Uneven speaker cable lengths?

This question has been discussed here in a number of prior threads, usually involving greater cable lengths and greater cable length differentials than you are considering. As is often the case in cable-related discussions, there has not been a clear consensus.

I almost always agree with my learned A'gon colleague Tony (Tls49), and I am certainly hesitant to disagree with the estimable Mr. Vandersteen, but in this case I see it differently than both of them.

**If** the cables are chosen such that their intrinsic sonic characteristics and the interaction of their technical characteristics with the particular amp and speakers result in the longer cable behaving in an essentially neutral manner (i.e., having insignificant effects on the signal), then the shorter one will too.

**If** on the other hand the cables are chosen such that the longer cable DOES NOT behave in an essentially neutral manner in the particular application, then it seems to me that there is no way to predict which of the following two alternatives will be better/preferable:

(a)Using two 3-meter lengths, thereby avoiding the possibility Mr. Vandersteen mentions of compromising imaging and coherence.

(b)Using one 3-meter length and one 2-meter length, thereby reducing/minimizing the sonic effects of the cable in one channel.

Given that a speaker cable can potentially affect a lot more than just imaging and coherence, with the degree of each kind of effect having little or no predictability, I see no reason to rule out the possibility that (b) might actually sound BETTER than (a).

Personally, though, considering the lengths that are involved in this particular case my suspicion is that it won't make a significant difference, or even a perceivable difference, either way.

Regards,
-- Al

Probably won't make a noticeable difference but certainly could so the safe bet is to just keep them equal.

But as I indicated earlier, if it does make a difference why assume that having equal lengths will be better than making one of them shorter? Isn't it just as conceivable that the supposed advantages of having equal lengths, in terms of coherence and imaging, might be outweighed in a given application by shortening one of the cables and thereby reducing the effects of that cable on the signal?

In all of the threads I have seen here on this question, there are only two positions that seem to be taken: Either it will make no difference, or the equal length condition will be better. I submit that there is a third position which is just as conceivable, that shortening one of the cables but not the other one could produce results that are BETTER than having both of them long but equal.

Best regards,
-- Al

You make good points with your analogies, Kijanki. On the other hand, though, I see no reason to assume that in the specific case of effects that may be caused by unequal cable lengths (as opposed to mismatched amplifiers, tweeters, etc.), if in fact perceptible effects were to occur, that those effects would necessarily involve coherence and imaging (to a perceptible degree). As opposed to involving other kinds of cable-related effects, which if minimized in one channel might result (at least subjectively) in a net benefit relative to not minimizing them in any channel.

In any event, as I said earlier I doubt that in this particular case there would be any difference at all, considering the lengths that are involved.

Best regards,
-- Al

BTW, Kijanki, apart from the fact that there is apparently no inductance specification for Cardas Clear Reflection, all of the Cardas cables the OP mentioned have vastly lower resistance and inductance than the numbers assumed in your calculations. So your conclusion that the differences in resistance and inductance resulting from a 1 meter length difference are unlikely to have audible consequences is even more true.

Best regards,
-- Al

Geoff & Zavato, while I agree completely with your bottom line conclusions (as stated in the last sentence of Geoff's post and the first sentence of Zavato's post), and I also agree completely that differences in the amount of time it takes for the signal to propagate from one end of each cable to the other are WAY too small to be relevant, in fairness I would point out that there are other factors which arguably may be involved.

Specifically, nearly all cable parameters and effects whose audible significance is either well established and quantifiable, or not so well established and/or not quantifiable and/or debatable, are or can be expected to be proportional to length. That includes resistance, inductance, capacitance, bandwidth, and the consequences, if any, of dielectric absorption, strand jumping, skin effect, and metal purity.

The only effects I can think of which might not be directly proportional to length are those which might result in the cable injecting spurious energy into the feedback loop of the amplifier, if it has one. Those would include antenna effects, and effects relating to "characteristic impedance." In those cases, as I see it, the relations between length, differences in length, and audible consequences, ***if any,*** would be system dependent, unpredictable, and essentially random.

Regards,
-- Al

George (Xti16), was the system fully warmed up before and during these comparisons? And during any part of the comparisons were either of the cables placed near any other cables or power cords, or digital components for that matter, which might have resulted in EMI/RFI being picked up and injected into the feedback loop of the amplifier, assuming the amp had a feedback loop?

Regards,
-- Al