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From: jon@boulder.UUCP (Jon Corbet)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Speaker cables
Message-ID: <210@boulder.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Aug-84 22:06:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: boulder.210
Posted: Wed Aug 29 22:06:07 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Sep-84 14:54:40 EDT
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Lines: 23

[I bet no computer will eat this line.]

Let me speculate on this subject, drawing on my EE degree at last...

Any wire of significant length will have a certain amount of inductance.
Inductance puts a sort of inertia onto an electrical system.  You see,
the voltage across an inductor is directly proportional to the derivative
of the current through it.  High frequencies involve rapid changes in
current, meaning high voltages across the speaker line.  Since the
power required is proportional to the voltage SQUARED, most amplifiers
will run out of power on the high frequencies especially quickly if the
speaker cable is highly inductive.

Now, when one says "high frequencies", one usually means megahertz at
least, but to a small extent the inductive effect will apply to audio
frequencies as well.  Look at the cables used for high quality TV
monitors, and you will see that they are heavy, coaxial cables; much
like the fancy expensive audio cables.  Personally, I do not own a pair,
since I am quite happy with my 10-gauge power cord speaker wires...

I would like to be a bit more coherent, but it was a long day...

Jon Corbet		(National Center for Atmospheric Research)