My cables are now too long by a considerable amount. What should I expect with a shorter length? I think as short as is allowed is best, but what’s the big selling point?
The chief engineer for Wireworld said he believes no speaker cables should be shorter than three meters. I think Galen says the shorter the better. Their truth is out there.
I use 2 pair of 2 meter cables. Hmmmm. I could probably get buy with 1.796 meter. Hmmmm.
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I dont think you will be able to hear any difference in speaker cable length.
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Max Townshend, got rest his soul, advocated that his speaker cables can be used in unequal length pairs, he told me 1.5m and 5m was perfectly fine.
It’s a true final destination cable, because people who get them never feel the need to change and many people here use them as a reference cable. They were first recommended to my by Jimmy Hughes 10 years ago, who had already had his 20 years. There are two cables, Isolda that they’ve sold for 40 years, and Fractal, introduced 3 or 4 years ago.
I recall reading/hearing that before (about unequal lengths being sonically undetectable).
It’s not atrocious. Extra length generated by splitting monoblocks, but they were already lengthy.
Wasn’t @badbeef going to use jumpers at one point?! I was intrigued.
Would there be room for it being louder? It would seem that any resistance the extra length creates for the amp would be smaller. Anyway, that’s probably in my head and not in the world. Ha!
It seems the general consensus is that the shorter the speaker cable the better, and try to maintain equal lengths. Galen is a proponent of this method and could tell you the science behind it, if you had the time for that discussion 
. I vaguely remember in Physics class that resistance increases over distance and that simplification
is enough for me, but I am sure there may be other valid arguments. I long for the days of a big spool of zip cord that was an easy link to all my stuff.
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Haven’t actually tried it, since IMO the only practical amp for that is a class D or G monoblock from a vibration and microphonics standpoint. I do have an old pair of nc400’s, but not what I’d use now. All other amps are stereo, so that dictates a need for X length of cable.
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The fella from Wireworld had some interesting comments on why he thinks short is wrong. After his talk I bought 3 meter speaker cables until I decided to buy Stealth speaker cables. I took advantage of some on hand 2m demos from Kyomi.
I have read Galens comments on the subject as well as comments from similar industry people. One or more of them are correct. For the time being I am happy with where I am at and so not in the market for speaker cables. My cast offs include Shunyata Sigmas and Iconoclast gen 1 cables. All out at friends homes now so they can experience them. I am guessing i have $175k worth of gear floating around various friends homes. One of my friends doesn’t know it but he has over $100k of my gear in “his” system. He is fairly pleased
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As I understand it, resistance is not the issue, it is very low as long as there is enough copper, and a $4/m Sommer speaker cable will have very similar resistance to any audiophile cable at whatever price. The Sommer cables are used as microphone leads of very long lengths.
Apparently the issue is more inductance, if high you get phase shift and high-frequency amplitude loss. This is where the cable geometry comes in.
Townshend cables have incredibly low inductance. A similar cable that preceded the Townshend Isolda flat cable was made by Monitor Audio, and due to the measurements, which they clearly published, they sold speaker cables in lengths up to 10m (33ft) with no impact on signal.
I found some cables, like au24, had high inductance, a real problem for Quad electrostatics. Ideal low inductance cables often used are QED79 and Atlas Hyper 2.0.
Wireworld do not publish their cable specs. Maybe they should before telling people what to do.
See also QED Genesis Report
You could use 10m long Monitor Audio cables and the Townshend inductance is about 70 times lower.
Townshend Isolda
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I heard differences swapping to 5 foot Iconoclast from 10 foot of SPTPC version. Immediately better. However, Bi-wiing by adding another pair close lengths is even better clarity, but that is elimination of bass modulation of upper frequencies.
Wanna be friends?
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Putting this thread back on topic and linking it to VMax’s observations, I am trying the Icon Gen2 OTC in place of the Gen 1 SPTPC speaker cables, full range. I like the new enhanced design in the top and mids and do not really hear a difference in the bass. This follows Galen’s design intention. Instrument detail is better and the space around them is better delineated. I am now hooking up the two cables in a true bi-wire configuration,
with one terminal of BHK 300’s going directly to the top/mid drivers with Gen2, and the other to the woofer section with Gen1 on another speaker that is set up for direct bi-wiring. Same good results so far.
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Running two complete sets of speaker cables to each speaker is my new rule. Jumpers are so not.
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Does the chief engineer from WW have data to support his statement? Or is he simply interested in selling longer cable because there’s more profit in longer cables?
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Someone has to be the odd-ball here, so why not me?
I’m running Mapleshade Golden Parallel (22’ and 18’). Love the clean tight sound, and openness. Now that I have new gear (all PSA, and Maggie LRS, I can go with shorter cables and will probably lobby the wife for a set of Mapleshade Double Helix Plus cables. 8’ and 16’ will do. Before Pierre passed away he told me to be very comfortable running unequal lengths, just keep off the carpet (I use glass blocks) and sit back and enjoy—which I do.
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I’m probably too OCD to run different length speaker cables. Funny enough, though, I’d likely be driven quite mad by a visible 3, 4 or 5ft+ of excess cable.
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I run different lengths for Surround speakers. The DSP corrects soundstage volume to listening position.
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Of course he does. He is a scientist.
I wish he involved at least some astrology.
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Recently changed from Cardas Clear Beyond to Silversmith Fidelium. Needed longer cables as I went from monoblocks to a stereo amp and figured I’d give the Silversmith a try (mainly due to the lower cost than the astronomical investment that the Clear Beyond in 3m length would be). To my surprise, the Silversmith demolished every other cable I have ever tried! And at $1500 for a 3m pair!!! Retains all the liquidity of the Cardas, but adds speed, depth and air. Just a remarkable cable!!!
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These are on my “I wonder” (I wonder if these would be a good fit for my system?) list.
You may have just convinced me to give them a try. Do you happen to know if the manufacturer offers a money-back trial?
Cheers.
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