Directional Audio Cables - myth or reality?

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   In terms of Hifi cables and sound , you'll find little difference between high quality normal cable (this means no specified direction)   and uni-directional cables, IMHO. And I haven't really seen a significant price difference between the two in specialized stores. 

I have both sorts on different hifi and simply have never thought about making comparisons by unhooking the cables and exchanging them to compare. 

Just to be certain , Mike!!  you are aware that Unidirectional wires (this means they have an arrow pointing the way it should be cabled)  are not speaker cables, but used between the Hifi elements, (but not the speakers). I could be wrong on this issue, but I have yet to hear of speaker cables that are unidirectional (unless you're speaking of connecting the red connector of amplifier  to the red connector of speakers and the black to the black, which should ALWAYS be done anyway)

As for whether it is possible to make unidirectional cable, yes it is but this is feasible only at the foundry during the manufacturing process of the wire and its different alloys. Whether the connectors (end pieces) can be manufactured to be unidirectional, I have no doubt either. Part of my job is about testing different metals (but copper is not one of them) in their resistivity (not resistance as in Ohms, even if that does come in the process) and magnetism properties on the finished products as they age.

And as for ..... trying to reverse the direction on unidirectional cables , I don't care to try, either. I just have more important issues in life..... even if I have nothing to do for the next four hours. I have no doubt it would work worse if reversed, because they are manufactured to work in one direction.

So I say reality and no myth. Whether this unidirection makes a real audible difference to another high-qual wire, I am much less positive, though. 

Edited by Sean Trane - June 04 2007 at 08:33

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Sean Trane Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20338	Posted: June 04 2007 at 08:27
	In terms of Hifi cables and sound , you'll find little difference between high quality normal cable (this means no specified direction) and uni-directional cables, IMHO. And I haven't really seen a significant price difference between the two in specialized stores. I have both sorts on different hifi and simply have never thought about making comparisons by unhooking the cables and exchanging them to compare. Just to be certain , Mike!! you are aware that Unidirectional wires (this means they have an arrow pointing the way it should be cabled) are not speaker cables, but used between the Hifi elements, (but not the speakers). I could be wrong on this issue, but I have yet to hear of speaker cables that are unidirectional (unless you're speaking of connecting the red connector of amplifier to the red connector of speakers and the black to the black, which should ALWAYS be done anyway) As for whether it is possible to make unidirectional cable, yes it is but this is feasible only at the foundry during the manufacturing process of the wire and its different alloys. Whether the connectors (end pieces) can be manufactured to be unidirectional, I have no doubt either. Part of my job is about testing different metals (but copper is not one of them) in their resistivity (not resistance as in Ohms, even if that does come in the process) and magnetism properties on the finished products as they age. And as for ..... trying to reverse the direction on unidirectional cables , I don't care to try, either. I just have more important issues in life..... even if I have nothing to do for the next four hours. I have no doubt it would work worse if reversed, because they are manufactured to work in one direction. So I say reality and no myth. Whether this unidirection makes a real audible difference to another high-qual wire, I am much less positive, though. Edited by Sean Trane - June 04 2007 at 08:33
	let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword

mystic fred Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 13 2006 Location: Londinium Status: Offline Points: 4252	Posted: June 04 2007 at 07:05
	as far as i've been told all cables are directional - interconnects, speakers, guitar lead, i thought i should follow the manufacturers instructions to get best results, but i am tempted one day to reverse them all and ~~see~~ hear what happens
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Dean Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575	Posted: June 04 2007 at 06:57
	^ the signal is balanced in bridge-amps (eg vehicle ICE systems) and in some valve designs, but in most semiconductor amps the "Black" terminal is grounded, so the signal is un-balanced. However, as you say, the signal is very strong in relation to the interference and the network (amp-cable-speaker) is low impedance, so interference effects are negligible. Personnally I think shielded speaker cables are a waste of time, effort and money, and any unshielded two-wire cables that are labeled as directional are fraudulent. Mike, you haven't stated your view on this subject: Myth or Reality? Edited by darqdean - June 04 2007 at 07:00
	What?

MikeEnRegalia Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 22 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 21275	Posted: June 04 2007 at 06:38
	^ you mean that cable has a shield connector only on one side? In that case I guess the cable is directional ... btw: As long as the speaker itself is not connected to the ground for that cable reversing the direction will simply mean to disconnect the shield from the ground. There's no shielding necessary anyway ... the signal is balanced, so interferences cancel themselves out, except for negligible asymmetries (negligible because the signal is very strong in relation to the interferences).
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Dean Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575	Posted: June 04 2007 at 06:27
	^ No, I'll stick with Reality because of the way these cables are normally supplied (i.e. pre-terminated) If you are making the cable yourself, fitting your own terminators and connecting the shield at the amp-end, then okay, it does not matter if the little arrow on the cable points towards the amp or the speaker, so to be pedantic, it's a Myth
	What?

Snow Dog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995	Posted: June 04 2007 at 06:27
	I vote...I don't give a crap.


MikeEnRegalia Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 22 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 21275	Posted: June 04 2007 at 06:03
	Technically your answer is "myth", isn't it? With a shielded cable you would have at three wires (the two main ones which carry the signal and a third one connected to ground) instead of two, I don't see any difference to a standard two-wire cable. I mean, by reversing the direction of the cable don't change the shielding (the ground/earth connector is still at the amp). Edited by MikeEnRegalia - June 04 2007 at 06:04
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Dean Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575	Posted: June 04 2007 at 05:51
	The two individual wires of the cable that carry the signal is not unidirectional. What makes directional speaker cable directional is the screen (or shield or braid depending on which terminology you prefer). To reduce noise, this is normally earthed at the source end. Earthing both ends can lead to an earth-loop which may induce mains-hum. Using a screened cable also affects the impedance of the speaker as seen by the amp, most quality amps can handle this without problem, but on a cheaper amp this can be detrimental to the sound. If you use screened cable without terminating the shield then you have wasted your money. If this fails, try rubbing the cable with snake-oil. so my answer: reality. Edited by darqdean - June 04 2007 at 09:05
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MikeEnRegalia Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 22 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 21275	Posted: June 04 2007 at 05:11
	Instead of the usual CD vs. vinyl argument ... let's talk about one of the most controversial audiophile theories: directional speaker cables. Unfortunately I cannot create polls in this section of the forum ... please if you post here, include a vote (yes - I believe in this theory, no - I don't believe in this theory), and I'll count the votes manually and update this post in a few weeks so hopefully we can find out more about the acceptance of the theory. Edited by MikeEnRegalia - June 04 2007 at 08:47
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