No one actually knows how to lculate what speaker cable they need

Let's make it correct. About difficult or simple it is not for us to say. The basics of electricity are way different than what you suggest. Audio is AC and AC flow both directions, whatever we like it or not. The flow is symmetrical. In such case directional wire (do not exist! If you look for directional use a diode) would be good for 50% of the time and not good for the other 50%.

So Audioquest is whom you represent? Audioquest site and tutorial is mostly about ferry tails. If their explanations would be brought to an academic institute that deals with electricity and electronics, that would get a laugh and be disqualified in no time. So is your last post. Your say and Audioquest say, has nothing to do with reality. It is all about an excuse to justify a 10' long speaker cable to cost US $12,900.- The rest is not important, after the price is paid. Later on, a US $100.- DIY will prevail in sound quality and the US $12,900.-speaker cable will be retired.  

 

I already explained why wire is directional in both DC and AC circuits. Several times. You have twisted what I said to suit your own imagination. I do not (rpt not) represent Audioquest or any other cable company. I only represent myself. Why would anyone have to represent some company to resister a different opinion? Hel-loo! You act as though you never heard of fuse or cable directionality. Which is OK. But directionality of cables and fuses has been well established, documented and experienced by *many tens of thousands of customers* since Audioquest and other progressive cable companies first started controlling cables for directionality twenty-five years ago and since high end fuse companies first determined fuses are directional. More than 80,000 Aftermarket Fuses, most of which I dare say are for AC circuits, have been sold since they were first introduced fifteen years ago. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Finally, you are still mistaken about what I mean by directionality. I do not (rpt not) mean wire acts like a diode, not at all. What I mean by directionality is simply that wire, all wire SOUNDS BETTER in one direction than the other. You would be hard pressed to observe any other phenomenon by reversing cables or fuses other than a change in the sound. Follow?

@geoffkait 

Regarding directionality, while I'm skeptical, I hope I've shown that I'm always willing to experiment and to find out for myself. If I've understood you correctly, all wire is directional and the difference between the "right" way and the "wrong" way (or maybe "most appropriate" and "least appropriate" ways) should be audible.

My questions to you are:
- do I need to get all cables the "right" way around to hear the benefit, so will it only work if I have the power cable, the interconnect, and the speaker cable all the "right" way around? Or will just the speaker cable be enough?
- would you expect a difference on only the positive leg of the speaker cable? Given that the negative leg is returning to the amplifier, this should be less audible, right? In the same way that the return path of an AC signal is heading back towards the amp and is therefore less audible/important.
- should the change be immediately obvious or do I need a burn in for the directional crystals to settle or something?

I'm asking as this is a very easy experiment for me to try. Given my new 0AWG cables I can flip the positive, negative, or both cables with reasonable ease. If I only need to get the positive "right" then I only have one cable to flip. If I have to get both "right" then one of the four combinations should sound better than the others. I guess one combination would sound worst (both "wrong"), two would sound similar (one "right" and one "wrong") and one should sound best (both "right").

Am I right there? If so, I'll try it when I get home and let you know. My guess is it should only take 10 minutes.

conradnash30 posts12-10-2018 3:35pm@geoffkait

Regarding directionality, while I’m skeptical, I hope I’ve shown that I’m always willing to experiment and to find out for myself. If I’ve understood you correctly, all wire is directional and the difference between the "right" way and the "wrong" way (or maybe "most appropriate" and "least appropriate" ways) should be audible.

My questions to you are:
- do I need to get all cables the "right" way around to hear the benefit, so will it only work if I have the power cable, the interconnect, and the speaker cable all the "right" way around? Or will just the speaker cable be enough?

>>>>All cables, fuses in the system do not have to be in the correct direction to hear effects of one test but the more cables and fuses that are correct the easier it will be to hear the effect of reversing one cable or fuse. Some wire obviously cannot be reversed, e.g., transformer wire, capacitor, internal wiring of electronics or speaker. Not sure how you can have a power cord reversed since plugs prevent experimenting. Audioquest controls direction during manufacturer but I think they’re the only one.

- would you expect a difference on only the positive leg of the speaker cable? Given that the negative leg is returning to the amplifier, this should be less audible, right? In the same way that the return path of an AC signal is heading back towards the amp and is therefore less audible/important.

>>>>>I am pretty sure the plus and minus on each speaker operate push/pull AC, so both legs are directional. That’s why if you reverse the legs the speakers still play music but the music is in reverse Polarity.

- should the change be immediately obvious or do I need a burn in for the directional crystals to settle or something?

>>>>>The change should be immediate. If unsure if better or worse, repeat. The more cables and fuses that are correct the easier it will be to hear the next one you reverse, and so on.

I’m asking as this is a very easy experiment for me to try. Given my new 0AWG cables I can flip the positive, negative, or both cables with reasonable ease. If I only need to get the positive "right" then I only have one cable to flip. If I have to get both "right" then one of the four combinations should sound better than the others. I guess one combination would sound worst (both "wrong"), two would sound similar (one "right" and one "wrong") and one should sound best (both "right").

>>>>>>If cables are brand new I’d give them a while to break in before making any judgements regarding direction. Or save them for last. The issue I foresee when you have two cables involved like ICs is one could be the opposite direction of the other, especially if you cut them yourself. The odds for any cable being “right” by accident is 50%. So, it makes it tricky to test, as you rightly assume. I have no idea if all conductor strands in your thick cable are in the same direction, they probably are - it would make things pretty impossible if they weren’t. If there is any writing on the thick cable jackets you can use that to keep the cables consistent since the jacket was most likely put on as the bare twisted wires came off the assembly line, but that’s a guess. You have to make some assumptions.

Am I right there? If so, I’ll try it when I get home and let you know. My guess is it should only take 10 minutes.

>>>>>I think that for interconnects or fuse it should take ten minutes. Speaker cables might be trickier.