What would you do
I have 2 quad mono blocks going to the preamp .
I’m thinking about new leads so I’m thinking do I go with extra long balanced xlr and separate the amps nearer the speakers and have speaker cable .5 or 1 meter long .
Is there any benefit to doing this ???.
Cables are chord and alchris open window speaker cable.
Or do it the way I’ve already got 1 meter xlr and amps together and speaker cable at 3 meater long .
It’s always been a rule of thumb to keep low power cables “ interconnects etc “ short as possible and speaker cables to be longer.
I’d much rather have a 1 metre interconnect and 5 metres of speaker cable than 5 metres of interconnect and 1 metre speaker cables.
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I’m no encyclopaedia… In answer to the OP, I am not familiar with your gear, and certainly can’t say definitively, but if the preamp has balanced outputs and power amps have balanced inputs I’d be inclined to try balanced interconnects (I’d make my own with Mogami cable and Neutric XLRs), and keep speaker cables short. (Balanced cables counter the main limitation with interconnect length.) But it also depends on other factors, such as the mains circuitry and whether there are mains power outlets i suitable positions.
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Yes they are balanced and yes I have power sockets at hand .
I was just wondering if it would be better in sound quality.
I suppose it’s a case off having a go and seeing.
Thanks for your answer.
I would stay as you are and keep the long run for the speaker cable.
I had a Quad 34 and 405-2 amp a few years ago and I tried to put the 405 between the speakers and a long run of the 34 to 405 interconnect and it was rubbish. I just seemed to suck all the life out of the music.
It wasn’t a balanced XLR interconnect so maybe it is worth trying I am all for trying new things.
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Balanced is made for long runs, if the pre and power are truly balanced then that’s certainly worth investigating. If you also have the cables to compare to long speaker runs and short pre to power, even unbalanced, you can put it to the test yourself.
Rumour has it that balanced is less cable sensitive but to me that’s just hearsay at the moment.
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I don’t beleve that to be true at all in a non Naim world. Generally, outside of Naim the rule of thumb is everything should be as short as possible but if the power amp to preamp is balanced, a longer balanced run to power amps near the speakers with short speaker cables is better than the other way around.
Would I do that? No, I prefer the aesthetics of gear put of the way of my eyeline. But I do believe that to be the recommended approach outside of Naim.
Your Quad mono blocks have a damping factor of 11.75 at 700Hz, equivalent to a source impedance of 0.68 ohms into 8 ohms (from Stereophile). Depending on your speakers’ impedance, short cables will rise the DF a little, long ones will lower it a little. This will be in minimal amounts though. What speakers are you using?
I think that is the Quad II valve monoblock - however I don’t think we know which model Quad the OP is using: I suspect something like the Artera current dumping transistor amp may have a lower output impedance.
Yes it’s the Artera mono I’m sorry I didn’t mention it .
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Alchris AR10 speakers ,6ohm .
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The reason is I’m thinking of buying new interconnects and speaker cable and also off building a media wall on the big wall in the room to house everything and all the records and cd,s instead off them being shut behind doors in the unit I have at the moment .
Call it a winter project.
If it were me I’d do whatever was simplest and neatest. Do you really want an amplifier sitting by each speaker, or would it be nicer with all the electronics in one place? I suspect the latter.
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Couldn’t agree more, there is a lovely picture of two Quad mono blocks in pics from the listening position with a streaming pre-amp , and this is it
I prefer my electronics not on display, or if there is no choice then behind or to the side, rather than in front - especially if there are rows of indicator lights etc. LPs and CDs, when I had them, were another matter, rather like books.