2. amps-preamps
  3. 127223-32

Interconnects, some have directional indicators, why?

I'm curious as to why some interconnects are directional? Is there a physical internal difference and do they generally sound better and cost more than non-directional cables? Thanks for your interest.
phd
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
2channel8
A lot of theorizing. Very little empirical reporting.

as fate would have it I wrote the first tests for the FAA to determine whether satellite communications delay would interfere with pilot to controller radio voice communication. Everyone and his brother knows voice (audio) signals over copper wire travel around 80% the speed of light which as everyone knows is 186,000 miles per second. There are other delays - i.e., through voice switches and other devices but the primary delay is the total up and down delay for a synchronous satellite at orbit of around 24,000 miles. Since the satellite delay is known to be 240 ms that means the velocity of the audio signal (voice) through free space is 186,000 miles per second. The speed of light. Now what is the only thing that can travel at the speed of light in free space? Answer at 11.

jea48
2,944 posts
 
georgelofi ,

Your post,
Just look at his website, then you’ll understand, why he can’t
"see the forest through the trees."
http://www.machinadynamica.com/index.html
And he wants money for some of these bizzare things
has corrupted the Agon page 2 of this thread making the page difficult to read.

Please delete the post and re post the post without the last website link, or find another to post in its' place.

Thank you.
mihorn
104 posts
 
Mihorn
the direction of metal cable is physically made and the sound doesn't change with the length of time. I heard sounds of many 40-50 years old metal wires in vintage gears melts like butter (in sound) in 1~2 minutes.
That includes fuses in > 30~40 years old vintage gears. Switching the direction of the fuse, the electrical current takes longer time (and subtle) to hear the effect because many active parts have to react to the change of new current (unlike audio signal). In my experience, it usually took 1~10 minutes to hear.


To hear the effect of switching the direction of a fuse and wires clearly, one needs pretty revealing and transparent sounding system. My sound system consists more (not all) correct direction cables from a source to speakers since I make my own power cords, speaker and IC cables. Also, I make my own speakers.

In my sound set up, I even hear the effect of different power cords very clear that the power cord influences the sound like a interconnect cable. There was a power cord shoot-out 2 months ago at my shop among Verastarr Grand Illusion AC Power Cords, acustic zen absolute power cord, Synergistic Research Power Cords. They are $2K range. VG was clearer (more silver??) but had a peak around 3k hz. AZ was well balanced and bit less clear than VG. SR had wrong direction wires and was bad sounding. I liked AZ best. I hope SR’s mistake (wrong direction) is only for this sample we tested.


Alex/Wavetouch Audio


jea48
2,944 posts
 
AL, (almarg)

I am guilty of saying "current flows" in an AC circuit when answering questions

regarding power branch circuits on audio forums. After reading Herman’s

responses in this thread,
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/directional-cables ,

I learned AC current does not flow back and forth in an AC circuit. I spent many

hours on the net trying to prove him wrong only to find Herman is correct.

For the purpose of this thread, regarding an audio signal applied to a wire cable,

AC current flow in the cable just doesn’t hold water.

IF, what is actually happening with the audio signal is that energy travels from the

source to the load, (in one direction >>>), in the form of an electromagnetic wave, in

my opinion, it then makes it easier to understand how cables can/could be directional.

(Sorry for the double space. It was the only way to make the post easier to read.)
Jim
jea48
2,944 posts
 

mihorn,

Here is a response, from herman, to a post of mine to him.


If you say the AC fuse blew because there was too much current flowing

through it everybody nods in agreement even though that isn’t true. If you

say the wire in the fuse melted because it got too hot after absorbing

energy from the electromagnetic wave people look at you like you are

insane and want to argue that vibrating electrons constitute current flow.


( Again doubled spaced for ease to read the quote)

More to discover