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Speaker cable length for L/R channels critical?

I have a good system that utilizes some older discontinued speaker cable that I like a lot. It is 10 feet in length and I need that length to reach the left speaker. The amp is not (and cannot be) located center between the speakers.
The problem is I wish to biwire and have an opportunity to buy a 6 foot pair. The question is this: Can I run both 10 foot cables to the left speaker and run the 6 foot pair to right without any wierd effects like "ghosting" or have one channel be clearer or louder than the other? Any ideas? Thanx
ceb222
rgs92
974 posts
 
I would definitely have the 2 10-foot runs.
At one time I had a similar unequal run of Cardas Cross to my Aerial 10ts & it always sounded funny & flat & I always had to move my chair around. I switched to equal lenghts of Cardas Golden Ref (still have them--great, smooth cable, even in extra-long lengths) & everything clicked into place. I would never have an asymetric set of any cables--just bad karma.
pabelson
344 posts
 
Slappy: Neither. It's a horse apiece, as they used to say.
poolplayer
6 posts
 
All speaker cables have some flavor - complex reactance
Cables with less flavor will exhibit slight differences based upon the interactions with your specific components.
It's like comparing 10 licks of a chocolate ice cream bar to 6 licks. You are getting more "chocolate flavor" in the 10 ft set.

If you have well matched, very revealing high end components - I believe variations in speaker cable length should not exceed 25%. For most "good" systems - it will be hard to detect a difference.
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