Does speaker cable length matter?

[Got2SadowskyNYC]

I've got the dough and wouldn't spend it on hype. There's other things I rather have than an over priced power cable that does nothing more than get power from the wall to my amp. Kind of like what came with it, for free.

[megafiddle]

Here you go.
There is a chart here showing the maximum recommended wire lengths for various gauges and speaker loads:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_wire

It is based on a maximum wire resistance of 5 per cent of speaker load.
That translates into a 0.43 db loss of amplifier power.

[B-string]

Originally Posted by Got2SadowskyNYC

Digital amps are even better at dealing with this.

Who has "digital" amps? I know of Class D, but not digital amps?

[BFunk]

I thought that was a joke. Now that I look at it again, I can see he is not kidding. What is going on here?

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I stopped reading once he recommended using ESP power cords, which are grossly overpriced AC cords that do nothing for the sound of the amp. He may make a nice amp, but this power cord thing flies in the face of everything I've ever heard from actual electrical engineers. I've also AB'd one with a $5 cord that came with my computer in a blind test, and could tell no difference whatsoever. Your speaker cable is fine.

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by Bassamatic

Speed of LIGHT, I think you mean.

And being in a coil affecting the sound? Since it is air, I don't think there would be any effect on audio.

Ha! Delay in audio cables? What a joke that is. From here to the moon, maybe!

It IS important however, that it is not too small for the power you are running vs. the length. I know that there are some good charts about this available online. 16 ga. is probably safe and 14 ga. better, but even 18 is fine for a short run.

Air core inductors are used in audio all the time, but a large diameter coil with minimal current will basically do nothing to limit the response. Besides, it's an Ultra Wide Bandwidth cable, right? For a bass? Ultra Wide Band? Really?

WRT delay, somewhere, someone can hear the 1 nanosecond per foot delay.

[lpdeluxe]

Originally Posted by Bassamatic

Speed of LIGHT, I think you mean.

Yes, I did. Thanks for catching a careless error.

[Mr. Foxen]

Bah, all the important bit missed. It does matter, because speaker cable is heavy, you don't want to be carrying all that extra stuff about for no reason, not like you're gonna need you amp far from you cab.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Bassamatic

Speed of LIGHT, I think you mean.

And being in a coil affecting the sound? Since it is air, I don't think there would be any effect on audio.

Ha! Delay in audio cables? What a joke that is. From here to the moon, maybe!

It IS important however, that it is not too small for the power you are running vs. the length. I know that there are some good charts about this available online. 16 ga. is probably safe and 14 ga. better, but even 18 is fine for a short run.

What's interesting is that the signal travels very fast, but the electrons don't travel very far at all - they pretty much sit in the cable and wiggle back and forth. All this stuff about directional cable is pretty danged silly, considering it's AC.

[jeffbonny]

Look, it's pretty simple. The magic music sound comes out of the amplifier and travels down the speaker cable and into the speakers. The longer the speaker cable the more tired the magic music sound becomes on its journey. If you want a fresh and perky sound (as I suspect most of us do) use a short speaker cable.

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by thejumpcat

Does the length of the speaker cable matter?

The only thing I would worry about is when one would use a very thin cable that has an impedance larger then 0.8ohms (0.4ohms for 4ohm cabinets). The increase in impedance will change the Qes of the driver and in turn does change the way the driver behaves in the cabinet. Closed cabinets are not very sensitive to this but ported cabs may not work optimally.

[ThisBass]

Originally Posted by Arjank

The only thing I would worry about is when one would use a very thin cable that has an impedance larger then 0.8ohms (0.4ohms for 4ohm cabinets). The increase in impedance will change the Qes of the driver and in turn does change the way the driver behaves in the cabinet. Closed cabinets are not very sensitive to this but ported cabs may not work optimally.

Wire Gauge 15..16 (which is appro 1.5mm^2) is more than enough for each usage.

[fkh006]

Originally Posted by Arjank

The only thing I would worry about is when one would use a very thin cable that has an impedance larger then 0.8ohms (0.4ohms for 4ohm cabinets). The increase in impedance will change the Qes of the driver and in turn does change the way the driver behaves in the cabinet. Closed cabinets are not very sensitive to this but ported cabs may not work optimally.

You must be using Tungsten filament wire for speaker cables.

The amount of technical misinformation expounded on this site is truly amazing.

[Primakurtz]

I have been told that anything over 6" is wasted, anyway.

[chadds]

Originally Posted by Primakurtz

I have been told that anything over 6" is wasted, anyway.

You're in the wrong place, then.
Possibly with the wrong person.
Perhaps someone was just protecting your feelings.
...and you thought class D and Neos would do it.

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by fkh006

You must be using Tungsten filament wire for speaker cables.

The amount of technical misinformation expounded on this site is truly amazing.

What do you mean? that what I wrote is misinformation?
It's definitely not.

[ThisBass]

Originally Posted by fkh006

You must be using Tungsten filament wire for speaker cables.

The amount of technical misinformation expounded on this site is truly amazing.

If you have any doubt, so try to estimate the RMS of a bass guitar signal (especially yours). Translate this RMS onto a given amp power (RMS) into RMS current.
I hope you don't mismatch any given amp power "RMS" with individual RMS of a given bass guitar signal.

[ThisBass]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

What's interesting is that the signal travels very fast, but the electrons don't travel very far at all - they pretty much sit in the cable and wiggle back and forth. All this stuff about directional cable is pretty danged silly, considering it's AC.

That's not interesting but thats physics.
The transport of energy (or power) is done by electromagnetic fields.
Most amount of this fields of "transported" power/energy is outside a wire (not inside)
Doubling Voltage by constant current is doubling the power and therefore the transported energy. Your "moving electrons" do just the same way in both (powering) situations.

[gumtownbassman]

Originally Posted by fkh006

The amount of technical misinformation expounded on this site is truly amazing.

I agree.

[mjac28]

I can't take it ... Ahh.... That's what she said?

[lokikallas]

Originally Posted by thejumpcat

Does the length of the speaker cable matter?

I've got a Monster cable -- a Prolink Performer 500 Ultra Wide Bandwith High Power Speaker Cable with Magnetic with Magnetic Flux Tube. Yeah, that's a mouthful.

It doesn't indicate anywhere on it what the guage is. I've had the thing forever, and it sounds fine. It's probably 20 feet long, but I've always got it coiled up with a velcro strap.

I just picked up a Thunderfunk 550-B, and on page 11 of the manual, speaker guages and lengths are mentioned:

http://www.thunderfunk.com/Downloads/Thunderfunk_Owner's_Manual.pdf

Yes length matters. A gig bag full of 20' speaker cables weighs a bunch more than a bag of 6' cables. 16 gauge is fine. 14 is better for long runs for PA's and 12 is good if you are arc welding.