Why speaker cable delays are dwarfed by other variables, in even the most high end "tweaker" systems.

Another important consideration in this is the delay circuit in your receiver.

The delay is achieved by using a "bucket brigade" device. The device is essentially a string of clocked flip flops in a long row. To set a specific delay the receiver looks at the feet/meters measurement you've entered, calculates the distance based on a velocity of propogation, and sets a tap on the "bucket bridage" to a specific position. In the final configuration one channel will go through no flip flops before being sent to the speaker, and another channel may go through 100 flip flops before being sent to the speaker.

So what does this have to do with speaker length...

The delay circuits used do not allow for every flip flop in the chain to be "tapped". For example some receivers only allow you to set measurements in units of feet, while others allow measurements in units of 0.1 feet. The unit that allow measurements of 0.1 feet have "bucket brigade" devices with 10 times as many taps.

But even the devices with a large number of taps don't have enough resolution to correct for wire differences of even 500 feet. Assuming a VOP of 50%, or roughly 500,000,000 feet per second, and a 500ft cable difference, the difference in the electrical signal will be only 0.000001 seconds, or 1 micro second. Now how far would we have to move our head to achieve 1 micro-second of signal difference: Assuming 1130ft/sec (average speed of sound in air), multiplied by 1 micro-second (the time difference we wish to create, multiplied by 12 in/ft (want distance expressed in inches), this works out to .01356 inches.

So having a distance in your speaker cables of 500 feet translates to moving your head in a perfect setup 13.5 thousandths of an inch!!!

Any "tweaker" out there who says he can hear a difference in length of speaker wires is kidding himself for so many reasons that it is laughable. Would I spend any time on a $500,000 system making sure the wire lengths were equal, no! Because it is of zero consequence. Show me anyone who doesn't move their head more than 13.5 thousandths of an inch while listening, and I'll show you a dead man!

I wouldn't imply that. It's more like you are raping them but that it's OK as long as the rapee is a consenting adult that's into the rough play and enjoying it.

The problem is that most of the people being raped aren't aware of it. It's like they are being given large doses of GBH. I do have some sympathy for the audiophile rapist though, who honestly believes he is helping his victim.

:-) :-) :-)

My wife came into the office when she heard me laughing. I tried to explain this thread but she just walked out shaking her head.

Now, equal wavelengths between spouses.. that's something I think we can all agree on.

Now, there's a mixed emotion!


Why does it seem to me that cheap equipment should benefit from audiophile tweak-toys more than expensive gear should?

I guess because the cheap gear has so many other issues that the small improvements from such tweaks is buried by the other problems...

PS I never said speaker cable length mattered for a surround receiver. High-end 2ch systems don't have digital delay and speaker distance settings for the most part for just the reasons outlined above...

You buy exotic time aligned speaker cables for your $500,000 2 channel system...

because you can. Plus, just in case, in the slightest remote possibility, that just maybe, the ultra expensive cables might make your system even a slight hair better in performance, you better just buy them... just in case it makes a difference.

Reallly, it's just the icing on the Vanity Cake.

I noticed that you've totally sidestepped the issue about moving your head while listening. 500 feet of mismatch in speaker cable length equates to 13.5 thousandths of an inch of movement of the listeners head.

So, what again is the reason for matching speaker cable lengths in ANY system?

I repeat... What's the use in NOT matching them? Why introduce any difference at all if it's not necessary?

There isn't any use in NOT matching them. And for a two channel hi-fi system it's no problem as the cable's will be in pre-made pairs anyway. The point is that moving your head a few millimimeters either way will introduce more timing differences into what the person is hearing than mismatched speaker wire will.
None of this applies in HT, unless maybe you argue from the point of one sweet spot and ignore everyone else in the room. Even then it's a weak argument.

RGBHV is a VERY different story and shouldn't be lumped into the speaker wire debate at all. In that case you don't have one, fairly high AC voltage, signal going down one wire but seperate components running down different wires. Different length wires will affect the picture quality. But unless you are complete hack this should never be an issue. It's not brain surgery to keep the lengths less than a .5% difference in a bundled cable.

The one point I'll argue the lighting analogy is low voltage lighting. Different lengths will produce different lumens output and all low voltage lighting spec sheets will tell you to keep the runs equal length. Obviously this is only going to matter for fixtures in the same room where you might notice a drop from one end to the other.