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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
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
On a hunch I switched the direction of my Analysis Plus interconnects recently and the difference was like night and day. I had read somewhere in cyberspace that the arrows on the AP interconnects should be in the reverse direction from Logic. Just goes to show how unreliable information on the Internet can be sometimes. Consistent Channelization of all cabling in the system is also quite important sonically as I found out.
czarivey
5,931 posts
 
On a hunch I switched the direction of my Analysis Plus interconnects recently and the difference was like night and day
More likely because of fresh reconnection and nothing more.
Cleaner surfaces cleaner contacts. Treat with deoxit in addition to hear even better differences.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Czarivey wrote,

"More likely because of fresh reconnection and nothing more.
Cleaner surfaces cleaner contacts. Treat with deoxit in addition to hear even better differences."

Uh, the contacts were already clean so your theory is incorrect, though interesting. Like fuses, all cables are directional. I did not create reality.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,464 posts
 
Burn in in one direction is the main reason for the night and day sound experience you had. This is something all of us can test quickly in our own systems with the same results every time......it will sound different until they burn in all over.
czarivey
5,931 posts
 
When I turn my rig off for just a few min, I hear improvements or let's say differences that are more often more pleasant than not even without swapping or reconnecting wires. Simple reset for semiconductors and ICs as well.
I hope you've either muted or turned off component(s) before swapping wires vice versa.
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