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Directional speaker cables - switching direction

Some time ago I started a thread regarding speaker wire directionality and my inability to understand how it could have any affect on sound quality. The question was inspired by the fact that, after quite a few years using them with my Martin Logan Odysseys, I discovered that the cables (Straightwire Octave 2) had arrows printed on them. Not surprisingly the opinions expressed were pretty strong on both sides of the argument but those supporting directionality were the most vociferous and in greater numbers, one to the point of being downright insulting. In no case, though, was an explanation given by those supporting the importance of cable direction for how this phenomenon occurs except that it should be obvious that when a cable is broken in in one direction only someone with an uneducated ear would be unable to discern the difference.

Even though I still don't get it I'm not taking the position that there is no validity to the directional claim; if there truly is I just don't understand how. This leads me to my two part question. I haven't been using the Octaves for a few years but now, because of cable length issues, I want to put them back in my system partly to avoid the cost of new quality cables.

IF, then, the directionality theory IS valid and I don't recall which way the arrows originally pointed or which direction they were "broken in" do those in support of directionality think I should install them with the arrows pointing toward the speakers
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mceljo
1,357 posts
 
Scvan - I tend to agree with your line of thinking. I think my at people can identify a 0.5 dB volume difference which is a difference of about 5% or less. If volume differences are any indicator for what the human ear can discern, then how does that compare to the tolerances that you can measure? I would guess you can measure a lot of attributes to be different in "identical" cables. I am positive that you would measure a significant difference on any cable that a majority of people could hear a significant difference with.

Ironically, the resistance can impact volume which is not necessarily an indication of quality, but the louder one is almost always the preference. Is it a better cable?

I think that a lot of cable comparisons are mixing apples and oranges because the attributes that can be measured easily are not matched to see if the other attributes make a difference.
jea48
4,424 posts
 
An experiment for those of you that use a CD transport and a separate DAC.
If your digital coax cable has a solid core center conductor try this experiment.

First listen to a good sounding CD with a strong female voice. Find a particular track you like and listen to it closely a few times. Now flip the digital cable end for end and then listen again.
One good CD that comes to mind is, Etta James "Love Songs" track 1) "At Last".

Also try a good sounding CD with a piano solo.

Post back your results.
.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
As fate would have it the audio signal is not the current. The near light speed refers to the signal not current.

Electric current is flow of electric charge, that moves near light speed in the wire. Electromagnetic wave on the outside of the cable moves at the same rate. In electronics, a signal is an electric current or electromagnetic field used to convey data from one place to another. Speed of both depends on dielectric - it is called "Velocity Factor". Electrons move at very slow rate called "Drift Velocity". Electrons are not always necessary for electric current since in the fluid ions carry electric charge.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Electric current is a very slow flow of charges, while
energy flows fast

I'm not sure where you got it. Electric current is a flow of charge. Charge
moves in the wire in speed close to speed of light. It has nothing to do with
slow motion of electrons and charges they carry. It works pretty much as
stack of balls (electric charges) - you hit first one and the last one moves
instantly.

http://www.uu.edu/dept/physics/scienceguys/2001Nov.cfm
jea48
4,424 posts
 
Kijanki,

Thank you for responding to my question.


12-18-14: Kijanki
Jea48, I don't know if conductor can be directional but copper oxides are semiconductors. Their orientation might be related to grain orientation - a question for metallurgist.

AFAIK dielectric affects speed of current. This speed is not a light speed but closer to 60% of it (5ns/m). I believe this speed is inversely proportional to square root of dielectric constant. Teflon dielectric offers the highest speed up to 85% of the light-speed.

Dielectric absorption is ability of dielectric to store and return energy. I'm not sure how it affects the sound but it can be shown, that charged and discharged capacitor will start building up the voltage again without any external source - just from the energy stored in dielectric and we're not talking microvolts but rather volts. Especially bad in electrolytic caps.
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