Interconnect Directionality

THE ACTUAL PROFESSIONALS .... you know, the ones that make 100GHz cables, that ones that put gigabits through twisted pairs, the ones that developed the HDMI standard, the people who make measurements systems, all the ones where real bits, real SNR, real waveform shape = money, the ones whose customers have sophisticated test and measurement equipment, etc. etc. would never ever claim, except where a directional shield is concerned, or there is an intentional passive element built a cable, that, within the framework of audio, that directionality of an interconnect has any detectable difference in the sound.

as to that, I know a person who took their physics degree in transmission lines and the like. Basically their masters in the physics of conduction.

they ended up, in part of their resume, running a coast to coast telecommunications system as the head engineer.

And when it comes to audio and the signals involved and what is done in audio, this person quickly came to understand that people connected to and invested in things like the above quote...really don’t know the difference between their backside and a hole in the ground.

roberttcan"I seem to have a harassment issue"

I find it highly unlikely, remote, and dubious that the moderators hear would harass you in any way. As one "contributor" hear is fond of saying:

"That which is submitted with out evidence can be dismissed with out evidence."

I have always found the moderators of this group to be polite, intelligent, and fair in they're treatment of those in this group and if you're experience is otherwise I heartily suggest that the problem may be with you and not with them!

jea48,

It is AC .. it is akin to connecting a battery one direction, then the other direction.

Of course energy transfers from source to load, and as that happens electrons "flow", slowly, albeit they do. In AC, the net movement is 0, they move one way, stop, then they move the other way. They don't vibrate in place, so much as don't move very far, on average. 

But what is missing in your argument below is it is not a "wire" from the source to the load, it is a circuit of which the wire, both conductors, are part of. Sure there are effects as we are limited by the speed of light so the wave has to propagate along the length of the loop, but we are talking 300,000,000 metres/second and audio frequencies.

Because we are transferring energy in each polarity of the AC signal, and it is a loop, and both conductors are an integral part of that loop, presenting the same number of free carriers in either direction (practically), and equivalent geometry (again, practically at audio frequencies), direction, taking into account classical or quantum model of conduction, and knowing that audio interconnects are not even impedance matched to source and load, then this line of argumentation for the directionality of audio interconnects is not valid.

Now, if we were talking GHz, or hundreds of MHz, or MHz and really long cables, and reasonable ratios of impedance, then you could make an argument, and keep in mind MHz digital has frequency components into the 10's/100's of MHz, hence why transmission line effects practically come into play at relatively low frequencies. 

jea483,154 posts10-24-2019 10:26am@ roberttcan 

I see you deleted your post, responding to my previous post.

I posted your post from the other thread, for the intended use of an AC mains Line fuse used in a piece of equipment, to show your credibility. The fact you will not support a claim you make in a post other than "I am an EE and you are not" does not help in supporting your credibility.

I spent some time yesterday trying to find any credible evidence that the EM wave flows back and as it moves from the source to the load at near the speed of light, (in a vacuum). I found nothing. And I mean nothing at all that supported your claim. Not even the slightest mention.

In an AC circuit the magnetic fields around the conductor does vibrate (pretty much in place) building and collapsing 120 times per second (60 Hz) but it does not cause the EM wave to go back and forth as it travels near the speed of light from the source to the load. (With a load connected)

jea48,

Extraordinary claim ... "changing cable direction is as clear as the nose on your face". I am not making the claim, but if the difference is that obvious, it should be easily shown.

I used to do a lot of this type of work, comparative audio studies, under contract. Me, not "some guy I know". Me. If I owned the data, and not our customers, I would gladly publish it. Most of it was around speakers, some amplifiers, some "gadgets"... 

I have seen many many challenges to suppliers of cables and similar products to prove their claims in blind tests at an audio show. People are even willing to lose money on these challenges. Suppliers never take them up on it.

A room at Axpona, RMAF, etc. is about $4000-5000, and we would need to equip it with suitable equipment. I don't know about you, but I would gladly put in $1,000 to do this if it was done well. However, don't be surprised when the show organizers don't allow you to have a room, so you would likely need to do it offsite.

I have only see one person request a "legal" document, a certain cable vendor who blustered about his complete willingness to do such a test, he would draw up the legal documents and everything .... and then crickets.

clearthink,

I did NOT mean the moderators ..