One of audio's age old questions is short loudspeaker cables and long interconnects or the opposite. Paul walks us through the possibilities for best sound.
Пікірлер: 204
@PDCRed2 жыл бұрын
I've always though the cable should be long enough to reach the speaker. Any shorter and the sound lacks impact.
@faithfulskeptic9362 жыл бұрын
Hahaha. Great one.
@nunofernandes45012 жыл бұрын
It falls short of sounding.
@bikemike11182 жыл бұрын
You had a clown for breakfast, right?
@FOH36632 жыл бұрын
Yep, that voltage drop is a bitch
@progqueen62192 жыл бұрын
😂
@ChoySekMunSimon2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for explaining this factiod in an easy-to-understand manner Paul. From a pro-sound perspective, the new generation of active sound reinforcement loudspeakers are doing exactly that. And yes, it has to be over balanced interconnects as well. Ideally in you would want a monobloc amplifier or more if you you're bi or tri-amping the speaker to be next to the loudspeaker. Also the higher impedance nature of the signal being driven across balanced interconnects from a preamplifier usually equates to lower loss in detail across the entire frequency spectrum. Big thanks and keep your posts coming. Much appreciated.
@soundingrooves2 жыл бұрын
Thank you that’s very interesting and I need to experiment with that ✌🏼
@playbackamusicloversjourne86202 жыл бұрын
Paul I'm shocked! Even back in the ancient 20th century when I was running your Linear Control Center & Phono III preamp pairing we knew long ICs & short speaker cables were the way to go if you had a large span from your preamp to your speakers. Welcome to the future...😊
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
That's pretty dumb given that the interconnect is way off more error and noise prone unless it's optical than a speaker signal which don't give a shit
@playbackamusicloversjourne86202 жыл бұрын
@@Harald_Reindl Feel free do disagree with Paul McGowan, myself and endless number of others. You just do you.
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
@@playbackamusicloversjourne8620 well audiophiles and common sense don't match
@playbackamusicloversjourne86202 жыл бұрын
@@Harald_Reindl Ha! Too funny and often true! However, your position on this topic is wrong.
@GodfreyMann2 жыл бұрын
Sure but short speaker cables only works with monoblocks, and the disadvantage of balanced is it adds to the complexity of the signal path. There’s a school of thought that says keep the signal path as short and simple as possible.
@markceci98962 жыл бұрын
I agree. Most of us need to keep our equipment off the floor, in a rack. In this case, short interconnects and longer, proper gauge speaker wire is the answer. What if we like tubes? How many tube amps and preamps have balanced connections?
@jeremiahchamberlin44992 жыл бұрын
@@markceci9896 More and more of them, McIntosh, Cary Audio, ELAC, Rogue, to name few. Balanced connections are a prerequisite for me, the Common Mode Rejection just makes too much sense to me; although many more professional AV experts disagree with the premise, they maintain the distance needs to be 25 ft or more to justify a balanced connection; on the other hand, my old boss at Radio Shack (25 years experience) maintained that the effective limit of an RCA interconnect is about 12 feet, coincidentally the longest TCA cable they sold. Offered for your consideration.
@markceci98962 жыл бұрын
@@jeremiahchamberlin4499 I appreciate the info, sir. I still dont really have a dedicated sound room. I have to keep some semblance of decor in my family room...lol. Thankfully, I do have some room treatments and natural absorption diffusion features. Amps on the floor is a no-go with my wife.
@ofethare2 жыл бұрын
That final shot of all the boxes in Indian Jones is just all his print out papers stacked up and archived.
@mysock351C2 жыл бұрын
It really only matters if the speaker cable is so long that it becomes lossy and has enough capacitive and inductive reactance to cause the amplifier to want to oscillate. Then using balanced XLRs instead of the long runs of speaker cable would be the way to go.
@Telemed9112 жыл бұрын
All the engineers I have ever known, including my son, love the country of Denmark. It's because the Danish are mean just like engineers - with the exception of my son!. As is often the case, Paul is correct about short speaker cables and long interconnects.
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
No he is not
@ragnarpadar36472 жыл бұрын
Yes long interconnects only if they are balanced, otherwise short interconnects and longer speakercables. There is a difference there.
@onehalf_2 жыл бұрын
Do you have some objective measurements that can confirm your words?
@kevinchew25942 жыл бұрын
halo ,.paul one more question the speaker wire have silver and copper does it sound good or just both copper ? tq
@marklowe74312 жыл бұрын
Lot of debate about physics that's already well understood. And, measurable.
@allansh8282 жыл бұрын
Where is the active PS Audio speaker you talked about? I thought we could stop worrying about speaker cables.
@bomberesque2 жыл бұрын
what qualifies as "long" for interconnects where you would insist on balanced?
@BlankBrain2 жыл бұрын
You should use at least ¾" oxygen-free copper pipe to connect your amp to your speakers. Fill the pipe with Hg.
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
Laughable
@philipw70582 жыл бұрын
I use short on both even better ☺️my equipment are behind my speakers
@thegrimyeaper2 жыл бұрын
Wasn't there one cable company who said their speaker cables had to be a certain length and would sound bad if they were too short?
@alphaniner37702 жыл бұрын
Naim recommends a certain minimum length of cable. And often it is recommended to use power cables of a certain length. Both for filtering. If that makes any difference, I don't know.
@thegrimyeaper2 жыл бұрын
@@alphaniner3770 Knew I had heard that somewhere. Thanks. :)
@joepostle35612 жыл бұрын
This is because Naim amps used to have a different output stage requiring a minimum so the cable can act as a capacitor (in effect) as they preferred a reduced number of components of a higher quality. I think Naim may have changed the design of their power amps over the years so this requirement may no longer be recommended.
@BK-jv9dk5 ай бұрын
If the folks at AQ believe that, why is their shortest speaker cable 8'??
@CyberBeep_kenshi2 жыл бұрын
So now i need a saw for my stereo power amp 🤣
@AllboroLCD2 жыл бұрын
Long runs were 100% a base goal when XLR was being designed. What about ole RCA's though? If it aint on a subwoofer, should RCA's go any longer than 5-6 foot?
@jeremiahchamberlin44992 жыл бұрын
I’ve always heard that shielded RCAs are good for twelve feet, no longer.
@danielwilliams19212 жыл бұрын
All my cables are less than 2 meters in length.
@johnsweda29992 жыл бұрын
A good quality 50ohms interconnect cable doesn't need to be balanced as long as it's triple shielded low capacitance, I would say use balance if you're going above 25 ft. Speaker cable use what the manufacturer recommends and keep it low capacitance solid core is generally better
@print-master2 жыл бұрын
very interesting thanks. I recently moved and the new set up (to avoid long speaker cables) speaker cables about 4 ft from 2 quad 405 bi-ampd into B&W Matrix 3e loudspeakers with a long (about 15 ft) Y interconnect to quad 44. The interconnect uses quad 4 pin DIN plugs. There is a fair bit of noise which i'd love to eliminate if possible. I'm thinking of a balanced Y cable but the quad 44/405's are unbalanced by default. any ideas pls thanks
@janinapalmer83682 жыл бұрын
I can never understand that setup there ... all the real punch comes from the 6 speaker subs with their own class D power amps .. but why all that power to drive those tiny electro magnetic ribbon drivers ? Talk about overkill ! I know I know there's headroom to consider but ...!!
@ryanschipp85132 жыл бұрын
Plus...see how close the subs are to the end of the room, corner area? There has to be a ton of bass loading. How can it sound natural?
@scooterpickle86252 жыл бұрын
Show me the science.
@geoff37s382 жыл бұрын
He can’t.
@writenamehere00008 ай бұрын
This guy doesnt even listen to any music. "he never tested? Never experimehted"? Thats crazy, and he makes audio stuff...
@freebornjohn26872 жыл бұрын
I'm fucked. I've just set my room for 11m long speaker cables back to the amp/CD/streamer at the other end of the room...........
@PlatypusPerspective2 жыл бұрын
If they're decent cables, chances are it will make little difference. :)
@ragnarpadar36472 жыл бұрын
That is the correct way for long distance if you are running rca cables and not balanced XLR intercorrects.
@geoff37s382 жыл бұрын
Total garbage.
@dhpbear22 жыл бұрын
Driving a long cable from a tube amp shouldn't make any difference, since the output of a tube amp is a current source!
@ryanschipp85132 жыл бұрын
Paul, stop trying to sell us audioquest speaker wire . The only thing that matters is less resistance to the speaker so having thicker speaker cable will make a difference but that's being measured with gear not by ears. If it interconnect is 6 and another one is three feet you aren't going to hear a difference in the sound. That's baloney. So rule-of-thumb use thicker speaker cable because there will be less resistance. Maybe if you used 200 feet of speaker wire versus 5 feet of speaker wire you may hear a difference.
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
audiophiles are audiofools
@catsbyondrepair2 жыл бұрын
Cable length doesn't make a damn difference till you get over 50 feet.
@stimpy12262 жыл бұрын
Denmark AUDIO… Has a nice ring to it.
@RennieAsh2 жыл бұрын
It's a white van brand that actually exists lol
@NiklasMalmqvist2 жыл бұрын
Its so funny when he says it sounds "SO MUCH BETTER" I bet there is no difference at all. And there is nothing at all you can do to make it sound so much better! There is only slightly better, or for the most part, no difference at all! I bet I could change those cables to 20 feet cables for $5, and you wouldn’t even notice!
@TTTzzzz2 жыл бұрын
Minimize signal path. Short speaker cables and interconnects. If the length of the cable betters the sound, then what is wrong with your system?
@BrentLeVasseur2 жыл бұрын
In recording sessions in say large stadiums or cathedrals, it’s not uncommon to have microphone cable that runs over 100 yards. But that’s balanced of course.
@alexwright42752 жыл бұрын
How do you balance the signal?
@BrentLeVasseur2 жыл бұрын
@@alexwright4275 Watch the video on this channel about balanced cables vs. single ended. He does a great job explaining the difference.
@OrganNLou2 жыл бұрын
Wow, answers my question! I have been using longer balanced interconnects along with shorter speaker cables and all is well.
@ryanray62152 жыл бұрын
Why not short speaker and interconnect cables ?
@MS-ug3gm2 жыл бұрын
😆hmmmm
@RoaroftheTiger2 жыл бұрын
Paul, my Brother Veteran - Trust Your having, a great day. 🌞
@scharkalvin2 жыл бұрын
Line level cables are driving HIGH IMPEDANCE, while speaker cables are driving LOW IMPEDANCE. Or more importantly, those line level cables are low voltage, low current, while the speaker cables are low to medium voltage and HIGH CURRENT. So the line level cables may be thin gauge wire with low loss, but the speaker cables must be thick gauge wire, or you will get HIGH LOSS. So it should be obvious, put the amps as close to the speakers as possible and run long line level cables to the preamp for best results. BUT those line level cables must be very well shielded or you will pick up noise! Also watch out for ground loops! Balanced lines can help with that ground loop issue, but watch out for the correct phasing? (There ain't no such thing as a free lunch!).
@Fluterra2 жыл бұрын
You can certainly use long speaker cables, if you keep resistance below a certain level, and if you use good quality speaker cable (yes, it makes a difference!).
@202One Жыл бұрын
How long on the Cables underground, above ground & the Cables running through your walls..? 🤔
@michaelwhitby74232 жыл бұрын
I’ve got best of both worlds. 2 foot rca and 3 foot speaker cables.
@gmboy5592 жыл бұрын
There's a reason why higher-amperage loads need to be paid attention to over long runs wrt wire gauge, while smaller amperage loads are far more agreeable over those distances. That reason amounts to simple physics, wire surface area to transmit electrons in conjunction with impedance per unit traveled. Paul's conclusion (sorry you had to learn it the same way I did :P ) is electrically correct. Of course, you could use - not that I've experimented - #2 copper for speaker wire, which probably wouldn't care about the amp you were using or the length of run, but it'd be difficult to fasten to a speaker terminal.
@Fluterra2 жыл бұрын
You can also double the wire, in a “shotgun” configuration. For example, double the gauge 12 wire is about the same as one gauge 9 wire. Benefits: easier to wire and cheaper.
@marcusaurelius29882 жыл бұрын
What if I do not need long interconnects?
@PlatypusPerspective2 жыл бұрын
Assuming your question is serious, the suggestion is not that long cable interconnects are in any way desirable. It's if one needs to be long, which is preferable.
@marcusaurelius29882 жыл бұрын
@@PlatypusPerspective Thank you for the clarification. Shortest possible interconnects AND speaker cables are most desirable, correct?
@PlatypusPerspective2 жыл бұрын
@@marcusaurelius2988 Yes, except for some weird outlier situations which most people will not encounter, being just comfortably long enough to reach is ideal.
@IliyaOsnovikov2 жыл бұрын
That advice would work only if speakers are connected to some monoblocks. In case of a stereo amp speaker cables will always be longer than interconnects.
@Roof_Pizza2 жыл бұрын
Sounds like Paul loves his Audioquest Thunderbird speaker cables. LOL.
@velocci66662 жыл бұрын
wasn't audioquest started by his son?
@giuseppelazzarotto27492 жыл бұрын
I did as Paul suggested. Absolutely true! You must also consider that doing this you move the rack to a side of the listening room and the soundstage gets coniderably larger
@totalplonker8242 жыл бұрын
I'm watching but not listening... probably because I got the music blasting 🤣
@Richard2000002 жыл бұрын
Bullshit, you don't need balanced links in home, or is your CD player 50 meter away from your amp? And i bet you won't hear the difference between 5 or 25 meter of speaker cable, or any speaker wire.
@viggozing598 Жыл бұрын
Thank you but you should point out, that short speaker cables and long interconnects only apply with separate power amps 😉
@webjammer12 жыл бұрын
If given the choice between long speaker hoses, or long interconnects, I would chose long interconnects every time. The voltage drop with speaker hoses is high compared to the loses with long line level cables.
@purpleldv9662 жыл бұрын
Hi! What are interconnects?
@chrisgoodson93122 жыл бұрын
Another point, long speaker cables=short marriage. That may or may not be positive
@sharadhsrivastava2932 жыл бұрын
😂
@cengeb2 жыл бұрын
AudioQuestionable...
@Darrylizer12 жыл бұрын
Define “long” and “short” otherwise this conversation has no value.
@D1N022 жыл бұрын
Those speaker cables are only short when you don't count the cable in the speakers:p. I used to have short cables but when I wanted to place my speakers further apart they were too short, so now I have ample length.
@FOH36632 жыл бұрын
Paul, you recently reminded me of your Copper magazine... damn, what a goldmine. Franken-Doris is one helluva resource... eminently qualified. Thank you for that.
@worzysp1 Жыл бұрын
What are long interconnects? Is that the rca cables?
@mrpositronia2 жыл бұрын
Do 5 metre cables count as long, because I have to use those unfortunately.
@marckant36112 жыл бұрын
Only when their resistance is too high. Use thick enough speaker cables and you should be fine.
@mrpositronia2 жыл бұрын
@@marckant3611 I had thick speaker cable and it ruined the dynamics, so I resorted to using power cables. Worked a treat!
@SuperRedSilk2 жыл бұрын
Would I be far off the mark suggesting that the people lapping this shit up have giant expensive systems in tiny rooms?
@winksmt012 жыл бұрын
Got to agree with you. Utter shit. In my opinion speaker cables don't make any difference in small rooms.
@greenbeginner33532 жыл бұрын
What size would qualify as the point where a room is not considered to be small or tiny? Maybe 8’W 12’L and 10’H? Or can one go smaller?
@Zurvv2 жыл бұрын
really? "soooo much better"
@johnholmes9122 жыл бұрын
Those of us living living in the analogue world, do exactly the opposite
@josenebrus81832 жыл бұрын
Couldn't agree with you more 💯👌
@bwoutrage212 жыл бұрын
Paul, you mean real "Balanced" correct. Don't some manufactures put a balanced "connector" on the unit, while not being wired correctly as a real balanced circuit ??
@PlatypusPerspective2 жыл бұрын
There can be what is called an "impedance balanced" output - one of my USB audio interfaces has impedance balanced output. This supplies a single hot signal, and the cold connection is simply returned to signal ground through a resistor of identical value to the series resistor supplying the hot signal. This works for noise rejection, as common mode noise cancellation depends on both hot and cold circuits having identical impedance, so any noise voltage induced is identical in both. The out-of-phase arm of the balanced input then still cancels this to the degree of its CMMR (common mode rejection ratio) as normal. So you still get common mode noise reduction, but you do not get the doubling of signal level you would get if the same output was implemented as a full balanced output, so for the same output voltage drive, the output stage has to deliver twice the voltage swing (potentially resulting in higher distortion).
@jeremiahchamberlin44992 жыл бұрын
@@PlatypusPerspective How do you figure you lose signal with a balanced connection? I feel you are sowing FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). A balanced connection purely makes sense, it could as easily be argued that an unbalanced connection delivers half the power available through a balanced connection. I’m sorry, but I need more than your word for it that everyone else I’ve heard on this topic is wrong and you are right.
@PlatypusPerspective2 жыл бұрын
@@jeremiahchamberlin4499 Hi Jeremiah, you seem to have misread or misunderstood the information I've given, since I don't figure you lose signal with a balanced connection. Nothing in what I wrote says that. In fact what I mention requires that a true balanced output inherently delivers twice the voltage (and hence four times the power) of an "impedance balanced" output. It's vital to recognize that my comments are specifically answering Henry's question, with an explanation of the different behavior of an "impedance balanced" output configuration. I will edit my final sentence so this is more clearly evident - note that in that sentence, referring to an impedance balanced output, I am saying that with that type of output, you do NOT get the double signal level that you WOULD get with a true balanced output. Interestingly, with either balanced or unbalanced connections, the FUD figures remain at zero!
@jeremiahchamberlin44992 жыл бұрын
@@PlatypusPerspective OK. I misunderstood, and actually, I’m not exactly sure what “impedance balanced” means in this context. I’ve heard from others recently that one wants a high impedance source feeding an amplifier, but that at the output, one wants a low impedance from the amp feeding the speakers, hence the use of output transformers in tube amps taking the relatively high impedance from the tubes down to the relatively low impedance of the speakers. The transformer not only helps drive the speaker, it also helps protect the amp. If that is what you mean by ‘balanced impedance’ I’m all in with you.
@davidcontini72172 жыл бұрын
Always remember to use the appropriate Wire Gauge for your speakers. It makes a huge difference. Unbalanced signal cables should be short in order to avoid picking up radio interference, etc. It's not really a matter of signal loss. If you have balanced inputs and outputs on your equipment, great. But if you need to travel great distances, you need a transformer balanced connection.
@Linnjazzy-932 жыл бұрын
What is an appropriate gauge for speakers cable ?
@christophergaus39962 жыл бұрын
Hi Paul,awesome as always! So for all us common folk that only have RCA options, stick with short interconnects (6ft or less) and long heavy gauge wire? I also wondered since a speaker wire is basically an antenna
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
why the fuck should a speaker cable work like an antenna in the domain it is working?
@4G122 жыл бұрын
Speaker cables run much higher currents than interconnects ever will, whatever stray EMF the speaker cables pick up are extremely unlikely to strong enough to generate audible sound. If you don't have balanced interconnects, short interconnects and long speaker wires make much more sense.
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
@@4G12 and even if: it would need demodulation because all that antenna staff is in frequencies far above the audio range while on interconnects and it is a real problem
@RobWhittlestone2 жыл бұрын
@@Harald_Reindl It's not about RF transmission, it's about RF reception. If you have say, 2x3m of speaker cable it is the wavelength for 100 MHz in the VHF FM band _and multiples_ of that frequency. Some amplifiers are sensitive to RF interference (entering the chassis via their ouputs!) even when totally unrelated to audio frequencies. That's my understanding of the issue here. I do know that when I RF-proofed my system in the same room as my WLAN router, the sound improved considerably. This is a topic in itself.
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
@@RobWhittlestone i need to see such a crappy amplifier and your WLAN produced noise at a completly different layer
@SuperMcgenius2 жыл бұрын
Yes
@martinmbokazi83722 жыл бұрын
What if your pre-amplifier/power amplifier don't have balanced XLR connections BUT have unbalanced RCA connections ?
@PlatypusPerspective2 жыл бұрын
It depends entirely on the results you get in your particular circumstance. If an unbalanced connection doesn't suffer any aberrations like hum, or intermittent buzzes or clicks, then no problem. A constant low frequency (mains frequency) hum is usually caused by a common earth path, commonly called a ground loop, or hum loop. That typically happens if both power and pre amps are 3-prong mains earthed devices. Some preamps have a "ground lift" switch to counter this, or a permanent ground lift may be able to be installed as a modification by a qualified audio technician. A ground loop is one of the main problems avoided by using a balanced interconnect. Other hums, buzzes etc can result from the limitations of shielding achievable with unbalanced cables, because the cable shield is also the signal return path and if it gets electrical noise impressed upon it, that becomes part of the signal. Using better quality cables with heavier shielding can improve matters to some degree. Another approach to that problem is to use cables wired as "pseudo-balanced". This uses balanced cable, with the hot wire carrying the unbalanced signal output as it normally would when balanced, but the cold wire being used as the earth connection, and the shield being isolated at one end (i.e the shield only earthed at one end of the cable, this end should go to the earthed unit if one is unearthed) so as not to be part of the signal return path at all. That way the unbalanced earth path is also shielded from electrical fields, and this can considerably reduce induced pickup from long unbalanced cables passing mains wiring, transformers etc. In the end, if unbalanced works without problems, fine, otherwise if possible go for balanced.
@martinmbokazi83722 жыл бұрын
@@PlatypusPerspective Many thanks
@RennieAsh2 жыл бұрын
I use super loooooooooooooong interconnects. Input resistance for where those interconnects will go is very high compared to the resistance of the cable. So no worries there. Balanced helps cancel any noise a longer, low signal level cable may pick up. Speaker cable resistance is probably a higher percentage of the resistance of the speaker. Usually still negligible at regular distances. Your inductors will have more DC resistance.
@markthackray31852 жыл бұрын
I simply use real OFC speaker cable, not the aluminium clad rubbish that goes bad. I use the length needed to reach my speakers. I use £10 interconnects. The cable i use is 2x79 strand. It cost me £2 a meter. I run a NAD C352 amp with mission 734i speakers in a large room with a high ceiling. It sounds awesome. Clean, dynamic and exciting. I've had several positive comments from others. I don't think I could really do much to 'improve' the sound. It's already great. I always thought that speaker cable lengths was all about the resistance? So longer runs slightly thicker cable? I think I would crack up if I trimmed a couple inches of speaker cable off until I found 'better sound' 😆
@sharadhsrivastava2932 жыл бұрын
Going by the same logic, shouldn't we design powered/active speakers all around with XLR inputs (used with a good DAC, a great preamplifier and balanced interconnects - thus doing away completely with speaker cables), instead of using a whole set of monoblocks and two types of interconnects/cables? If not, please elaborate why?
@PlatypusPerspective2 жыл бұрын
That's what I use, sounds fine! Doesn't suit everybody though, I guess. Makes for a simple setup though - Event powered studio monitors, Cambridge DAC, optical in from the player.
@nunofernandes45012 жыл бұрын
Denmark is the home of many a great hifi company. Including Dali who built my beloved speakers.
@alphaniner37702 жыл бұрын
Scandinavia as a whole makes great hifi - at a price of course.
@jeppepedersen70062 жыл бұрын
I come from Denmark, and totally agree, Dali, Jamo and Dynaudio are some of the best brands out there. I actually live about 15 away from the Dynaudio factory in Skanderborg, Jutland
@marcusbrsp Жыл бұрын
Interesting, I too have also assumed that short interconnects and long speaker cables is the way to go. I still do it. I have never even thought about the other way around. Well, maybe I'll try it one day when I have mono blocks.
@mysock351C2 жыл бұрын
As far as "sounding different", if it really does, then you would want to investigate carefully with an oscilloscope. Otherwise all those fancy amplifiers are going to be letting out that nice, juicy audiophile grade magic smoke.
@tn92742 жыл бұрын
how about if the interconnect only unbalanced? the short interconnect and long speaker cable will be better?
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
the length of the speaker cable don't matter unless you talk about hundreds of meters and everybody pretending the opposite is a fool which would buy audioquest
@ragnarpadar36472 жыл бұрын
Correct! Paul dont talk about the common man system.
@roberthart98862 жыл бұрын
My amp is dual mono and it sits in my rack. Long ICs and short speaker cables would not work here
@velocci66662 жыл бұрын
What’s an interconnect?
@alphaniner37702 жыл бұрын
All cables that transfer music signal, except cables that connect the amplifier to (passive) loudspeakers.
@velocci66662 жыл бұрын
@@alphaniner3770 so then it would be HDMI, RCA, XLR, etc cables?
@biketech602 жыл бұрын
I suppose I am following your advice . My XLR interconnects are one Meter & speaker cables are 3 feet, so 3.4" longer . Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval XLR & Silver Oval 2 speaker . Great !
@MatijaVabec2 жыл бұрын
Denmark Inc 🤣
@MrBonger882 жыл бұрын
Anyone know the make of those speaker cables in this video?
@joeycastillo14962 жыл бұрын
I will try this out as I do have monoblocks with long speaker cables
@fixnreview2 жыл бұрын
Agree Paul
@jareknowak87122 жыл бұрын
Short speaker cable, short interconnect.
@Geerladenlad2 жыл бұрын
I can't wait to hear all the clucking hens on this subject.🤣
@carlstineman2742 жыл бұрын
In the listening test you cite were the cable types (make, model and connecter types) kept constant and only the lengths varied? If not, other changes could have confounded the results.
@jamesbaxter28122 жыл бұрын
I would like you to talk about that system you have. Thanks
@biglipsjim2 жыл бұрын
Time for a change. Woot!
@martinfox22442 жыл бұрын
Ant tips on how to do XLRs with my Yamaha B2 and C2?
@Krunchy712 жыл бұрын
Sorry for such a noob question, but what is that black box where the speaker cables are coming out of? I'm having a hard time visualizing the system or why its configured this way.
@markceci98962 жыл бұрын
It is a monoblock amplifier.
@legrandmaitre71122 жыл бұрын
Here's an interesting little snippet from Hi-Fi News back in the 90s. This is Ben Duncan: "... with a single stereo power amplifier, highly local placement of the amplifier channel is impossible, either physically, or to live with. Moreover I maintain that the effect of cable length is likely asymptotic - the counter-intuitive behaviour that Martin Colloms hinted at in his tests of a decade ago. So shortening a cable will emphasise the discontinuity of the final few inches inside the cabinet - including the drive units' tinsel wires." You really need to read this a few times before it makes sense (well, I had to!). I guess that if one has serious high-end speakers and their internal wiring is top notch it might be different story?
@jeremiahchamberlin44992 жыл бұрын
I’ve read it enough times to stumble over ‘asymptotic,’ I’ll be back after consulting Webster’s. 🙂
@OscarSanchez-tk3hx2 жыл бұрын
My system is running with Audio quest cables from short balance connectors and 8 ft away from each 14 gauge speaker cable no banana plugs and Love the sound
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
But audioquest did nothing to the sound
@budgetaudiophilelife-long54612 жыл бұрын
🧐 EXPERIENCE …IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN SUPPOSITION 🤗 ESPECIALLY GOOD ADVICE … FOR THOSE WHO CAN MAKE USE OF IT😍😍😍
@davidfairchild16402 жыл бұрын
Maybe not if you design tasers.
@qddk95452 жыл бұрын
And another thing is: The speaker cables have to be exactly the same length, or they will act like a balance control.
@FSXgta2 жыл бұрын
not really, it has to be an insane difference as electricity speed travels 1.4 seconds to the moon.
@janinapalmer83682 жыл бұрын
Long cables will alter the bass drivers Qts a bit
@ryanschipp85132 жыл бұрын
How long is long?
@geoff37s382 жыл бұрын
Paul, as you are well aware, your initial assumption was correct. Now you have been persuaded by Audio Quest to say that you were in error. Is it a coincidence that PS Audio pushes Audio Quest cables? I think not. It is impossible to detect an audible difference between a short and long cable in a typical lengths used in a home system provided the low level signal cables are as short as possible. Cable from a turntable should be short and well shielded with low capacitance. Unbalanced RCA are perfectly fine for cable lengths in most home systems. Audio quest markets some of the most outrageously expensive cables accompanied by fraudulent technical claimf. Come on Paul, show some integrity.
@paulwibb.89442 жыл бұрын
Full of shit, always has been
@mortlach1862 жыл бұрын
Ok, that's fine with separate components but what if we are talking about a stereo receiver. I'm helping a friend with his setup and he's not an audiophile at all and in his room the ideal location for the equipment rack is not near his speakers and somewhere on the order of twenty to twenty-three feet will be required. I have already purchased enough nice 12 gauge wire for the job. What do you think?
@jeremiahchamberlin44992 жыл бұрын
Tell him he needs to upgrade to either (1) a receiver with XLR out for the speakers, or (2) mono-blocks placed close to the speakers. If the receiver has pre-amp outs, he may get away with active speakers. Provided the budget is unlimited and the wife approves of all changes to the interior of her house. 🙂 But seriously, use what he has and try to ameliorate whatever faults you or he might perceive. It is probably a good practice to use cables of equal length.
@Darrylizer12 жыл бұрын
I’m doubting that he or anyone else will be able to tell any difference between 25 ft of 12 gauge or 6 ft of 12 gauge wire
@montynorth30092 жыл бұрын
Long interconnects are more prone to interference simply because they are operating in a much higher impedance circuit compared to the speaker cable circuit. Good quality screened RCA interconnects are perfectly adequate for local connections.
@laurencel.24932 жыл бұрын
Ok. Now, what would be the longest I can go on XLR Interconnects? Speakers in one room, equipment in another (retired to a condo) can I go 40 ft. on XLR’s? I shake because it’s going to be expensive for custom made.
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
only idiots would make the interconnect longer
@laurencel.24932 жыл бұрын
@@Harald_Reindl so, you’re for shorter interconnects & long speaker cable
@Harald_Reindl2 жыл бұрын
@@laurencel.2493 surely because I own a working brain, common sense and technical understanding while most audiophiles are even two meters around of their head dumb
@laurencel.24932 жыл бұрын
The question was a little rhetorical. So, chuckling is allowed. A laugh a day is good.
@stimpy12262 жыл бұрын
I will be buying new speaker cables within the year and I was looking at the price of the cables that I want to purchase. There was no difference in cost between six, eight and 10 foot lengths. I already knew that short speaker cables are the way to go and I need 6 feet. Then I thought that what happens if I want to separate the speakers even more that I might as well by eight feet but now I’m reversing my position again. Six feet it will be.
@NoEgg4u2 жыл бұрын
Assuming you are doing as Michael in Denmark is doing... meaning, your speaker cables will be used with monoblocks, then: If you choose to separate your speakers even more, then move your monoblocks to accompany the move of your speakers. The length of your speaker cables will remain unchanged.
@stimpy12262 жыл бұрын
@@NoEgg4u not a mono block set. Hundred watts per channel audio research VT 100 MkIII
@johnholmes9122 жыл бұрын
just use lampflex
@stimpy12262 жыл бұрын
@@johnholmes912 Thanks but no thanks
@Maher_Alahdab2 жыл бұрын
I want to compliment Paul on his likeable demeanor and pleasant personality. This is a person who has been in the field for decades yet lays his opinion as such rather than absolute facts of the Gods. Informative videos recorded and presented nicely. Keep it up ☺️
@purpleldv9662 жыл бұрын
What is a interconnect?
@tweakerman2 жыл бұрын
Hi Paul, but there loads of people that think cables are snake oil, I'm batting them away everyday, I think these people are either jealous or have very poor hearing, they prefer to Hook their equipment up with Bell wire because they don't think there's anything better, what do you think.
@epanorama2 жыл бұрын
"there loads of people that think cables are snake oil" I can agree that there are lot's of people that cables are snake oil. My view is that there are very real issues on cables, strange beliefs on them and lots of snake oil marketing related to them. "these people are either jealous or have very poor hearing" Not necessarily. "they prefer to Hook their equipment up with Bell wire because they don't think there's anything better" Why don't music studios where people really know about all things on sound quality and different cables don't use expensive special cables? Maybe because they don't offer them any improvement compared to good quality "normal" cables? Or what they offer is so tiny that it is not worth of the high price boutique high end cable maker ask of their products?
@tweakerman2 жыл бұрын
@@epanorama Hello Tomi, the biggest thing with hi-end cables are, they are ridiculously overpriced, the core materials in making these cables are peanuts, especially in high volumes, now that's where the snake oil comes into it. But I'm showing how to make true hi-end cables for penuts. The gains are really good when you're making hi-end cables for peanuts, but when it comes to spending vast amounts of money on cables, I can see why some people would say that the gains are minimal. The problem with the snake oil police, is they don't mind upgrading capacitors and the other parts inside there equipment, but they done understand that, different qualities of wire can improve sound, wire is no different to capacitors, the better the capacitors the better the sound, the better the wires the better the sound, it simple, thanks for commenting & watching
@tweakerman2 жыл бұрын
@@epanorama Hi Tomi & don't forget to subscribe to my channel 👍