Can long speaker cables cause bass rolloff?

[Snarl 12/8]

I can't find a straight answer to this on the internet. I've been going crazy lately because some fairly big speakers of mine (different pairs) have been sounding really anemic. I'm powering them with a decent receiver. But then I realized my cable lengths have been creeping longer and longer. I used to never go longer than 10 ft of 14 or 12 Ga.

So, could 25', 16Ga, copper cables be causing weak bass? These are store bought 50 footers with the 1/4" plugs on each end that I cut in half for PA use, etc. I thought I'd lose the highs first. Or, could the fact that I tinned the ends of the cables (and trimmed them a bit (for smaller circumference)) be causing a weak signal? The mids and highs and high bass sound fine, just no "ooomph." Can a geezer start losing their hearing in the low end? No one else is really complaining about the lack of bass.

[vvv]

So many questions, young grasshopper!

I reco ya spend US$5.00 and get a roll of Rat-Shack speaker wire and do a A/B comparison.

[Snarl 12/8]

So many questions, young grasshopper!

I reco ya spend US$5.00 and get a roll of Rat-Shack speaker wire and do a A/B comparison.

I've got zillions of different speaker cables, but I'm in the middle of a move. I'm using the long cables for tunes while I work on remodeling and stuff. They're kindof my beater cables. Black, already got paint on them, mismatched ends, etc. It's not an ideal time to experiment. Plus, "raw" end to 1/4" is my most rare speaker wire configuration, so I can't experiment easily without either a) chopping wire, b) soldering c) going to the store for shit I don't absolutely need, d) scrounging around, e) wasting precious time, f) all of the above. If this bass loss is even possible, I'll do some testing and configuring, but if it's just my ears or these empty rooms, I'll just live with it, until an easy test presents itself.

Hey, what are people using for "bang for the buck" long run (25') speaker wire. Those bucks being less than 1 or 2 per foot? I know it's best to keep runs short, but sometimes that isn't a very feasible option. I saw on one site about using low voltage outdoor lighting wire. I was at Home Depot and they had 50' and 100' rolls of 12Ga and I think 10Ga for not too much. I don't know how I'd get a 1/4" plug on there though.

ck

[Danly]

I've never owned a p.a. that i like, personally. however it sounds like youre trying to pull this off with hi-fi equipment. maybe you need a better power amp. also, i really like planet waves cables. ive never had much luck with bare wire type speakers when trying to be heard over a band.

[vvv]

I just go with zip cord (16 gauge), whatever's cheapest, but my runs are (currently) all under 6'.

I'm assuming this is for them wall mount speakers? (Because of the 1/4" jacks).

With no "stuff" in the room, could be just the mids and highs is bouncing 'round more.

But see here, etc., including the posts ...

There's a decent chart and way too much info, here. (Kinda funny how he screwed up the html, too. )

[rhythm ranch]

I'm in the middle of a move.

Could it be that, because you're moving things around, the room sounds different and seems to have less energy in the low-end?

[norton]

Long runs are 100ft or more. So if you are talking about 25' I wouldn't worry.

In the experimenting I did, there was a noticeable drop in volume and clarity between very thin speaker wire and heavy.... and I mean heavy gauge like 8 gauge wire. No bass roll off....more like a pillow over the thin wire.

That run is short too, maybe 12'. I don't Buy into monster cable bullshit or hi fi voodoo. However, fat cable will pretty much always beat skinny cable in the amp-to-speaker world.

Gepco makes great cable with no fluff attached. You should be able to get permanent install cable for cheap. It's got a different jacket, but if you're just going from amp to speaker it'll be cool.

[marshman]

Double check polarity. Being out of phase will kill bass big time.

mm

[accordion squeezist]

I hear notable differences in power amps more so than spkr cables.
And it may be such that an older power amp may have shifted in its damping factor. Try renting or borrowing a pro power amp and A/B with your "decent receiver".
Sorry if I'm casting gloom ($) on this.

[Snarl 12/8]

Thanks for all the ideas. You all could be right. I'll try a couple things and see. I hate to think it's the receiver. I love that thing, it weighs about 60 lbs. I was raised to judge amp (and speaker) quality by weight. I don't know what to make of all this class D neodymium stuff.

[dsw]

You're here in Portland right ? Do the speakers have grills ? If so, pull them off and check the surrounds. Foam surrounds get eaten in damp climates and you will lose bass for sure. I had some JBL's that had one woofer in the pair get eaten almost completely gone and the other was fine. (????)

Heavier ga speaker wire is supposed to give you better bass response. I use 10 ga.
Phase suggestion is good, maybe that ?

[The Real MC]

The wrong power amp will cause tone loss before a speaker cable will, esp if the speaker has a very reactive load as part of its crossover network. I have witnessed this very thing, had a power amp with ample power fail to push a speaker then changed to a different power amp and it worked fine.

[Snarl 12/8]

Checked phase, it was good. Noticed the cables I was using were actually 12 Ga., not 16 like I thought. Tried some 12 Ga monster cable I have. I'm not a monster fan, but I bought this stuff decades ago. It's the flat thing with a little space between the wires, I figured if I was having capacitance problems, these would be better. Neither me nor my daughter could tell the difference, but it wasn't an instantaneous A/B since I had to swap out the cables on the backs of the speakers. I'm going to try a different amp tonight and see what happens.

[norton]

You will be very, very happy getting a decent power amp.

Home stereo receivers are generally not up to the task, as far as studio monitoring goes.....weight be damned.

[themagicmanmdt]

(don't tell)

i use 12ga lamp cord on a 30' run from my tube amp (gotta put the turntable in the other room when you crank syd barrett, you know), and my urei 811's sound wonderful.

i've used shorter runs and such, and although i do notice a slight improvement when i get under 10 feet... it's SLIGHT. not only slight, but i couldn't say that it caused any lack of critical detail. all the deep bass and hissy air is still there...

switching from SS to tube made a hell of a difference.

grab a eico ST-70 for $500 on eBay and get yr mind blown!