Directional cables

[Radek]

I recently purchased DAC speaker cables. These cables are directional. There is an arrow that specify which way to speaker. Though I connected the cables as per the direction given, I do not understand the logic. Can someone explain technically what is the purpose of direction here?

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[digitalv]

Have heard about Directional RCA cables (ground and shield connected on only one side) but a Directional Speaker Cable is beyond my understanding.

May be the music will play backwards if you connect them in reverse. :lol:

 

[arj]

It depends on the Braiding which could be terminated differently at each end, eg some have the shield grounding at the amp level i believe. reversing could introduce noise

the wire remain the same but the cable could be different at both ends

Eg My speaker cable has a ground to be grounded at the Amp level

but if it is a simple braiding it could b just a gimmick

 

[Radek]

It depends on the Braiding which could be terminated differently at each end, eg some have the shield grounding at the amp level i believe. reversing could introduce noise

the wire remain the same but the cable could be different at both ends

Eg My speaker cable has a ground to be grounded at the Amp level

but if it is a simple braiding it could b just a gimmick

How grounding is achieved? We are talking about speaker cable here. Do you have a separate wire or something from the cable shielding separately attached to any ground pin at amplifier end? Or is there special jack arrangement at amp end that provides ground connection? There is no question of grounding at speaker end.

In my case, I have just attached exposed part of cable to amplifier (Norge) input pin.

 

[arj]

Yup..the shielding is grounded..it has spades and my amp has a ground terminal


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[omishra]

There are 2 paths for current - one going from source to destination and other is reverse. In case of directional cable - shield is added around these 2 paths and it is grounded at source but it is open at destination end. This shield provides Faraday's cage for absorbing external noise before entering into signal. Also please note that this shield is not carrying any current from source to destination as it is disconnected at destination end. Current (and ground) is only carried by internal wires and not by external breading. It is directional in sense of connection and not due to electric current. Electron does know conducting surface and unaware of directional markings.

Now I am not sure how effective it is for speakers but if you are using digital amps like Tripath or class-D then this will save other equipment(dac/radio etc) from switching noise emitted from speaker wires. It is definitely useful for low level signals.

 

[utkarsh]

I'm sorry to say this, but I believe that it's fair to say that as far as consumer audio is involved, "directional" interconnect cables are 99% snake oil. The "directionality" is simply a marketing gimmick used to persuade the consumer that the cables are worth paying a premium price. The cables may be just fine electrically and physically - there's nothing wrong with 'em - they're just being marketed with what I feel is a deceptive tactic in order to separate the buyer from his/her money.

 

[arj]

I'm sorry to say this, but I believe that it's fair to say that as far as consumer audio is involved, "directional" interconnect cables are 99% snake oil. The "directionality" is simply a marketing gimmick used to persuade the consumer that the cables are worth paying a premium price. The cables may be just fine electrically and physically - there's nothing wrong with 'em - they're just being marketed with what I feel is a deceptive tactic in order to separate the buyer from his/her money.

Have you read the above before posting this ?

 

[sound1]

Now I am not sure how effective it is for speakers but if you are using digital amps like Tripath or class-D then this will save other equipment(dac/radio etc) from switching noise emitted from speaker wires. It is definitely useful for low level signals.

Just curious, but why do the speaker wires emit switching noise?
I was under the impression that Class D amps' outputs are low-pass filtered and they don't have any switching frequency...

 

[utkarsh]

I have read the above post and I don't really know the science of it, but the theory goes that after a cable has been burnt in (i.e. used for a while), it' supposed to be better to use it continually that way. Making sure the signal goes in the direction of the writing helps you to remember this. I'm not sure if it's true or not but I don't see any harm in following this advice. Some cables are specifically directional and have an arrow on them to indicate the direction of the signal flow.
You read the FAQ of Chord company.
http://www.chord.co.uk/faq.php?expand=13

 

[omishra]

Just curious, but why do the speaker wires emit switching noise?
I was under the impression that Class D amps' outputs are low-pass filtered and they don't have any switching frequency...

They do emit HF noise and you can verify this. Take your AM/FM radio with weak station near to speaker wire of switching amp. See the noise affecting reception. It multiple harmonics of switching frequency. I have tripath based amp. [In my car I used automated switching to go into class AB mode when radio source selected. in other cases I use class-T mode.]

 

[omishra]

I have read the above post and I don't really know the science of it, but the theory goes that after a cable has been burnt in (i.e. used for a while), it' supposed to be better to use it continually that way. Making sure the signal goes in the direction of the writing helps you to remember this. I'm not sure if it's true or not but I don't see any harm in following this advice. Some cables are specifically directional and have an arrow on them to indicate the direction of the signal flow.
You read the FAQ of Chord company.
http://www.chord.co.uk/faq.php?expand=13

So you don't believe Faraday's cage, but believe cable burn in ? I already mentioned electrons flow in any direction where it find way and push (avoiding jargon). So connecting in reverse way will also work minus effect of shield. But grounding of shield at source and avoiding another ground current through shield is achieved by this kind of wire assembly. That's why direction marks are there, nothing else.

 

[sound1]

They do emit HF noise and you can verify this. Take your AM/FM radio with weak station near to speaker wire of switching amp. See the noise affecting reception. It multiple harmonics of switching frequency. I have tripath based amp. [In my car I used automated switching to go into class AB mode when radio source selected. in other cases I use class-T mode.]

I do agree that class D amps emit HF noise, but confused about speaker wires emitting since they get the low-pass filtered signal. What am I missing here?
I will do the AM/FM test and see how it goes

 

[Radek]

They do emit HF noise and you can verify this. Take your AM/FM radio with weak station near to speaker wire of switching amp. See the noise affecting reception. It multiple harmonics of switching frequency. I have tripath based amp. [In my car I used automated switching to go into class AB mode when radio source selected. in other cases I use class-T mode.]

With reference to speaker wire, shielding should be to protect the signal from external noise rather than wires emitting any noise. But I still think, this makes more sense for RC where even small noise will be amplified by amplifier.

In any case, direction speaker cable I have (DAC) has no means to ground the shielding. So this looks more of a gimmick.

 

[Nikhil]

Directionality explained from the SUPRA Cables website

Simplistic electronics theory says there is no directionality in conductors, but assumes conductors are perfectly isomorphic. It also ignores the inherently directional nature of signal and energy flow. Yet electricity could not be sold without energy flow directionality. [1] In reality, practical conductors are drawn many times - not cast. This creates highly elongated crystal structures. This in turn creates a physical (mechanical) directional feature or axial polarity. Annealing and also burning-in processes can reduce the strength of the drawing imprint, but only to a degree. All conductors in Supra cables are consistently arranged to point forwards, in the direction (left to right) implied by the legend (text) printed on the cable jacket. Directional consistency is ensured in two ways. First, direction of the conductors to be used in each cable is known from the spooled direction of the conductors received from the copper wire factory. That is a reliable method because an efficient manufacturing process is consistent and omits random re-spooling steps ...

English audio consultant Ben Duncan is the guy behind some of the tests and measurements establishing the effects of Directionality.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think that is bunkum.

Please note that I am not saying it is wrong, but that the "argument" as presented, makes no intellectual sense. Actually, part of it does seem like nonsense: what is this inherent directionality? They mean that current "inherently" flows from the power station to our appliances? Well, yes, obviously. So?

As to drawing the strands: do they have an arrangement that they are always drawn in the same direction? Because, although I've never been a wire factory, it doesn't make sense....

Wire is drawn through a die, from reel A to reel B. Is it then respooled to start at the same end and draw it in the same direction? wouldn't we, if we were doing it, just draw the wire from spool B to Spool C?

I don't know... I've hand drawn silver wire, but never more than a few inches; certainly not spools of the stuff. Anyone know?

But hey, it's not science, it's not logic, its marketingeze. Which is a pity, because if there is anything in signal-cable directionality, this does the case no service at all.