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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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almarg
9,670 posts
 
12-19-14: Geoffkait
Al, what difference does it make if the speed of the electromagnetic wave is variable? For the purpose of argument let's say the speed vary between half the speed of light (or about ninety thousand miles per second) and say 3/4 speed of light (or about 135,000 miles per second). Are you suggesting that a difference of a foot or two in cable lengths would be audible due to difference in time it takes the signal to travel the length of the cables? Now, the dielectric material could affect the sound, but that's a different issue.
Geoff, I'm suggesting no such thing. I was just correcting a misstatement of fact. I agree completely that differences in signal propagation times will be of no practical or sonic significance whatsoever, under any reasonable circumstances, even if the two cable lengths are significantly unequal. I say that despite the fact that some cable marketing literature would have us believe otherwise. And I say that despite the fact that deep bass frequencies propagate a good deal more slowly than higher frequencies, perhaps 50 times more slowly at 20 Hz, according to what I consider to be a highly credible paper I recall seeing.

As you alluded to, however, several other cable parameters and cable effects, which under some circumstances might be sonically significant, are proportional to length. As I indicated to you and others in the recent thread on unequal cable lengths.

Regards,
-- Al
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almarg
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P.S: Here is the paper I referred to above. See Figure 2, although it addresses a coaxial cable rather than speaker cables. At 20 Hz the propagation velocity, while much slower than at higher frequencies, is about 5,000,000 meters per second, easily fast enough to be utterly inconsequential in the context of a home audio system.

Regards,
-- Al
scvan
99 posts
 
"Mono-crystal", nice marketing term. Are there any electron microscope pictures to prove this?

I can almost guarantee that no one can hear 3 9's vs 100 9's difference. The cables in out speakers aren't that good, nor is the copper on the PCB's of our electronics.

Tara labs have facilities in the US, Vietnam, China and Indonesia. Where do they do their engineering and manufacturing? Also, I would love to see the size of their marketing department vs the size of the engineering department. After all they are a "lab".
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geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Al, thanks for keeping me straight.
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