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What do we hear when we change the direction of a wire?

Douglas Self wrote a devastating article about audio anomalies back in 1988. With all the necessary knowledge and measuring tools, he did not detect any supposedly audible changes in the electrical signal. Self and his colleagues were sure that they had proved the absence of anomalies in audio, but over the past 30 years, audio anomalies have not disappeared anywhere, at the same time the authority of science in the field of audio has increasingly become questioned. It's hard to believe, but science still cannot clearly answer the question of what electricity is and what sound is! (see article by A.J.Essien).

For your information: to make sure that no potentially audible changes in the electrical signal occur when we apply any "audio magic" to our gear, no super equipment is needed. The smallest step-change in amplitude that can be detected by ear is about 0.3dB for a pure tone. In more realistic situations it is 0.5 to 1.0dB'". This is about a 10% change. (Harris J.D.). At medium volume, the voltage amplitude at the output of the amplifier is approximately 10 volts, which means that the smallest audible difference in sound will be noticeable when the output voltage changes to 1 volt. Such an error is impossible not to notice even using a conventional voltmeter, but Self and his colleagues performed much more accurate measurements, including ones made directly on the music signal using Baxandall subtraction technique - they found no error even at this highest level.

As a result, we are faced with an apparently unsolvable problem: those of us who do not hear the sound of wires, relying on the authority of scientists, claim that audio anomalies are BS. However, people who confidently perceive this component of sound are forced to make another, the only possible conclusion in this situation: the electrical and acoustic signals contain some additional signal(s) that are still unknown to science, and which we perceive with a certain sixth sense.

If there are no electrical changes in the signal, then there are no acoustic changes, respectively, hearing does not participate in the perception of anomalies. What other options can there be?

Regards.
anton_stepichev

Showing 3 responses by eagleeye7

eagleeye7
23 posts
 
Change in sound, with wire direction,  depends upon the design of the cable!

To verify that a difference exists, in your cable, you need an old Tuner with a meter.  Don't laugh, this is a very sensitive test instrument, just follow the steps below:

1) Tune into a strong station as evidenced by the meter reading, disconnect whatever you were using as an antenna cable.

2) Disconnect the cable (under test) from your equipment, then connect one end (Hot to Hot) ~ (Ground to Ground) and view & record the meter reading, with the other end open.

3) Reverse the Cable ends under test, in (2) above & repeat; i.e. connect one end (Hot to Hot) ~ (Ground to Ground) and view & record the meter reading.

4) If  there is no difference, (in Meter readings 2 Vs 3 above) you could not be able to hear any difference in sound quality  by connecting your cable in either direction.

5) If you experience a difference, however, you would likely be able to hear that as a subtle difference in clarity of sound from your system.  In this case, place the end that shows the lowest meter reading towards the source of the signal in your system.  This will minimize signal pick up in your cable, which gets amplified in subsequent stages of amplification.   

6) All readings you get are dependent upon the original signal strength & cable ground isolation & are to be used for comparison between ends only.      


eagleeye7
23 posts
 
@ anton_stepichev 
 "There are a lot of extraneous interference in the RF signal, which change both in time and from the slightest deviation of the antenna from the initial position, this is the weak point of the receiver meter based proof." 

I have used the technique described in my post; on Cables of my own making & find that as you so correctly state ""There are a lot of extraneous interference in the RF signal, which change both in time and from the slightest deviation of the antenna from the initial position, this is the weak point of the receiver meter based proof.""  

I have found the differences in time & position (you mention) of Cables to be VERY MINOR COMPARED TO THE DIRECTIONAL EFFECT OF THAT SPECIFIC CABLE UNDER EVALUATION.  Again, the design of the cable IMHO has the greatest effect on directionality.

Try it, if You find no directional difference, or that difference is masked by the items you mention, then IMHO, one would not be able to hear directionality in that particular Cable under test with the meter based evaluation.  
 
eagleeye7

eagleeye7
23 posts
 
@  anton_stepichev,
I fully understand your comment, i.e. " I only noticed that it is impossible to locate the exact reason of the directivity with its help. We can’t directly hear the RF signals, and even if we could, speakers can’t play them back. So we need to look for the real reason not in the RF area, that’s what I meant. "

I believe, that when a Cable exhibits Directionality to RF signals, that it would also exhibit Directionality to audio signals, & Vice Versa!.  The method that I outlined provides Documentation that a specific Cable Design exhibits or does not exhibit such Directionality to RF Signals.

Think about all of the harmonics & sub harmonics of the 60 HZ line frequency that is all around audio equipment.  It's likely that some cables pick up this noise, which is then further amplified in downstream amplification stages & may well be heard, with some Cable designs.

Then there is the host of digital signals & their sub harmonics that proliferate in this digital world we live in today, that may have to be dealt with.   Yes, it boggles the mind & Audio Needs all the help it can MUSTER TO PROVIDE THAT ULTIMATE SOUND QUALITY that all here strive for.

Note that some here go as far as isolating & raising speaker wires off of the ground, with sworn improvements in sound quality.


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