[smerlas]

After much reading I have but one question which I could not find addressed.

If one is to move the preamp and front end equipment away from the amplifier, is there a decrease (or other associated affect) on the audio characteristics of increasing the length of the balanced interconnect cables from say one meter (1m) to nine meters (9m)? 

Currently the amp preamp, etc. are all in the same rack.  The PB25 is connected to the 4BSST via 1m balanced interconnects.  I want to move the preamp and other front end equipment to the other end of the room.  This will require utilizing 9m, or longer, balanced interconnects.  Will there be any decrease in system performance?    I understand that the speaker wires want to be as short as possible but what about the balanced interconnects.  I have been contemplating getting them longer than needed in case any equipment moves in the future.  I am going to go into the wall, down to the basement, across the basement and back up through a wall.  I do  not want to be short on cable but am concerned about extra length and its potential effect on the system.


System sounds great now but the relocation of the preamp and front end equipment will make the room more friendly.

[Phil A]

I have not noticed anything in my set-up.  I have a 14BSST (for the front channels) and a 6BSST for the center and rears.  The SP1.7 is probably about 2.5 ft. about the 14BSST and I use around 1m (I make my own) balanced interconnects.  I moved the 6BSST behind a couch and use balanced cables of about a 20 ft. length.

[smerlas]

Phil,

Thanks.  I am contemplating whether to fabricate a set of connectors to be housed in the wall plate allowing the XLR connectors to "plug" into a wall socket or to come thru the wall and connect to the amp and preamp.  Custom terminations at the walls will be "cleaner" but adds more connections thereby potentially added losses to the signal path.  I am probably worrying about unmeasurable / indiscernible losses but since we are talking high end equipment and other "tweaks" to get the most out of the system I wanted to double check to make sure I was not shooting myself in the foot by placing the equipment further away and potentially adding connections.
 
Smerlas

[Phil A]

I'd definitely be more concerned about the extra connections vs. the few feet in length unless what wire you used had some unusual electrical properties.

[smerlas]

Phil,

I have not moved the equipment yet, but will be purchasing Bryston's cable, so no problems there.

[vegasdave]

I believe James has said that Bryston's preamps can drive many feet of cable without any loss of sound quality. I run 33 ft. of interconnects from preamp to amp myself. I don't hear anything wrong per se.

[smerlas]

Dave,

I had read that as well about the balanced cables.  I was more concerned that closer would be better.  Moving the preamp and other front end equipment is more a function of making the room function better as a living room, rather than necessary for operation of the equipment.  As such I want to keep from shooting myself in the arse if possible.  If there would be a decrease in performance form the current setup by going to the other end of the room than I wanted to factor that into the decision to move the equipment or not.

[James Tanner]

Hi,

Yes we have run ridiculous lengths of Balanced cable to see what affect it has on signal with excellent results. Remember things like Capacitance,Inductance and Resistance (Electrical Constances) in the cable still apply as they do with other types of single ended cables. In fact our Balanced XLR cable is a very low noise microphone cable.

It is the very low output impedance (about 25ohms) of the Bryston Preamp that allows for long runs of cable without losses. The significant factor regarding Balanced Lines is the fact that those long lengths are not picking up extranous electrical noise due to their length.  Interconnect cable is a antenna to all the RF and electromagnetic interference out there and Balanced lines cancel any interference through 'common mode rejection'.

Make sure your system has 'fully differential balanced circuits' though as I have seen XLR connectors used on gear but in fact thay are just using the connector and there is no supporting differential balanced circuit.


james

[smerlas]

System should be good to go from a "fully differential balanced circuit" standpoint, 4BSST connected to BP26 pre.   

[NewBuyer]

...Balanced lines cancel any interference through 'common mode rejection'...

And also help to prevent ground loops from riding the audio signal between components.

smerlas you seem to have a rather outstanding system there... please do follow up here to let us know if there was any audible difference after this room-friendly change?