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I would like to know if there is any scientific reason that the length for any stereo pair would have to be a minimum of 8ft as recommended at the Mapleshades website. I am considering buying their ultrathin and fragile stuff...amp is fairly close to speakers. could probably use 5 feet or less. They claim resistence, inductance, reluctance etc is better suited at that length.
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Cables can act as a buffer to a circuit. By using a longer cable and / or a cable with a higher nominal impedance, you get more of a buffer effect. In situations where the source component, which in this case is an amp, isn't that stable and / or doesn't like the load that it sees ( a reactive speaker ), adding more "buffer effect" may actually improve sonics and measurable performance. Nelson Pass discusses this on his website and documented such effects almost 30 years ago. Why or how other industry professionals can't understand this and / or know this is beyond me.Since most speaker cables are of a poor electrical design, the old adage of "keep the cables as short as possible" makes sense. That is, a shorter cable has the potential to do less damage to the signal. Selecting componentry ( cabling included ) that is both well designed and suitable for use together is more important than the length of any given cable.
When using this approach, "system synergy" becomes less critical, as every stage of the chain ends up working together with fewer holes to patch. In such a case, picking cabling that offers the lowest losses, widest bandwidth and exhibiting a suitable nominal impedance will almost always be one's best choice. That is, unless one prefers a specific sonic presentation i.e. colouration that this type of cable / impedance interphase won't provide. In such a case, it all boils down to personal preference and electrical synergy won't be an easy thing to quantify. Sean
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There is no "minimum" for speaker cable. Period.
If a manufacturer wants to state that a minimum length sounds best based on their experience, that is another thing.
IN GENERAL, shorter cables are better, period. No matter what kind of cable you're talking about, digital included.
But since gear is voiced with specific cables, a more revealing cable may need a longer length in order to match the tonal balance of the associated gear.
We always recommend that customers use the shortest length possible without running into mechanical issues such as min. bending radius.
Actually, I think Mapleshade claims they sound better using a minimum of 8ft. I recall that they tried shorter lengths.You could always buy a longer length, like the 12ft, cut to your size and biwire if speakers will allow. Let us know if the shorter length sounds good.
I too could have gotten away with less than 8ft, but trusted Mapleshade, so went with two 8ft pair of the basic Clearview Double Helix. I have had them for a number of years and have no desire to replace them. In my system the Mapleshade replaced two pair of 6ft Kimber 4TC.
Jeff
The min length is = to the min cost to profit ratio.Therefore profits must be above X to cover overhead, shipping, and other related cost of running the business.
About 8ft min per sale in this case.
Otherwise if this is not the case we should assume that some amount of resistance in to form of a cable or other is needed between an amp and speakers for optimum sound....this would put all self powered speakers at an automatic disadvantage...which I do not think is the case.
HowdyAnother alternative (which I don't nessacerily subscribe to) is that there can be a standing wave (electrical or acoustic) in the cable and that you need the cable to be at least a certain length to allow enough attenuation...
Anyway, I dubious of any such rule if it doesn't take into account the construction of the cable (geometry, materials, etc.) and the drive of the amp (at various freqs), impedance of the speakers (also at various freqs), etc.
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