Shielded Audio Cables - Maximum Length
How long can a shielded audio cable Hi-Z unbalanced instrument cable and low-Z balanced mic cable get before audio quality is significantly diminished?
On average, unbalanced Hi-Z instrument cables can get to be about 25 to 30 feet long. You can begin to lose the high frequencies and pick up noise and interference in cable runs over 30 ft long. Balanced cables are much more resistant to signal loss and interference. While they do have a maximum, balanced lines can typically be used in distances over 100 feet without problems. Of course, environmental factors do play a big part in this issue.