cgolf
Emo VIPs 
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Post by cgolf on May 13, 2020 10:28:17 GMT -5
For optimal sound quality the standard today Is to have long interconnects and the shortest possible speaker cable. Speaker cable is more susceptible to picking up noise vs an interconnect. I’m sure somebody here will give a much more detailed explanation. Monoblocks rule! I’ll prepare the membership paperwork. 😁👍🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 So I've been wondering so I'll throw this ? out to the group. Does my RPA-2 count as monoblocks since it does have dual power supplies if I understand correctly. Whether or not, it is still one of the best amps ever made by Emotiva!!  |
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 13, 2020 10:51:51 GMT -5
For optimal sound quality the standard today Is to have long interconnects and the shortest possible speaker cable. Speaker cable is more susceptible to picking up noise vs an interconnect. I’m sure somebody here will give a much more detailed explanation. Monoblocks rule! I’ll prepare the membership paperwork. 😁👍🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 So I've been wondering so I'll throw this ? out to the group. Does my RPA-2 count as monoblocks since it does have dual power supplies if I understand correctly. Whether or not, it is still one of the best amps ever made by Emotiva!! To me the one thing that would disqualify it is the topic of this thread, namely that you can’t put each amp Channel next to its companion speaker and have short speaker wires. I don’t know if it has separate power cords, some purists may call it out on that. As for the SMBS, Nick will have to interpret the rules. |
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Post by repeetavx on May 13, 2020 12:27:25 GMT -5
Well, I passive vertical bi-amp my speakers with XPA-2s. Each amp sitting in front of each speaker with two and a half foot speaker cables.
I have been informed by the President of the super secret "Monoblock Society" that that set up does not qualify as "mono-blocks". So there is that.
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,222 
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Post by novisnick on May 13, 2020 15:07:51 GMT -5
For optimal sound quality the standard today Is to have long interconnects and the shortest possible speaker cable. Speaker cable is more susceptible to picking up noise vs an interconnect. I’m sure somebody here will give a much more detailed explanation. Monoblocks rule! I’ll prepare the membership paperwork. 😁👍🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 So I've been wondering so I'll throw this ? out to the group. Does my RPA-2 count as monoblocks since it does have dual power supplies if I understand correctly. Whether or not, it is still one of the best amps ever made by Emotiva!! This question has long been under consideration, it was tabled at the last meeting. OH, Wait! There was no meeting! There is NO SMS, Never-mind, we have no idea what your talking about. 😏 |
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Post by 405x5 on May 13, 2020 15:19:09 GMT -5
For optimal sound quality the standard today Is to have long interconnects and the shortest possible speaker cable. Speaker cable is more susceptible to picking up noise vs an interconnect. I’m sure somebody here will give a much more detailed explanation. Monoblocks rule! I’ll prepare the membership paperwork. 😁👍🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 So I've been wondering so I'll throw this ? out to the group. Does my RPA-2 count as monoblocks since it does have dual power supplies if I understand correctly. Whether or not, it is still one of the best amps ever made by Emotiva!! “Mono block” is just more of that Nouveau riche terminology....just as plain old records have evolved into “the Vinyl experience”. More BS....plain and simple. A single chassis amplifier used ONLY for one channel is just that. Back in 88 I was running a pair of stereo amplifiers internally bridged and never before heard that term, until I got here. I guess I pre date the “Mono block Society”. Looks like the OP is in hiding.....I don’t blame him! Bill |
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Post by SteveH on May 13, 2020 16:27:57 GMT -5
I have to give a two thumbs up for these cables as well. I purchased two 10 foot lengths of their 8 gauge and used their banana plugs, but I did not get the fancy wire pants, I am jealous. The wire pants look very professional! Guess I am going to have revisit their website and get me some fancy pants! |
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Post by Gary Cook on May 13, 2020 16:36:26 GMT -5
Monoblock power amps have physical advantages, as well as being completely isolated from each other they are also able to be located close by their respective speaker facilitated by long interconnects and very short speaker cables. The 2 together in my system (which is fully balanced discrete from the ERC-3, through the XSP-1 and the XPA-IL's to the speakers) makes the system a superior sounding choice over any of the many systems that I have had over the decades. My environment isn't noisy (IMHO) it's very quiet. Going to the XPA-1L's with 5 metre XLR interconnects and less than 1 metre speaker cables did eliminate one very faint noise, extremely intermittent and only audible in silent patches in the music. Maybe once week or so I could just hear it and eventually I traced it to the ice maker in the fridge. With the balanced circuitry all the way it is 100% silent. Whether the noise was getting into the interconnects, the speaker cables or the gear itself I can't say, just that doing the lot eliminated it. The total noise floor is silent with music just playing out of that silence, it's quite an addictive listening experience.
Cheers
Gary
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Post by 405x5 on May 13, 2020 19:29:33 GMT -5
Shortest possible source to preamp/preamp to amp. Connections is the best way to go when possible along with speaker wires of the correct gauge for proper resistance AS LONG as necessary to move and service those speakers. Neat, quiet and practical, unless you dig those pictures of equipment sprawled out all over the floor.
Bill
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Post by rbk123 on May 13, 2020 21:33:04 GMT -5
Try both ways and see. If you hear a difference it will be because there's a difference between the unbalanced and balanced circuitry, not the interconnects/speaker wire. You have to use some pretty bad wire for either to be an issue. Pick whichever way makes you happier.
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lotaz
Minor Hero
Posts: 70
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Post by lotaz on May 15, 2020 10:55:06 GMT -5
Wow this thread took off. Since the set up will be fully differential, I will be running XLRs. I currently have 8' speaker cables but I think probably 3' will be what I need. My interconnects will be somewhere around 12' long. I am going to buy the monoblocks first then figure out how I want it set up.
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lotaz
Minor Hero
Posts: 70
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Post by lotaz on May 15, 2020 10:57:13 GMT -5
I have to give a two thumbs up for these cables as well. I purchased two 10 foot lengths of their 8 gauge and used their banana plugs, but I did not get the fancy wire pants, I am jealous. The wire pants look very professional! Guess I am going to have revisit their website and get me some fancy pants! I am here, I just got super busy at work and hadn't checked back in for a bit. |
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lotaz
Minor Hero
Posts: 70
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Post by lotaz on May 15, 2020 10:58:37 GMT -5
I have seen photos of monoblock set ups and I keep wondering when they put them out by the speakers do they run super short speaker cables?.. Normally, yes. There's no reason to have a long speaker cable coiled around when the amp is in close proximity to the speaker. Want a pair of short speaker wires? You pay the shipping and I'll give you a pair. Two, three, or four feet - take your pick. Boom I would like to take you up on this offer. send me a message and I will gladly pay shipping |
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KeithL
Administrator 
Posts: 9,928
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Post by KeithL on May 15, 2020 12:16:18 GMT -5
In general - and in almost all cases in specific - you are quite correct.
Unless you use incredibly thin speaker cables... Or incredibly long speaker cables... Or incredibly odd speaker cables... They really aren't going to make any difference...
I've always tried to make the speaker wires on my front speakers the same length...
But it's really because it appeals to my sense of aesthetics, and because wires tend to come in pairs of the same length, and not because it affects their performance.
Of course, as with anything else, there have been a few rare exceptions....
For example, it is possible for a speaker wire to pick up noise or interference, which then affects - not the speaker - but the output stage of the amplifier (but it's really rare).
And it's also possible for a speaker wire, or even the crossover coils in a speaker, to pick up hum by magnetic induction (especially if you happen to live over a power substation). And there was at least one notable case where a really goofy "audiophile speaker cable" had so much capacitance that it would cause amplifiers to oscillate and blow fuses.
And, more realistically, running a fifty foot length of 18 gauge wire would actually introduce enough resistance that it just might be slightly significant...
(And I would probably avoid coiling up a hundred feet of even heavy gauge speaker wire because, well, a coil of wire is both an inductor and an antenna...)
However, these are really rare exceptions and, most of the time, it just plain doesn't matter...
And, as for fancy types of metal...... A 14 gauge solid silver speaker cable has about 5% less resistance than a 14 gauge copper one...
But a 12 gauge copper wire has far less resistance than either of them - and costs a lot less than silver. And that magical ultra pure, ultra smooth, single crystal, cryogenically treated copper measures right about the same as the stuff you get from the hardware store. (And it doesn't sound any different either... since, apparently, the electrons can't hear the difference.)
And, yes, gold plating is very good at resisting corrosion, and silver plating is a little better than nothing, but copper isn't that bad... (And, if it really worries you, and you're using bare wire, then just cut the stripped end off every few years and strip a nice new shiny end to put under the terminals.)
I do tend to avoid using solid speaker cable - because it's stiff, tends to work its way loose if you use it under binding posts, and breaks if you bend it back and forth too many times. (But, no, as long as you make sure the binding posts stay tight, it doesn't sound any different either.)
Yeah, I get that the Speaker Cables are an L-C-R System combined with the Speaker’s own Impedance, but decent Speaker Cables shouldn’t seriously add to that in any big way, right? Especially considering how complex the Speaker’s own Impedance curve is ... Casey |
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Post by ttocs on May 15, 2020 13:17:25 GMT -5
And, as for fancy types of metal...... A 14 gauge solid silver speaker cable has about 5% less resistance than a 14 gauge copper one...
But a 12 gauge copper wire has far less resistance than either of them - and costs a lot less than silver.
So, . . . the silver 14 gauge then, huh? (sorry, couldn't resist) |
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Post by 405x5 on May 15, 2020 13:35:30 GMT -5
Thread should be retitled:
BLOCKHEADS AND SPEAKER CABLES
What difference is there between connecting a “mono block” amplifier to a loudspeaker as opposed to any channel of any amplifier......you tell me! ( other than pretty wire personal preference)
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Post by Gary Cook on May 15, 2020 14:24:17 GMT -5
Thread should be retitled:BLOCKHEADS AND SPEAKER CABLESWhat difference is there between connecting a “mono block” amplifier to a loudspeaker as opposed to any channel of any amplifier......you tell me! ( other than pretty wire personal preference) I can only relate my experiences and comparisons, real world in my house, with my gear, listening with my ears. Comparing in stereo 2.1 listening; At various times an XPA-2, XPA-3, XPA-5 using 1 metre RCA interconnects and 6 metre speaker cables. To A pair of XPA-1L’s using 5 metre XLR interconnects and 1 metre speaker cables. In the latter set up, all of the gear is fully balanced/differential/discrete from the ERC-3 source, through the XSP-1 to the XPA-1L’s. Which is simply not possible with the previous set up because the monoblock power amps are internally quad differential and the other power amps are not. They guarantee no internal cross talk between channels by their singular isolated solution, whereas the other power amps share power supplies and live in the same box. They can be located close by their respective speaker and the other power amps can not. They make full use of the balanced circuitry all the way from the source to the speaker outlets, which the other power amps can not. Obviously in my case the short length speaker cables are just 1 part of a complete set up that has both a total absence of noise and sounds better in my room with my ears listening, Cheers Gary |
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,222
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Post by novisnick on May 15, 2020 15:06:51 GMT -5
Thread should be retitled: BLOCKHEADS AND SPEAKER CABLES What difference is there between connecting a “mono block” amplifier to a loudspeaker as opposed to any channel of any amplifier......you tell me! ( other than pretty wire personal preference) Pretty worked up about a topic you couldn’t care less about it seem. 🤔 |
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Post by 405x5 on May 15, 2020 15:11:10 GMT -5
Thread should be retitled:BLOCKHEADS AND SPEAKER CABLESWhat difference is there between connecting a “mono block” amplifier to a loudspeaker as opposed to any channel of any amplifier......you tell me! ( other than pretty wire personal preference) I can only relate my experiences and comparisons, real world in my house, with my gear, listening with my ears. Comparing in stereo 2.1 listening; At various times an XPA-2, XPA-3, XPA-5 using 1 metre RCA interconnects and 6 metre speaker cables. To A pair of XPA-1L’s using 5 metre XLR interconnects and 1 metre speaker cables. In the latter set up, all of the gear is fully balanced/differential/discrete from the ERC-3 source, through the XSP-1 to the XPA-1L’s. Which is simply not possible with the previous set up because the monoblock power amps are internally quad differential and the other power amps are not. They guarantee no internal cross talk between channels by their singular isolated solution, whereas the other power amps share power supplies and live in the same box. They can be located close by their respective speaker and the other power amps can not. They make full use of the balanced circuitry all the way from the source to the speaker outlets, which the other power amps can not. Obviously in my case the short length speaker cables are just 1 part of a complete set up that has both a total absence of noise and sounds better in my room with my ears listening, Cheers Gary ........a rhetorical question, asked I! |
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Post by 405x5 on May 15, 2020 15:19:01 GMT -5
Thread should be retitled: BLOCKHEADS AND SPEAKER CABLES What difference is there between connecting a “mono block” amplifier to a loudspeaker as opposed to any channel of any amplifier......you tell me! ( other than pretty wire personal preference) Pretty worked up about a topic you couldn’t care less about it seem. 🤔 Worked up? Oh not at all. I care about every thing that means anything in this sport, and this doesn’t. These setups where the wire at the lengths being discussed makes no audiable difference one way or the other. However, to go through this act with the express purpose of having three foot long speaker wires makes no electrical engineering sense whatsoever. Bill |
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 15, 2020 15:34:16 GMT -5
Pretty worked up about a topic you couldn’t care less about it seem. 🤔 Worked up? Oh not at all. I care every thing that means anything in this sport, and this doesn’t. These setups where the wire at the lengths being discussed makes no audiable difference one way or the other. However, to go through this act with the express purpose of having three foot long speaker wires makes no electrical engineering sense whatsoever. Bill Great, you said that, do you have to now be condescending and call people blockheads? |
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