavy copper.
I get pretty fancy with the main monitor cable though, a helix weave with some goodies and a MY box...Works perfect for me...

So when folks chime in and say "it doesn't matter that much" I wholeheartedly disagree. Cabling accounted for a good 10% in all ranges when I really took the time to listen. ADD another 5% for top notch cabling inside the speaker...Add 5% MORE for GREAT cabling inside the power amp..

Again I would run longer RCAs or hopefully XLRs. You can get either dead quiet. and then shorten the speaker IC..from the power amp..

Happy happy..

Regards

stereo54,475 posts01-30-2021 9:42amSome of you are delusional.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And some people use ZIP cord and call it good. That is usually the reason why I can't tell the difference, unless the conductor is to small with zip cord. I can't tell the difference in 1 meter or 10 meters of zip cord.

I haven't used it in 30 years..

BUT if I use some serious cables.. Helix or a really good construct, I know I'm not delusional... 1 meter vs 3 or 4 meters, you'd need a hearing check if you couldn't hear the difference.. BUT then again you got to try it.. I was blown away by some of the helix constructions.. Zip cord vs Helix it's like having ear muffs on.. REALLY..

Great, well designed cables, there is a HUGE difference in SQ vs length.. some of the reasons they sound so good to begin with.. LOW R great constructs, excellent termination, and SHORT. 4 of about a dozen thing you need to think about,  BEFORE calling run of the mill cable good enough..

For some maybe.. for me.. NO.. It's too easy to make a GREAT cable...

Regards