Long interconnects or speaker cables?

I recently went from 1M interconnects (IC's) and 7' speaker cables to 8' IC's and 18" speaker cables (using monoblocks, not an option for you, I realize). The improvement was huge and the IC and speaker cables were the same models, the only difference was the lengths. I think this will be the advice you get from just about everyone: long IC's and short speaker cables. How short can you make the speaker cables? Whatever you can do to get their length down will pay off, especially since you're not trying to use a passive preamp or direct drive from a digital source, which MIGHT cause a problem for long IC's.

With long ICs you tend to pick up more grain than with short ICs, less so with balanced ICs. With long speaker cables you tend to lose immediacy and soundstage size compared with short speaker cables. You will also hear more of the speaker cable's "sound" the more of it is used (not so noticeable with ICs). On balance the preferable trade off is long ICs and short speaker cables, as Tom_nice says, but is usually more expensive (ie. an extra foot of interconnect is usually dearer than an extra foot of speaker cable, at similar quality levels). Be sure you take the time to get an interconnect you really like since that is where your money will be going.

Redkiwi's description the long IC/short speaker cable or vice versa issue is the most tersely eloquent summary I've encountered and I thank him for that. I'd only add that the preamp section of the B-60 outputs more than enough voltage for 8 or 20 foot interconnects. Cheers, Joel.

Tom with what brand of cables did you experience that? Curious, because if you're using network-terminated cables (Transparent, MIT) the deleterious effects of cable-lengths is supposedly compensated (I was told). Could be true? Anyway, if using a passive preamp, then long interconnects are a problem at least from my experience. YMMV

Short speaker cables help retain the micro information or the ambiance of the recording. Use long good quality interconnects with short top quality speaker cables. I have 1m50 Wireworld Eclipse III speaker cables and a run of 5 meter-long Wireworld Equinox III interconnect.

This is especially true if you can use balanced (XLR) interconnects. Knowing where I'd like to place my speakers and what speaker cable lengths this would require, I chose my equipment because it could accommodate long (XLR) interconnects and allow short speaker cables.

I am just curious but has any one tried to get the amp's close enough to the speakers to try a gold/silver bus bar? I can not due it with my set up but would be interested in the performance even if it turns out to be bad.

I thought as everyone here that short speaker cable and long interconnects are better then the opposite. I think I will retract my previous statement: I went from 1.5 meter long Eclipse III to 3.0 meter long Eclipse III. Without changing anything else, the longer cable sounded much much better. I found out that Pierre Sprey at Mappleshaderecords do not advocate the use of very short speaker cables. He suggests that any speaker cable will sound best between 8 to 16 feet. Too short a cable or too long and you will lose. My last trial tends to support his view. I will try his Double Helix speaker cable...

Samir. My experience with the Wireworld speaker cables is that they are of at least moderate capacitance. I wonder if the longer length is therefore giving you a more relaxed and distant sound (or to put it another way, a less forward sound) and that this is what you prefer? Can you describe what you like about the longer length and the amp you are using? I am interested because I have had the opposite experience when shortening Wireworld Gold Eclipse - ie. I liked shorter lengths, but this was because I preferred the greater immediacy.

Speaker connections are low impedance and therefore immune to interference. Make the speaker wires long and the interconnects short.

If interference was the only issue...