Does speaker wire have to be cut to same length? (1 Viewer)

[Marty M]

I need a fairly large run for my surrounds, but the distance is different for each speaker. About 30 feet for one and 40 feet for the other. Is it OK to cut them at these different lengths or should they both be the same?
I recall that this has been discussed before and I believe that most people felt it was not necessary for each to be cut the same length. Please refresh my memory.

 

[RoyGBiv]

There is no reason for speaker wire to be exactly the same length. A difference of 10 feet should make no difference.
SMK

 

[Saurav]

I agree.

 

[Marty M]

Thanks for the quick responses. I will be going to Lowe's tonight to pick up some 12 gauge wire. They have it for $.36 a foot.

 

[Brian OK]

Marty,
Keep in mind that resale of odd lengths may be near impossible. But this only applies if you have some investment in the wire. Just a thought.
anyway..... trimming unused lengths most likely beats coiling excess wire in a heap on the floor. In my old setup I had uneven lengths of Monster zip for my surrounds ..... couldn't tell the difference if I guessed.
BOK

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Keep in mind that resale of odd lengths may be near impossible. But this only applies if you have some investment in the wire.

I didn’t know people tried to sell used speaker wire that they ripped out of their walls.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
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My Equipment List

 

[Rich Kraus]

wire is wire, right?
id cut them to equil length.
do i really think it'l make a diffrence, no. but why take a chance?
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'Till next time,
Rich (the kite guy)
My DIY audio page!
Use your ashtray please, dont throw um on the street. thanks

 

[Chris PC]

Fortunately it doesn't really matter what length the speaker wires are, as long as they aren't like over 25 feet different. Even then, its only going to change the impedance of that channel and thats hardly going to be noticable and can be fixed by the level adjustment in the receiver.
Electrical signals powering the speakers travel pretty darn close to the speed of light, if I'm not mistaken, so you'd have to have speaker wire quite a few miles different in length before it would have an effect on the arrival time of the signal

 

[Saurav]

Even then, its only going to change the impedance of that channel and thats hardly going to be noticable and can be fixed by the level adjustment in the receiver.

Actually, if the impedance were changed significantly, it would change the frequency response of that channel too, not just the level. So, that channel would sound different. However, I seriously doubt that a few feet of wire will make enough of a difference for this to be noticable.

 

[Brian OK]

Wayne,
You assume everyone runs their surround wire in their walls.
Not always the case.
BOK

 

[Cees Alons]

If you wouldn't cut them into different length, you probably had to loose some length on 1 wire. Laying it as a "coil", would probably be worse than having (slightly) different lengths.
Cees