It depends totally on the manufacturer. Kimber for instance grounds both ends(shields and connectors) of their cables(balanced and single-ended), and the arrow(or direction of the printing) indicates the signal flow. |
Tvad- According to you. Many others disagree that cables are non-directional. If you can't hear the difference, fine for you, and connect whatever way you choose. I've satisfied myself through reversing speaker cables, and single-ended interconnects, that cables are indeed directional. The difference may be subtle, but it is indeed there. I believe you referred someone to the book entitled 'The Complete Guide to High-End Audio' some time back(If not- forgive me for the mistaken identity). If you have the book: read the section on "Cable and Interconnect Contruction", particularly the "Conductors" portion. You may find the discussion on copper's grain/chevron structure informative. |
FYI: (http://www.russandrews.com/article-Truth-or-Myth-Cable-Directionality-russdirectionality.htm) |
Mr T- If that sounded like a "personal affront"- Sorry! I like to see those having their minds open to certain possibilities within this hobby(that don't yet have concrete explanations-and there are a bunch) presented those views, with an amount of substantiation. That the telecommunications industry believes cable directionality exists(though it's not fully understood), and takes steps to insure it's oberved in their installations, lends credence(at least to me). Happy listening! |
Apparently- You didn't bother reading anything I submitted. I've used my ears as well as my head, and the facts of metal composition(crystaline structure). As I mentioned before: There are a number of things that affect the sound of an audio system(or the passage of signals through conductors/semiconductors) that(as yet)have no concrete explanations. That does not negate the fact that they exist. If you can hear the difference: No explanation is necessary, if you can't: No explanation is possible. When the steam engine was invented, there were those("scientists") that insisted the human body couldn't withstand speeds over 35MPH. Of course: Tomatoes were thought to be poisonous for quite a number of years(they are red, after all), and man will NEVER walk on the moon either(or are you of the crowd that believes that to be a hoax too?). I wonder what you would have said about people experimenting with Ferrite Beads when they were first thought of? |
That he's a Kimber salsman doesn't automatically make him wrong. Just so happens Kimber makes some of the most transparent cables on the market. They must know something! Ever heard the saying: If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand? |
The latest were the guys that installed my RoadRunner(CableVision) cable. They made certain to string the cable from the pole to the house so it came off the spool the right way(signal/printing-their words). I've not made the topic a point of life-long study, and don't intend to obsess about it. Just know what works for me and my system! I had connectivity problems with AT&T Yahoo for 3yrs before giving up on them. It took 4 "technician" visits before one came to the house that actually knew how to use his own line-testing equipment, and found two wiring defects between my house and the server. Those never did get fixed. I was paying for 1.3M and often getting about 428kbps(windy or rainy days). |
One needn't be a Metallurgist to understand that when copper(or any other metal) is drawn through a die to form it into wire, it's crystal structure takes on a chevron shape. Apply a modicum of electrical theory and it's not a stretch to say that same chevron formation JUST MIGHT be affecting the musical signal like a diode. Musical signals are much more complex that "just" AC current, sine waves or test voltages, containing a plethora of cues including harmonic, ambient, frequency, distance, time and SPL information(the list could go on). When I was introduced to the Wood Effect on a test CD, I was able to discern exactly when the phase was reversed, though I couldn't explain the precise reason. It just sounded "wrong" somehow. I'm guessing the psychoacoustics of it are that the ear/brain connection can tell when sounds are SUPPOSED to generate compressions rather than rarefactions, and the consciousness responds accordingly. To me it's not a stretch to believe it possible for the chevron/crystal structure of a drawn piece of metal to affect the positive portion of a very complex musical/electrical signal in such a way as to disturb the balance of it's components. It doesn't take much of a trained ear to know something is "wrong" with a signal, when a direct comparison is made with an uncompromised one. |
Mr 04- I've made an exception, and explained something even though I don't expect it to be understood. Mainly because of the ignorance of that "electrical theory" comment I suppose("Noise" seems very apropos!). Do you regard the people at Kimber as having some basic understanding of electrical theory, through your experience with their products? There's some interesting info on this site: (http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb011999.htm) Keep your knees in the breeze! |
Mr D: Here's something that verifys part of what you said about the dielectric taking a charge, but that's not all there is to it. Read the section entitled, "Change a single piece of wire's direction and it is audible": (http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb011999.htm) Also paragraph seven of this article is interesting: (http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb101999.htm) |
The experiment, performed with new(0 hrs) cables/interconnects, would be valid. Not hard to figure out. My theory concerning the chevron structure affecting the positive(compression generating) portion of the signal if a cable is reversed is based on the possibility of it acting as somewhat of a diode toward the signal. That would mean connected correctly, the positive(Compression) portion of the signal would pass unscathed/uncorrupted, the negative- less so. Perhaps I shouldn't have slept through so many sessions of Quantum Mechanics 101. |
