Speaker Cable Gauge vs. Length of Run

[Leo_Gnardo]

I'm looking to probably keep the cable unless I get enough convincing evidence that it would hurt the amp, which is my main concern. I can deal with lo-fi sound loss as long as it doesn't compromise the tone too much.

Thanks for checkin in adquock, I was worried you had moved to Bazergistan or somethin'. We sure kicked this question around, that's what happens around here.

I doubt your 100 ft 12 ga cable will hurt your amp. Also, you can check for "lo fi" by comparing it with a short cable. You'll probably hear little to no difference. bob p's most recent answer illustrates the minor series resistance added by 100 ft of speaker cable. That tells us just about all we need to know. And a 5 minute experiment will let you confirm it with your ears.

[soundguruman]

Thanks for your replies, I read them a while back but couldn't reply until now. Yeah, I'm running a tube amp into my cab and I don't believe it has a 16 ohm out. The cab has two 16 ohm speakers which I guess results in 8 ohms. One of the speakers is "weak" as I've said earlier, my tech tried to explain it to me but the info went over my head.

As for my rig, I'm running a Orange AD30htc into a carvin 2x12 with vintage 30s in them. I'm not sure what the specs are for the amp as I'm very much a novice when it comes to the technology behind gear, which is why I'm here to learn.

Thanks for all the replies, It's been very helpful. I'm looking to probably keep the cable unless I get enough convincing evidence that it would hurt the amp, which is my main concern. I can deal with lo-fi sound loss as long as it doesn't compromise the tone too much.

If one speaker is weak, it could be blown.
This can damage the amp. Fix it and replace it.
KNOW your speaker impedance. KNOW the amp impedance. NEVER guess or take chances. Make sure the impedance is matched.
If you don't know for sure, have a tech check it for you. DO NOT guess.
The wrong impedance causes burned tube sockets, blown tubes, melted output transformer. Don't mess around, get it right.