Directional interconnect cables

One needn't be a Metallurgist to understand that when copper(or any other metal) is drawn through a die to form it into wire, it's crystal structure takes on a chevron shape. Apply a modicum of electrical theory and it's not a stretch to say that same chevron formation JUST MIGHT be affecting the musical signal like a diode. Musical signals are much more complex that "just" AC current, sine waves or test voltages, containing a plethora of cues including harmonic, ambient, frequency, distance, time and SPL information(the list could go on). When I was introduced to the Wood Effect on a test CD, I was able to discern exactly when the phase was reversed, though I couldn't explain the precise reason. It just sounded "wrong" somehow. I'm guessing the psychoacoustics of it are that the ear/brain connection can tell when sounds are SUPPOSED to generate compressions rather than rarefactions, and the consciousness responds accordingly. To me it's not a stretch to believe it possible for the chevron/crystal structure of a drawn piece of metal to affect the positive portion of a very complex musical/electrical signal in such a way as to disturb the balance of it's components. It doesn't take much of a trained ear to know something is "wrong" with a signal, when a direct comparison is made with an uncompromised one.

Mr 04- I've made an exception, and explained something even though I don't expect it to be understood. Mainly because of the ignorance of that "electrical theory" comment I suppose("Noise" seems very apropos!). Do you regard the people at Kimber as having some basic understanding of electrical theory, through your experience with their products? There's some interesting info on this site: (http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb011999.htm) Keep your knees in the breeze!

Another explaination of perceived directionality is the dielectric settling into a charge. If you reverse the connection then you'll hear an immediate deterioration that'll go away if your put them back like they were. However, if the dielectric charge is the cause, then if you leave it in the system long enough to "burn-in" again, then the preferable direction will reverse. If this is the explaination, then the arrows only serve to allow for consistent, repeatable connection.

This also can explain directionality in speaker cables and why elevating cables with insolators can improve sound.

I personally don't think that the copper crystals care at all which way the electrons flow. (In speaker cables they're going both ways, BTW). However, I have observed how changing the direction of a cable is heard.

Jeff Rowland told me and some others that he thinks that dielectric charges explains most of what we observe in equipment burn-in.

Dave

Mr D: Here's something that verifys part of what you said about the dielectric taking a charge, but that's not all there is to it. Read the section entitled, "Change a single piece of wire's direction and it is audible": (http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb011999.htm) Also paragraph seven of this article is interesting: (http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb101999.htm)

I generally agree with his comment:

"Reverse a wire and it takes a couple of days of use in the reversed direction for the wire to settle in and sound its best. This settling-in improvement is smaller in magnitude than the difference in sound from running the wire backwards, so you can tell immediately upon reversing a wire if it is in the best direction or not."

Except that I believe the whole thing can be explained by the dielectric charge. I "burn-in" my ICs and cables a couple of hundred hours and try to minimize the amount that I move them, so if I reverse one it's going to take more than a couple of days to recharge.

Just a theory. Unfortunately, most of this can't be measured, so no one that I know of has compared one directionality vs. another with sufficient burn-in between changing directions to neutralize the direction change.

If we believe it takes hundreds of hours for cables and ICs to perform at their potential, then any time we change direction we need to give the same amount of time before a comparison is valid, IMHO.

Dave