Speaker Cables, One side longer- bad idea?

If you have a stereo amplifier where each channel has a common ground, than you most likely will increase an inter-channel noise and distortions since different length cables have different resistance, capacity and inductance. Stereo amplifier has to be equally loaded -- it's almost like you will plug in different speakers to each channel. In dual-mono amplifier or monoblocks you will have on the shorter side slightly better details than on the longer side. This difference you will not be able to rectify with channel ballance if the one is present in your preamp.

A++ link, Bwhite! Thanks!

I also want to point everyone's attention onto damping factor explaination on the link provided by Bwhite and make your conclusion about different cable lengths.

And than read link about Equal length of the speaker cables.

I would not recommend to make such experiments with Transperent Audio cables and suggest to use some RadioShack wire or ZipWire.

Transparent Audio cables tended to have an out$tanding quality in terms of newtrality for inductance and capacity, but I wouldn't buy different lengths of Tran$parent Audio cables since I will not ever be able to sell them!

Another vast reason that most of power amplifier manufacturers strongly suggest in the manuals to use short equal runs of speaker cables to keep as close as possible to booked damping characteristics of amp.