Directional speaker wires, what and why.


I've been aware for a long time that some speaker cables are designated as "directional". To a limited extent I can understand the rational behind choices based on wire size and construction, biwiring, etc. but don't understand how any conductor can have directional characteristics even in a DC circuit. I'm not denying the possibility but can someone please clarify this for me?

The only reason this comes up is that some time ago, I changed from spades to locking bananas on my wires. It was just yesterday that I noticed that my cables have arrows printed on them indicating, I suppose, that they should be hooked up with the arrows pointing toward the speakers from the amp. The cables in question, btw, are Straightwire Octave 2's.

I've experimented with speaker wires in an attempt to optimize my system but have never been able to discern much, if any, difference between them. That being the case, though, I now don't know whether these have been situated incorrectly since about 2004 when I bought them with my Martin Logan Odyssey speakers.

How can there be a directional character to a conductor and how does that affect sound?
128x128broadstone
Helps the owner hook up the wire in the same direction as they were
originally burned in. Don't want to keep reversing direction.....

Some cables are twisted in a manner that requires directionality.

Other factors such as the way the metal is drawn and how the shielding is
applied can affect directionality.

You will indeed hear a difference if you reverse a set of cables that have
been playing in one direction for years.
Chris Sommivigo from Stereovox claims that hifi cables pass AC signals, which are constantly going back and forth. Therefore, no matter which way you orient a cable, the sound will always be "wrong" when the signal moves in the opposite direction. Other wire guys believe differently. I guess if I owned cables with arrows on them, I would install them that way. Why tempt fate?
Even though wires operate "AC" the actual audio signal, I.e., the electromagnetic wave, is not alternating and flows in one direction only - in the direction toward the speakers. Thus, since the conductor is not physically symmetrical, it will sound different one direction vs the other direction. It's not brain surgery.