Directional Audio Cables

[Roteller]

Hi, can someone shed some light on some audio cables I purchased that have arrows on them. I want to run the cables from my RSP 1066 to my RMB 1095 but not quite sure which direction the arrows should be pointed. Thanks

[htsteve]

Point to the amp

Roteller,

The arrows go from the 1066 to the amp.

[wkhanna]

AFAIK, typically, the arrow on an analog RCA style interconnect will indicate which end the shielding is terminated on. If you experience noise, such as stray low-level radio stations or buzzing/hum caused by electromagnetic fields generated by power cords and power supplies, sometimes reversing the cable can help attenuate the unwanted signal.

Also, if a cable has been ‘cooked’, the arrow may indicate the direction of electron flow during the ‘burn-in’.

[Lex]

agree with WK.

[servicetech]

Also, if a cable has been ‘cooked’, the arrow may indicate the direction of electron flow during the ‘burn-in’.

Huh? I can understand the shielding termination making a difference, but "cooking" the wire makes no sense to me.

[Lex]

I'd like to see more people use a name in their posts!

Cooking refers to the process of running a low voltage electrical charge through a cable for a period of time to condition the wire for electron flow. Like it or not, wire is directional, and conditioning it for a direction makes sense.

that is why CAT's silver cables are conditioned, and why they have directional arrors.

[Alaric]

Several cable manufacturers actually charge extra for it. CAT Cables does it to all their audio ICs.

[littlesaint]

I'm going to tread lightly here since Lex is the boss :B , but I have a hard time agreeing with the directional cable theory. Audio signals are AC which means by definition, the electrons move in both directions sympathetic to the applied signal. If the cable truly is directional, it would technically be a semiconductor and acting as a rectifier, which would certainly be a "bad thing".

-Santino

[Alaric]

Isn't the important part of the signal carried only on one portion of the sine wave?

[littlesaint]

Isn't the important part of the signal carried only on one portion of the sine wave?

Not sure about that, but regardless of the audio signal, it's still alternating current and therefore electrons have to move unimpeded in both directions.

[chrispy35]

Nope. The entire signal is important, there is no modulation on signals in an audio system so the shape of the amplitude waveform on the wire will ideally match the shape of the SPL amplitude in the air. I don't know exactly what half of a sinewave sounds like but I imagine it's not pleasant.

If only half of the waveform was important, we could make our amps 50% more efficient right away by just chopping off the negative portion of the input signal.

Like littlesaint said, it should perform equally well in both directions...

Chris P.

[Alaric]

If only half of the waveform was important, we could make our amps 50% more efficient right away by just chopping off the negative portion of the input signal

Isn't that what DC headphone/phono amps do? Not trying to be difficult , just trying to learn.

[Alaric]

it should perform equally well in both directions...

I should be rich and good lookin'. Lemme tell you how that worked out.......

[chrispy35]

I should be rich and good lookin'. Lemme tell you how that worked out.......

I'm sure in an AB test, your mother (owner?), would probably say you're both...others may argue the test wasn't properly done. :P

Chris P.

[Lex]

Ok, final answer, yes, an audio cable will perform both directions. but YES, a cable cooker is able to condition wire. Silver is the most brittle sounding wire for cables when new. It is not until the wire settles into a system that it begins to sound best. This is true. What the cooker does is give a head start on this conditioning, and the arrows allow you to see which way conditioning was performed. This may or may not make a difference with copper cables, ut can't hurt though. But silver is unique, and as such must be treated so for best performance. This is why many people say silver is bright, to bright, but hardly a CAT customer has ever returned one of our silver cables. Excellent silver, and excellent conditioning are the difference.

[PewterTA]

Who returned a Silvercat?!?! Where's He/She at, We'll hunt them down and... well.. do something to them! :P :T ha ha