Directional speaker wires, what and why.

The real reason cables can sound different regarding direction is not because of the way they are wound or the grain boundary of the metal conductor, but because all insulation or dielectric material off gasses oxidising the surface of the conductor. Oxidation causes diode effects at certain frequencies, and this is what you hear as directional cables. The more the oxidation, the more you will hear a difference.

Chrissain, that is quite interesting. But I don't see how out gassing and oxidation on the conductor would make the cable directional. Furthermore, your explanation is a little troubling since it cannot account for directionality in fuses, for which there is no dielectric material.

all extruded metal has oxide on the surface of it, no matter how small the amount. It would have to be extruded in a total vacuum, and stay in a total vacuum for this not to happen, which is impossible.

Ask the manufacturer of such. My take is "basic economic principles" will ultimately dictate what Manufacturers will advise; based on wanting to remain profitably in business! No suprise there.Cable directionality can be based an a number of factors. One of the most basic being grounding issues. Once your system is adequately resolving--no mean feat I'm afraid--then an upgrade in even a power cable will be very apparent. Absolute polarity becomes very obvious and the phase reversal switch on a preamp becomes appreciated as essential to proper reproduction of the musical event

Ptss wrote,

"Ask the manufacturer of such. My take is "basic economic principles" will ultimately dictate what Manufacturers will advise; based on wanting to remain profitably in business! No suprise there.Cable directionality can be based an a number of factors. One of the most basic being grounding issues. Once your system is adequately resolving--no mean feat I'm afraid--then an upgrade in even a power cable will be very apparent. Absolute polarity becomes very obvious and the phase reversal switch on a preamp becomes appreciated as essential to proper reproduction of the musical event."

Boy, did that skirt the whole issue of wire directionality. I'm pretty sure what we are talking about here is not a grounding issue, which is a real but separate issue. What we are talking about is why a wire, any wire, a fuse, an interconnect sounds better when connected in one direction that the other. This is true even for non shielded cables. Whether this is true for power cords as well, the jury is still out on that one, but I wouldn't rule it out. But the real underling issue here, if I can be so bold, is that IF wire is directional, not only fuses and interconnects and speaker cables are at risk here. All the internal wiring of electonics, the transformers, the wire in capacitors, the wiring in crossovers, internal speaker wiring...it's all directional! Hel-Loo!!