# Speaker Cables - Different Lengths are OK?



## Philm63 (Jan 1, 2015)

Within reason, of course.

I'll likely place my amplifier off to one side vs. centered between the front LR speakers due to space limitations, sooooo.... the speaker cables are going to be different lengths. I'm sure I'm not the only one with their amp off to one side leaving 3 or 4 feet to one speaker, and 10 or 12 feet to the other speaker.

Not more than 200 Watts, 10 AWG being used (helps me sleep better :coocoo, max length not exceeding 15 feet... far as I can tell there should be no audible timing issues, so, are there any other issues I should be thinking about here?

Oh, and I'm building my own cables so I can make them any length I want - and I'd rather have them as close to exact length as is practical (with a bit of extra length for moving things around, of course). Not concerned with having everything perfectly matched length-wise - I'll sleep good enough knowing they're at least a couple of gauge-sizes bigger than needed!) Just want to be sure I'm not missing anything.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Philm63 said:


> Within reason, of course.
> 
> I'll likely place my amplifier off to one side vs. centered between the front LR speakers due to space limitations, sooooo.... the speaker cables are going to be different lengths. I'm sure I'm not the only one with their amp off to one side leaving 3 or 4 feet to one speaker, and 10 or 12 feet to the other speaker.
> 
> ...



lol, you're over thinking it. timing issues WILL NOT happen at those ridiculously short lengths.. 10 awg is INSANE!! at that range 12 awg is way over kill.. basically, you're GOOD. don't worry, just install wiring and go.


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## Philm63 (Jan 1, 2015)

Thanks, Mike. First time building my own cables, and this is one topic for which I found only limited information. I'm an engineer - of course I'm over thinking it! And the 10 AWG was just laying around begging to be used... Plus; with speaker cables this thick, the sound quality should be off the charts! :bigsmile:


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Philm63 said:


> Thanks, Mike. First time building my own cables, and this is one topic for which I found only limited information. I'm an engineer - of course I'm over thinking it! And the 10 AWG was just laying around begging to be used... Plus; with speaker cables this thick, the sound quality should be off the charts! :bigsmile:


all you had to say was "engineer" and I got understand ... just be warned, test the 10 awg in the plugs on your amp and speakers... some 10 awg doesn't even fit in some receivers (as you know, something labeled 10 awg isn't ALWAYS identical as the next cable labeled 10awg )


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## Philm63 (Jan 1, 2015)

Agreed. I plan on using spade lugs on the speaker ends, and BFA connectors on the amp ends. Techflex over the 10 AWG CL3 with heat-shrink to cap it all off. The better they look, the better they sound, no?


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## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

Mike Edwards said:


> lol, you're over thinking it. timing issues WILL NOT happen at those ridiculously short lengths.. 10 awg is INSANE!! at that range 12 awg is way over kill.. basically, you're GOOD. don't worry, just install wiring and go.


*If you think that is over thinking then what about my setup?* My front L/R speaker cables are 8' each and are 10awg and my center too. all three of my front three match.

Belden 500UTP


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## dgmartin (Oct 29, 2011)

Short answer is don't worry. Basically you are going to add about 0.01Ohm of resistance for 10ft difference (typically 1Ohm/1000ft for 10GA). This 0.01Ohms will affect mostly the frequencies having the lowest impedance. Say your speakers are 4Ohm at a given frequency, the loss would be about 20log(4/4.01) or -0.02dB at these frequency and less at frequencies where the impedance is higher. This is the effect on the frequency response. Other effects may come from the cable capacitance at very high frequencies but equally insignificant.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Doubt you'd notice any difference whatsoever, but since you won't see them, why not make them the same? Might be easier to repurpose if you needed to. 
Ok truth.....my OCD is going crazy! ....must be same.....can't be different.....coocoo....


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

No difference at all, if you were going 300ft on one cable and 20 on another it may be slightly noticeable but not on short lengths used in a home system.


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## chashint (Jan 12, 2011)

Philm63 said:


> Thanks, Mike. First time building my own cables, and this is one topic for which I found only limited information. I'm an engineer - of course I'm over thinking it! And the 10 AWG was just laying around begging to be used... Plus; with speaker cables this thick, the sound quality should be off the charts! :bigsmile:


What kind of engineer ?


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## mpompey (Jan 5, 2007)

Not to pile on but at those lengths you are fine.

It was hard for me to give up the wire craze 
coming into home theater from the car audio
days.

I found this resource a few years ago when I was
wiring out me room.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm


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## Philm63 (Jan 1, 2015)

chashint said:


> What kind of engineer ?


EE, ADHD, OCD... it's all there.


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