Directionality Explained

a quickie 'wire directionality' search popped up a stereophile link with this from our own geoff kait

"Wire directionality, how bad is it?

People wonder all the time, is wire really directional and does it really affect the sound? Skeptics say no, wire is not directional, citing alternating current as the "proof" that wire can’t be directional since the current alternates 60 times per second back and forth along the cable so that the net loss of gain is zero. Unfortunately if wire directionality is REAL then audiophiles are in a lot bigger trouble than they probably realized. The reason they’re in deep kim chi is because if wire is directional that means that all internal wiring in components is directional, all speaker internal wiring, all crossover networks are directional, capacitors, inductors and resistors are all directional, not to mention all cabling, including stranded conductors, all speaker cables and digital cables. Oh, and fuses, of course, as well as transformers. Possibly power cords, too, and house wiring. Even stranded wire is directional since each strand is drawn through a die prior to being spooled up. It is that final die that determines the wire’s directionality. The crystal structure is deformed so that the surface and even below the surface the crystal structure favors one direction over the other. Like stroking a porcupines back it’s easier to do in the direction the quills are pointing than against that direction. Now hard would it be to keep track of all the wires as they come through the final die? Would it kill the manufacturers to ensure that all capacitors, wiring, inductors, transformers are installed in the proper direction?!

Geoff Kait
Machina Dynamica"

I agree, that’s a lot of trouble, IF you choose to believe it.

Elliott

I have forgotten the details of what I learned, but not that the knowledge exists, and where/how it is used, and many of the other things I learned and forgot the details on provided the framework for understanding other pieces of knowledge. When presented with a problem, I can draw on the tools I know exist, and brush up on fundamentals as needed.


It all comes down to the nature of you job, and people please don't take offence. In many trades, and many "professional" jobs, a large portion of the knowledge set is expected to be readily available, whether it is the mechanic at the dealership, your electrician, construction carpenter, your accountant, your dentist, your GP, a lot of civil engineering, they are almost always working from knowledge readily at hand. Contrast that to R&D engineers, medical researchers, many software developers, custom carpentry, etc.   In one instance we expect an instant result. I bring my car in, you change the brakes. My tooth aches, you stop it. Do my taxes. Contrast that to where the outcome is less defined, and the path to get there is also less defined, not to mention the deliverable is not immediate.

geoffkait21,956 posts05-21-2020 8:43amMost people forget rather quickly whatever they were taught in school, just my observation. l mean, come on, most people don’t even use what they learned after they get out.

@elliottbnewcombjr, what can I tell you? I get around. Stereophile forum RIP. 🙏

Round round get around, I get around, yeah
(Get around round round I get around, ooh-ooh) I get around
From town to town (get around round round I get around)
I’m a real cool head (get around round round I get around)
I’m makin’ real good bread (get around round round I get around)

heaudio123,

I am intending to use about 33,000uF and up, depending on price and low frequency ripple current.  Among the 105 degree caps, there are quite a few choices.  What brand is usually the best ?  Nichicon had a great reputation, is it still the same ?

Thanks

I assume at 50-63V. You won't get 105C/10K hours in those values unless you build it from a bunch of smaller ones. You may find one, but very expensive. There are 8,000 hours at 105C and that is likely close enough.  Nichicon, UCC (United Chemicon), Kemet, TDK, Cornell all have stuff up in that size area and all reputable.  The high temp, long life are typically high ripple/low ESR as well. Most caps in audio I have found are 85C/2000 hours.  Keep in mind even though they are 105C/10K hours, pretty much all bets are off once you get to about 15-20 years.

I would even trust many of the Asian brands if I knew I was getting the real thing, but unless you are buying from an authorized distributor (Arrow, Mouser, Digikey, Future, Avnet, Mouser ... etc.) you are taking your chances.