Minimalized Speaker Length

MEridian had the best design idea decades ago: run a digital signal up to the speakers, decode it, and design an amp for each driver (or set thereof) which is next to the driver.

But the idea has to be implemented, and done so for a reasonable price.

I prefer monoblocks next to the speakers, with XLR cables to the amps - I prefer that but don't do it...

Thank you for all your posts. Good discussion and input here!  Here's a bit more info for you more experienced audiophiles  ---->  
  My preamp has 6 balanced outs. I have six matching stereo amps, planning one at each speaker in a bi-amped SACD 5.1 surround setup. Thinking to build my own XLR interconnects w Mogami or Canare quad cable and Neutik conn's versus mounting all the amps in one rack and running a whole bunch of expen$ive speaker cable. Any more thoughts based on this idea? 

Don't.

Put the amps as close to the speakers as you can and make the long runs be high-level (pre to amps) using XLR cables

inexpensive speaker wire will be fine; use spades over bananas if possible

take the $$ you would have wasted on woo-woo cables and buy better speakers - if you already _have_ better speakers - something in the 20 kilobuck range, then keep them and use the money to build a new listening room

after that, you can either use spendy cables to alter the sound in the system or just buy tone controls

Presumably you mean minimal speaker cable length; most speakers are not too long.

Several British amps of yore did not include an output inductor on the amp, rather using the inductance of the speaker cables to provide the inductance necessary to stabilize the circuit. Exposure, Onix and Naim come to mind. Using them with more than 3.5 meters of medium to high inductance speaker cable is required to keep the amps stable. In return for this, the output inductor is completely eliminated.

Once upon a time, I owned a Kenwood LO-7 system (tuner, preamp, and monoblock amps) that came with 1 meter speaker cables and long signal/power switching cables linking the pre to the amps.  The speaker leads were about the diameter of a nickel in their insulation, and were matched per Kenwood to the amps.  If memory serves and with compensation for the decades that have passed since, it worked and sounded quite good and pleased me at the time....
Obviously, this routine only works if one's running 'outboard' mono amps, unless you opt for bi- or tri-amping.  Then, of course, multiple short cables would need to be applied.  It would certainly save one some $ on speaker leads....which would likely get spent on 'higher quality' signal cables...
The nicety of that system was that when you powered up the preamp, it lit up the monoblocks as well with no 'thump' due to a delay built into the amps.  Without that, one gets to run about flipping switches in a familiar routine.
On the other hand, one could take mitch2s' Wikipedia quote to heart and apply that information.  It's physics, guys, not hyperbole.  But...do what you feel you must do....