DIRECTION OF SIGNAL FLOW VIA INTERCONNECTS

The arrows should point from pre/pro TO amp.

Think about it. The signal flows from the source, through the preamp to the amp which sends it to the speakers. The arrows from the source (CD, tuner, tape, record player) should point to the preamp. The arrows from the preamp should point to the amp. Now, will you hear a difference? Who knows?

The two previous responses are correct, arrows point in the direction of the signal.

Remember though, once the cable is reversed it could require hours of additional break in before it reaches maximum performance.

Depending on brand, shield, terminations and associated equipment, the difference could be startling. Possibly enough for you to change your mind completely about this cables merit.

I heartily advise you put it right and give it a chance before moving to another brand, regardless of who built the cable.

Some IC manufacturers use a ground on the shield of the IC to dissipate any stray electrical interference. They will often show which direction to use the IC based on which end of the shield is grounded. I can't hear a difference. I don't have much RFI but I do have EMI from power cords and AC lines. Either I don't have sensitive enough ears, a sensitive enough stereo system, or it just doesn't matter. Swap the direction and see if you can tell any difference for yourself.

Tgrisham--great point!

If you look at some of the cable recipes out there, there are differences in terms of whether the shield is connected to ground, and if so, at one or both ends. As I understand it, grounding the shield at only one end provides a drain path for any interference trapped by the shield. This construction method certainly creates an "end differential" for some cables.

This excerpt from Jon Risch's Web Site is where I first learned of this. In this example, he is refering to cables that have dedicated hot and a ground conductors, plus a shield (in other words, NOT a coax cable, where the shield is also the ground):

". . .the outer conductive sheath known as the shield should only be hard grounded at one end, typically the low impedance signal source end. The other end can either be left unconnected, or connected to ground via a 0.01 uF ceramic disc capacitor to aid in RFI suppression. This can be one of the basis for "one way" or "unidirectional" cables."

Whether or not this method of construction applies in this case is not known, but I hope this helps.