I need to buy new speaker wire for music system. Looking for advice.

Hi blue wizard, it is slightly off centre, but your analysis of the effect of capacitance on sonic performance, can be wrong. But not in the way you are thinking, your analysis of transmission through the cable is not in error. .. . And it affects the most expensive cables not the cheaper ones.

If the output impedance of an emitter follower,or source follower or cathode follower, drops below a certain level, it can allow the output transistors to go into oscillation..The problem is more acute or likely with bipolar transistors, as they have higher current gain. The problem will be seen on high frequency transients as a damped ringing . People might hear this as a "brightness " , but it is an artefact.
Those cables which have been expressly designed to reduce inductance( which would increase impedence at high frequencies), by increasing capacitance (which reduces impedence at high frequencies), will be more susceptible. The incidence or probability will be length dependent.as the capacitance wil increase with distance. So it's a double whammy, increased capacitance and limited inductance.
The importance of this is that all amplifiers, except perhaps those using a transformer output, use emitter follower or source follower outputs.
 
Thank you all for replying and giving me advice. There's a lot for me to consider. One wire I will need 1 metre and for the other I am thinking 3 metres.
 
Anyone see the Van Damme blue 2.5mm in stock anywhere?
 
*not from Ebay... so'ok found some on amazon.
 
Anyone see the Van Damme blue 2.5mm in stock anywhere?

Multiple sources have been linked to -

Van Damme Blue Series Passive Speaker Cable

And a search of Google will bring up more sources. I believe Maplin has Van Damme Blue.

Side note, Van Damme Blue is actually blue.

You many be in a situation where you only need a single 1 meter wire and another 3 meter wire, but that limits that wire to that one situation. Getting two 3 meter cables would allow you to use the cable in any other situation that might arise in the future.

Steve/bluewizard
 
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Chaps and Chappess, I do know how to use google but the sources linked, google and the terrible website from "designcable" either require ebay account (don't have one), don't inspire trust (design cable) or don't have stock.

I think I've asked and probably answered a very very valid question where Amazon (and all it's protections and doesn't appear on a google search) have it in stock.
 
How would this cable be when using different lengths? I'm looking at Van Damme cable too but my amp is on the right so FR is only 2.4m away from amp, but the Centre is 3.4m and FL 4.4m. My OCD is telling me to get 4.4m for all but i would have to coil the excess, which i've also read is not great.

I had this dilemma a couple of years ago when I moved flat. My system used to be positioned directly between the speakers, in the new place it is to the side. The furthest speaker is the left and requires a cable run of 4m, the one on the right needs 1.5m.

I scratched my head for a good while considering whether to buy 8m of cable and coil half of it, but then I guess common sense took over and I bought the length I needed and have not noticed any degradation in sound quality.

Just my two pence worth.
 
As to cable length, there is nothing wrong with uneven length, but again, think about the future. Uneven length might work for now, but will the work in the next location you are in?

Of course, that is a choice for the individual to work out for themselves.

Steve/bluewizard
 
Hi blue wizard, it is slightly off centre, but your analysis of the effect of capacitance on sonic performance, can be wrong. ..

If the output impedance of an emitter follower,or source follower or cathode follower, drops below a certain level, it can allow the output transistors to go into oscillation.....

Those cables which have been expressly designed to reduce inductance( which would increase impedance at high frequencies), by increasing capacitance (which reduces impedance at high frequencies), will be more susceptible. ...

While you are correct, few people will see or use Low-Inductance, High-Capacitance cable in their lifetime.

Now of the noted and VERY EXPENSIVE Cables would be the Kimber Kable 8TC, which is a circular braid multi-conductor Litz wire.

Kimber Kable 8TC Speaker Cable

Kimber Kable 8TC = 100pF/ft = 0.04uH/ft

Common 12ga Zip/Lamp Cord = 18pF/ft = 0.19uH/ft


Home Made DIY Low-Inductance speaker cable came out like this -

DIY Cable = 65pF/ft = 0.05uH/ft

Low-Inductance DIY Braided Hi-Fi Speaker Cables


Using the two above at the top, Capacitance increased by 5.6x and Inductance decreased by 4.75x. But both are still pretty small.

Again most people are not using such extreme wire. The Cable being recommended here is pretty straight forward, and excessive in neither inductance or capacitance.

Steve/bluewizard
 
All very interesting, my QED Silver Anniversary was free with my speakers. They were terminated with airloc bannna plugs, had to cut them off at one end as neither my Yamaha RN-602 or now my AS1100 accept them. Was thinking about it but will have to stick to bare wire connections, still only a bit of a pain if you want to disconnect the amplifier end. Are bananna plugs banned in Europe if so why? Not suire why the two Yamaha's do not accept them but my speakers do!
 
All very interesting, my QED Silver Anniversary was free with my speakers. They were terminated with airloc bannna plugs, had to cut them off at one end as neither my Yamaha RN-602 or now my AS1100 accept them. Was thinking about it but will have to stick to bare wire connections, still only a bit of a pain if you want to disconnect the amplifier end. Are bananna plugs banned in Europe if so why? Not suire why the two Yamaha's do not accept them but my speakers do!
No, banana plugs are not banned in Europe, but there are covers put on the banana plug sockets on the amp for safety (to stop people plugging power connections in). These can be removed and the banana plug will fit fine, on both of your Yamaha amps.
 
Have you removed the plug inside the speaker binding? They are a tight fit and can be mistaken for being part of the binding. Using A small flat blade or watchmakers screwdriver to ease it out usually works.

Edit: Rambles beat me to it.
 
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Just had a quick look, had you guys not told me I would not have realised the end came off. I live and learn. Done a bit of that on this site since I joined!
 
I had this dilemma a couple of years ago when I moved flat. My system used to be positioned directly between the speakers, in the new place it is to the side. The furthest speaker is the left and requires a cable run of 4m, the one on the right needs 1.5m.

I scratched my head for a good while considering whether to buy 8m of cable and coil half of it, but then I guess common sense took over and I bought the length I needed and have not noticed any degradation in sound quality.

Just my two pence worth.
Thanks, I certainly have been scratching my head over this too. Think I'll just cut to length, but maybe leaving an extra 60cm or so to the shortest runs to reduce the differnce in length while still not having enough excess to be coiled. Seems like the best compromise.
 
Thank you all for replying and giving me advice. There's a lot for me to consider. One wire I will need 1 metre and for the other I am thinking 3 metres.

The good news is that, for such short lengths, anything you buy (within reason) is not going to cost a lot, especially in relation to the cost of the rest of your kit.
 
Van Damme all day long.
if its good enough for Abbey road then that'll do me

One thing though VD Blue has a thick insulation (1/2"?) covering and is very chunky mostly used by studios or roadies
It can suit a stereo system but its too thick for a discrete install
You can get VD 2.5 and 4mm with clear insulation and it is far easier to handle, and its cheaper
 
Thank you all for replying and giving me advice. There's a lot for me to consider. One wire I will need 1 metre and for the other I am thinking 3 metres.

I'm a bit late coming to this thread but I use 6mm cross-section Van Damme stranded copper cables between my Bryston 7B-SST amp's and PMC speakers. PMC have told me Van Damme's 4mm cross-section stuff is entirely adequate and that bi-wiring isn't necessary. All Wilson Audio Specialties' speakers are configured solely for single wiring. In fact, when I switched from bi- to single wiring, things improved. PMC's house philosophy is that expensive cables are rarely, if ever, worth their often entirely unrealistic high prices. Far too often people confuse different with better, largely to convince themselves that the large sums of money they've been persuaded to part with for some fancy "high end" cables has been worth it. It nearly always isn't.

FWIW, I'd advise strongly against employing mixed lengths for your L & R channels and DON'T coil any excess cable as that will create an electro-magnetic field which can cause all sorts of problems that you really don't want. At worst, it can destabilise your amplifier with disastrous consequences (I've seen it happen, thankfully not to me).
 
Van Damme all day long.
if its good enough for Abbey road then that'll do me

One thing though VD Blue has a thick insulation (1/2"?) covering and is very chunky mostly used by studios or roadies...

According to the Spec Sheet -

http://www.vdctrading.com/content/VanDamme-Speaker-Blueseries22052017.pdf

Van Damme Blue 2.5mm² has on overall outside diameter of 7.6mm or about 0.3 inches.

But yes, the Van Damme does have heavier outer insulation about like a heavy duty extension cord.

The Fisual S-FLEX, which is the same grade of cable, has thinner outer insulation, and should be physically thinner, and more flexible.

Fisual S-Flex Studio Grade White Speaker Cable 2 x 2.5mm - Fisual - AudioVisual Online

Fisual S-Flex Studio Grade Black Speaker Cable 2 x 2.5mm - Fisual - AudioVisual Online

While having heavier insulation, that's not going to be a problem for most people. The Van Damme is fine. Though the Fisual is available from a well known dealer.

Steve/bluewizard
 
According to the Spec Sheet -

http://www.vdctrading.com/content/VanDamme-Speaker-Blueseries22052017.pdf

Van Damme Blue 2.5mm² has on overall outside diameter of 7.6mm or about 0.3 inches.

But yes, the Van Damme does have heavier outer insulation about like a heavy duty extension cord.

The Fisual S-FLEX, which is the same grade of cable, has thinner outer insulation, and should be physically thinner, and more flexible.

Fisual S-Flex Studio Grade White Speaker Cable 2 x 2.5mm - Fisual - AudioVisual Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

Fisual S-Flex Studio Grade Black Speaker Cable 2 x 2.5mm - Fisual - AudioVisual Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

Steve/bluewizard
Oh dear my bad
I should have been clearer and said that I used the 2x 4mm Van Damme Blue which are thicker
 
...

FWIW, I'd advise strongly against employing mixed lengths for your L & R channels and DON'T coil any excess cable as that will create an electro-magnetic field which can cause all sorts of problems that you really don't want. At worst, it can destabilise your amplifier with disastrous consequences (I've seen it happen, thankfully not to me).

This last aspect in unlikely for most systems. The increased inductance from a large loose coil of speaker wire is insignificant. But for myself, I would either randomly splay excess cable or Fan-Fold it (zig-zag).

Generally I make speaker wire from spools wire that I buy, though typically 50ft to 100ft/spool. I make the cable roughly the size I need plus an addition 2ft (60cm). That not enough excess to wind into a coil, rather most often it is just randomly splayed on the floor. You need a bit of excess in case, as with my floorstanding speakers, I need to pull them out for whatever reason.

As to uneven speaker wire length. It is commonly said that you want even lengths so you get even sound. But at normal stereo cable length the difference between 5ft and 10ft is microscopic and is not going to effect the sound in any way.

Generally, AWG 13ga or 2.62mm² has a resistance of about 6.57 ohm per Kilometer. Which I believe would be 0.00657 ohm per meter, or 0.0197 ohms for 3 meters (10ft) and 0.00986 ohms for 1.5m (5ft). Again, microscopic relative to a typical 8 ohm speaker (0.123% for 1.5m, and 0.25% for 3m).

Bearing in mind, it takes about a 10% signal loss to reduce the sound by -1dB.

The largest above (0.25%) is going to have a signal loss of -0.02dB which is beyond imperceptible.

Steve/bluewizard
 
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Oh dear my bad
I should have been clearer and said that I used the 2x 4mm Van Damme Blue which are thicker

Right 4mm² would be 12.4mm or 0.49 inch.

But the underlying point we both agree on. Van Damme has heavier insulation, but not excessively heavy.

Steve/bluewizard
 
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