Their is a sonic difference. When a cable is "broken in" in one direction it should always be hooked up with the flow going that direction. Reversing the cable makes it sound IMO like a new, not yet broken in cable. I have experienced a difference in sound (due to the cable being reversed) with Harmonic Technology Truthlinks and also a pair of Homegrown Audio's Super Silver IC's. It was noticable right off the bat, since I am familiar with the "broken in" sound of both IC's. I would assume that if I had left them backwards for any length of time that the "break in" would have been destroyed and that I would have had to go through the process over again. I would not go as far as to say that I have a highly detailed system, however my Musical Fidelity amp amd Castle Isis speakers clearly showed the difference in sonic signature. The only thing that I hear that does not exist are voices, everything else that I hear is definatly a part of the real world.
directional cable?
Recently, a hi-fi store loaned me a certain speaker cable and indicated that the cable should be installed in one direction only. When I mentioned this instruction to a friend of mine who is an electronics engineer he laughed for an uncharacteristically long time and then wondered aloud why someone would apply directional bias to a signal that should move equally in either direction. If that were not the case he said you would have some form of diode. Reversing the cable made no audible difference but I have no idea what sonic traits I should listen for. Can anyone shine some light on this?