The Contour System – Directional Wiring of Audio Parts

Unfortunately, I can't say anything about Pure Music or Squeezebox. I've never heard of them.

@anton_Stepichev,

as far as I am aware when done in the digital domain (my experience is with puremusic) it doesn’t involve going through all sorts of additional DSP hoops. That would be dysfunctional and is one of my key issues with Roon which has poor SQ compared to a pure renderer (e.g. Squeezebox-based)

Nice job, that makes me think if same models sound identical when leaving factory.

Of course they sounds different, the only question is to what extent. If we, for example, compare two modern conveyor amps made in the same day or week, they may differ just slightly. But if we compare any couple of amps of the same model with an issue date difference of several years, the contrast in sound may be as large as if it were completely different amps. And the old stock one will most likely be better, but it is impossible to guess for sure.

What else would the phase inverter change, then?

I wish I could be as confident as you)

There are two ways to switch the phase - analog and digital. I have already described my opinion about the analog version: it is impossible to put a pure experiment here.

But the digital is also full of mysticism. I have my own experience in this matter. The code of any software player can be divided into the part that deals with the actual decoding of the sound and the part that creates the user interface (buttons, menus, etc.). It is natural to think that the sound is affected only by the first part of the code, the rest can be changed as you like. Once, for certain reasons, I decided to check this statement, and made several versions of the same type of software mp3 player for Windows with different interface. To do this, I used the "Multimedia builder". As a result, the player with the most complex interface - with a clock, track time, the ability to visualize music and many more, sounded the most muffled and and generally the worst of all. The most pure music played through a minimalist version of interface in which there was nothing at all except "open file" and three buttons. The experiment definitely indicated that:

- The sound is affected by the entire code, not just the part associated with encoding and decoding the audio signal.
- The simpler the software, the better it is for the sound.

Both conclusions are mystical, but I got used to such things. And I have to say that to me the difference was quite significant. Therefore, when I am told that the phase inversion in the software player makes a difference in the sound and this proves that the phase is audible, I answer that unfortunately this does not prove anything. We don't know how the piece of code that responsible for inverting the signal would affect the sound in case it didn't invert anything, but was simply added to the player code in a way of interface or so. And we also don't know is the code in inverter part technically correct, mistakes are what make us human.

I have found this mp3 player, you can try its sound if you have Windows -
https://backtomusic.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/play.zip

Nice job, that makes me think if same models sound identical when leaving factory.

G

What else would the phase inverter change, then?

Why are you so sure that you are hearing the polarity and not something else?

Phase is 360 degrees scalar, polarity is binary

For the sake of clarity: I assume we are discussing polarity, not phase. And it can definitely be heard. It manifests itself as a strange hesitance in attack. As though a woodwind would suck in air rather than blowing it. Unfortunately there are numerous studies indicating that the majority of recordings are out of polarity. Using a phase inverter is a good way of training one‘s sensitivity to the phenomenon and it should be standard issue on music servers

I'm sorry, what do you mean by polarity?

For the sake of clarity: I assume we are discussing polarity, not phase.

Do you also have a sensitivity to absolute phase? I’ve often wondered if there is a correlation with cable directionality, but either my ears or my system isn’t up to the task.

In my opinion, if there is any correlation, then no one can accurately determine it. The fact is that it is impossible to set up a correct experiment here, with all other things being equal.

To determine the alleged effect of the absolute phase on the sound, you must assemble a phase inverter device that will contain a number of radio elements and wires including a bypass switch for comparison. During a comparison test when you listen either through the phase inverter or bypass it, the difference in sound will naturally be heard, but it is impossible to interpret it unambiguously, since the phase rotation device contains many parts and conductors that randomly affect the sound.

The people who initially experimented with the audibility of the absolute phase were most likely professional radio engineers, among whom there are practically no people who accept the existence of sound of individual wires. However, these people heard the difference during the comparison tests and decided that this is how the absolute phase manifests itself. This opinion is widespread among audiophiles, but this does not naturally mean that it is true.

I don’t see a way to solve this problem, but my opinion is - the absolute phase can not be heard.

If there is that much difference in the one inch of a fuse, I can only imagine what can be achieved with everything going the right direction. You say you were able to do this all the way down to the level of tube pins and RCA plugs? Incredible!

Yes, EL-AL-AZ German 1938 tube sockets can be easily disassembled. Then pins are tested the same way as wires, then sorted and marked, at the end new sockets with correct pins directions are assembled.

As for RSA, I use handmade ones https://www.backtomusic.ru/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cons.jpg. They are made the same way - first directions of old metal blanks are determined, then details of the plugs are lathed according to their direction and finally the plugs are assembled with right parts direction.

If the difference I heard from just one inch of fuse was carried out across every wire in every part of the amp, I have to think the final result would be mind-boggling in ease and clarity, with a truly holographic 3D presentation. Which it better be, for the time it takes to get there!

The thing is more complicated than it seems to be. When you orient the first few conductors in a good amplifier, the gain in clarity is as high as possible. If you continue to pick up directions from more and more conductors in the amp circuit, the quality gain begins to slow down. I think there are several reasons for this:

1 - There are limits to any perfection, and the sound tends to this limit exponentially. The further you go in your search, the more difficult it is to get a proportionate result.
2 - A person quickly gets used to the good and ceases to appreciate it.
3 - The more transparent your system sounds, the more difficult it is to find a recording that is at least somewhat commensurate in quality with your audio system. From some point on, you start to hear all the mistakes of sound engineers, musician kicks and other interference that is not noticeable on the average audio systems and it is very annoying. So the vast majority of recordings become uninteresting, but the little rest is revealed in such unexpected, astonishing colors that I am still quite puzzled how it ever could be.

Do you also have a sensitivity to absolute phase? I’ve often wondered if there is a correlation with cable directionality, but either my ears or my system isn’t up to the task.

Good work. Directionality is easy to hear, even in stranded cables which you point out are never as clear as solid core. However it is so much work to unsolder and reverse wires I have always just left things alone. With fuses however it has been easy to hear with one way obviously better than another. 

So much so that the first Synergistic Blue fuse I ever tried, I knew within the first minute it was the wrong way! The sound was just as you described, less clear and tonally correct. Reversed, and everything snapped into focus, with incredible detail and beautifully accurate tone and timbre.   

If there is that much difference in the one inch of a fuse, I can only imagine what can be achieved with everything going the right direction. You say you were able to do this all the way down to the level of tube pins and RCA plugs? Incredible! 

That is the one thing missing from this very understated low-key article. If the difference I heard from just one inch of fuse was carried out across every wire in every part of the amp, I have to think the final result would be mind-boggling in ease and clarity, with a truly holographic 3D presentation. Which it better be, for the time it takes to get there!

It depends on what exactly is to be unraveled.

This should be a good one to follow.

Cable direction. Any bets on how many posts until it unravels?

interesting...thanks for sharing

The article is not about cables, but about wires and the short single core wire is completely symmetrical if we are about audio signal. Just in case you missed it, the overall point is:
- Every piece of wire is directional.
- The preferred direction can be determined in every circuit of an amplifier.
- Wires directions in signal and AC/DC wiring are arranged systematically in contours.

There are some DIY tips and tricks also.

Yes...you are correct.

Directional cables are a bit different from conventional cables.

Shield connected to ground at the source side of the cable; while the opposing side is floating (signal) - before it reaches the other component. 

Conventional cables are typically floating on both sides, hence the difference in sound quality. Great question!