Is there a time delay between stereo speakers if...

makingmoney · 9th July 2011, 10:07 PM

....the amp is in one speaker (left) and the wire to the other speaker is 10 feet (right)?

Will it affect imaging? Other things?

Wire is 12 ga solid core twisted pair enamel coated wire. Amp 250w into 8ohm class D. Speakers are a DIY Geddes Nathan Clone.

Michael Bean · 9th July 2011, 10:50 PM

If I understand the question, you're asking if speaker cables are different lengths, will there be a time delay between channels? No, but it is possible that different lengths will make enough difference in R-C-L of cables that it might cause different sound from one channel to the other.

Mike

CCU · 9th July 2011, 10:54 PM

The speed of electricity is almost as fast as the speed of light.. So it would take the signal to come from the left speaker to the right under one millisecond and i really don't think you would be able to hear that.

Plus. A lot of active speakers are sold as a pair, one active and one passive. If it was audible i don't think they would sell sets like that.

tinitus · 9th July 2011, 11:54 PM

you could use thin cable on the short length, and thick on the long one

nah, give the short one a little more, mount it, and forget about it
if you don't worry about it, you won't notice the possible small difference

Andrew Eckhardt · 10th July 2011, 12:36 AM

33 nanoseconds for 10 meters.

As was said, you'll get more phase shift at 20kHz from LCR effects.

magnoman · 10th July 2011, 12:49 AM

Or you could move the right speaker .00003 inches closer

DrDyna · 10th July 2011, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magnoman

Or you could move the right speaker .00003 inches closer

LOL, almost had my morning coffee come out of my nose.

Ron E · 10th July 2011, 03:29 PM

Well, light travels about a billion (1,000,000,000) feet per second and signal in a wire travels somewhere in the range of 60-90% of the speed of light. About the smallest difference we could detect would be about 0.0001 seconds, so lets use 750,000,000 * 0.0001 = 75000 feet, so unless you have a 15 mile difference in wire length, I'd say ignore it.

Loren42 · 10th July 2011, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magnoman

Or you could move the right speaker .00003 inches closer

Actually, electricity propagates at about 12" per nanosecond, so 10 feet is about 10 nS.

If you use 1100 feet/sec for sound, then the difference is 0.00001 inches.

So, move them back 0.00002".

magnoman · 10th July 2011, 03:44 PM

Okay but I'm still a foot behind my time .0002 INCHES

9th July 2011, 10:07 PM	#1
makingmoney diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2008	Is there a time delay between stereo speakers if... ....the amp is in one speaker (left) and the wire to the other speaker is 10 feet (right)? Will it affect imaging? Other things? Wire is 12 ga solid core twisted pair enamel coated wire. Amp 250w into 8ohm class D. Speakers are a DIY Geddes Nathan Clone.

10th July 2011, 03:29 PM	#8
Ron E diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: USA, MN	Well, light travels about a billion (1,000,000,000) feet per second and signal in a wire travels somewhere in the range of 60-90% of the speed of light. About the smallest difference we could detect would be about 0.0001 seconds, so lets use 750,000,000 * 0.0001 = 75000 feet, so unless you have a 15 mile difference in wire length, I'd say ignore it. __________________ Our species needs, and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works. --Carl Sagan Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. --Carl Sagan

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9th July 2011, 10:50 PM	#2
Michael Bean diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA	If I understand the question, you're asking if speaker cables are different lengths, will there be a time delay between channels? No, but it is possible that different lengths will make enough difference in R-C-L of cables that it might cause different sound from one channel to the other. Mike

9th July 2011, 10:54 PM	#3
CCU diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Vig (Denmark)	The speed of electricity is almost as fast as the speed of light.. So it would take the signal to come from the left speaker to the right under one millisecond and i really don't think you would be able to hear that. Plus. A lot of active speakers are sold as a pair, one active and one passive. If it was audible i don't think they would sell sets like that.

9th July 2011, 11:54 PM	#4
tinitus diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005	you could use thin cable on the short length, and thick on the long one nah, give the short one a little more, mount it, and forget about it if you don't worry about it, you won't notice the possible small difference

10th July 2011, 12:36 AM	#5
Andrew Eckhardt diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: PA	33 nanoseconds for 10 meters. As was said, you'll get more phase shift at 20kHz from LCR effects.

10th July 2011, 12:49 AM	#6
magnoman diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: The City, SanFrancisco	Or you could move the right speaker .00003 inches closer

10th July 2011, 03:44 PM	#10
magnoman diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: The City, SanFrancisco	Okay but I'm still a foot behind my time .0002 INCHES

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