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Uneven speaker cable lengths and cable termination

Hi,

I'm getting new speakers that are single-wire only. This means I can't use my old MIT Terminator 2 cables, and need something new. My budget is limited as I've just spent all of it on the speakers :)

I'm not sure what the stance on cables is here on audiogon, so I hope I'm not starting a war :)
Anyway, I have some questions:

- Are equal lengths for both channels required? Is it possible to hear a difference? (my amp will be positioned to the left of the left side speaker, so I will need about a 4m run to the rightmost speaker. I was thinking of getting 4m and 2m runs)

- If I buy bare cable, is unsoldered termination helpful? The monster quicklock spades and bananas look really nice, but I wonder if they are worth the cost. (http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=4584)

My speakers are Audio Physic Scorpio II with Krell KAV-400xi btw. General recommendations are welcome.
ahochan

Showing 1 response by ckorody

ckorody
643 posts
 
I built a complete 5 channel rig using the Supra 3.4Ply cables advertised here on the Gon. This is their shielded model, they have others. This is a very impressive company that does all its own R&D and manufacturing in Sweden - highly regarded in the European buff books.

The cables are 1/2" diameter, very flexible, come jacketed and can be installed as is, though I put them in Techflex and used heat shrink to finish them off.

Uneven lengths all around. Contact Lars, lars@sjofnhifi.com, for the bulk rate which is very reasonable.

For convenience I terminated them with Audioquest CF BFA bananas. This is a Z plug as popularized by Nordost, in silver or gold over copper. They use set screws and do not require soldering. Because the Supra cables are tin over copper, you don't need to worry about oxidation. Pay careful attention to the product code (they make a number of different pieces) and shop around.

Much less mass then the Monsters and no brass for the same money.

There are lots of other choices of course - if you can solder, Luminous Audio makes a nice gold over copper spade for even less money.

It's a fun project and doesn't take long especially if you go bare wire...
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