Which end is which?


Just pick up a used Transparent high performance digital 75ohm cable from 2003

One end is marked red. Are these directional and if so which side does the red plug into.

argee

Is there writing along The Cable? If so, follow the direction of the writing.

Transparent cables are typically directional. The red marking usually indicates the destination end, meaning it should be plugged into the component receiving the signal. So, in your case, the red end should go into your DAC or whatever device is receiving the digital signal.

If you want to confirm, Transparent often designed their cables with signal flow in mind, meaning the text on the cable should read left to right in the direction of the signal flow (from the source to the DAC).

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I like jea48's suggeston. with very few exceptions, they should sound the same.

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Unless the Laws of Physics have changed you can bet the life of your firstborn that you will hear no difference.

@jasonbourne71 I always enjoy your perspective.  However, the laws or physics apply to everything, regardless of whether to produces an effect one can hear.  The are some theories that apply and are published.  One is conductor grain structure that will set up in angular patterns that potentially affect electron flow - causing more resistance in one direction than the other.  The manufacturer usually marks the direction. I have read this but no one presents data.  Second, some manufacturers only connect the shield one end of the cable, theoretically to help prevent ground loops.  The shielded connection end should be connected to source.  The manufacturer usually marks the end connected to the shielding. So theoretically physics applies and is unchanged.  I agree that practically, the physics is not auditable in my experience. 
@argee Sorry I have no experience with Transparent cables.  There are some conventions to consider.  

Interconnects - red = right channel.

Speaker wire - red = positive terminal

Digital RCA connectors - generally not directional, or as marked by mfg.

USB - Poke yoke design. Directional with physically limited connectors  


 

Spell check got me again.  Audible not auditable, but then again, without data, it is not auditable as well as not audible.  

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Braided shielding is connected at both ends. Therefore there is no audible or measurable difference directionally at either end. Jasonbourne71 is vindicated !! Ignorance is bliss….Not !
Gullibility is alive and well….Sadly !

The red end wih an arrow indicates that it's a gozinta. As in it gozinta the downstream equipment. The other end is the gozouta, where the volts gozouta the upstream device.

Whether it matters or not is subject of hot debate between the earnestly misguided and the quacking hucksters on one side, and the physical realists on the other. Cables can matter, just usually not for the reasons and quasi-theories promulgated, and not as much as claimed. 

See also Placebo Effect and Confirmation Bias. 

...if a cable was directional, I'd rate it next to a subtle form of eq....
Then I'd wonder why someone would want that....

Anyway, far out and not long ago in sidereal time, there were those that claimed God spoke to them through their speakers.

I've always defaulted to giving another 'space', when it comes to belief....

...unless, I'm pissed....

...and also, when 'quantum flow in cables' becomes the Next Trivial Obscure to pursue.....with the corresponding price applied....

"....they're due any minute, now....."

The drumming of the lemmings' feet began to softly fill, then expand into a stampede....

Did we not go over this whole cable directionality thing ad nauseam in another recent thread?

I bought a used set of transparent cabels with the big magic box.one explanation i got was you can use different lengths  do to the magic box.onother blog stated the took the magic box apart to find out what was in it. Then I got a set of biwire that had the single end  on one end and the bidirectional on the other with the big black magic box closer to it .so by deduction I figure the black box goes closer to the speaker end. I keep hoping a genie pops out of it and grants me my powerball wish so I can buy more audio equipment and pay more taxes. Enjoy the music and the search. I was raised by a nuclear physicists who was 2nd gen Einstein trained.what a ride.

+1 @panzrwagon.  Just install it red end gozinta and don't think about it anymore.  

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Here's a link to a study done back in 1967 by a person who ran tests for a US Navy contract to determine the best type of connector for cabling in a submarine. With limited resources at sea, results had to be repeatable and reliable. 

Things have greatly improved since then but the concept of no connector, or at best, the least amount of connector material interfering with a cable still plays a hand in what we hear. It's why I use Darwin Cables as it's what they've determined as well. 

All the best,
Nonoise