why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

I can only surmise you’re referring to gdhal or maybe George or the Wolfman, you know, as opposed to someone who’s actually tried reversing direction and hears it plain as day. Oh, well, maybe you can take some time and come up with some other ridiculous thing to say. Don’t strain your brain. 🧠 I’m going out on limb here perhaps but wouldn’t customers be LESS LIKELY to purchase a cable or fuse from a dealer who told them there’s a long break in period or they had to try the /cable fuse both ways? Hel-loo!

Suggestion to gdhal - you might consider using the Bozo the Clown emoji instead of the HAL-9000 for your avatar.

@geoffkait 

Heads up, according to cleeds, it would seem you too have a problem with the caps lock key. 

I got the 'break in' runaround on a cable. But after a month the dealer did take it back. (but only for credit on something more expensive...)
As far as that dealer was concerned, they thought I should use the cable until Doomsday to 'let it break in'.
Funny a later cable I bought was fine form day one.
So yeah screw the 'extended break in from Hell'
And those cables could not be reversed. They were XLR.

Lizzie, just in case you got left off the distribution list, all cables and interconnects including unshielded ones are directional, that’s what the little arrows mean. Not only that, but get this. HDMI cables and power cords are also being controlled for directionality, at least by Audioquest, since obviously the tiny wires in those cables and cords are also directional. that way you don’t find yourself in the embassassing position of not being able to get the correct direct. I’m quite confident all XLR cables from Audioquest are, in fact, controlled for directionality, too. Don’t freak out.

"I’m quite confident all XLR cables from Audioquest are, in fact, controlled for directionality. Don’t freak out."

Thanks Geoff for the reassurance. It is comforting to know you are "quite confident" that the Big Daddy of cable manufacturing has all of us unwitting buyers "covered" with respect to orienting their wires in the proper direction.  I can't count the times I have come close to freaking out over the thought that even one of the bundled solid core wires in my Audioquest cables may have been inadvertently oriented in the wrong direction by some stoner making cables on a Friday afternoon after a night at bowling league.