Happy to oblige. 🤗
Geoffkait - right???
As my system becomes more resolving, it’s much easier to hear the results of tweaks. Since most of my IC’s are balanced, they can only be plugged in one direction. Yet, I do have S/PDIF cables that can be reversed. A Pure Note Paragon Enhanced S/PDIF has been parked in my HT system for years. I thought I’d give it a try again in my 2ch rig. There’s even an arrow for signal flow. After settling in, the music sounded pleasant, but not very engaging. So, I reversed the cable with the arrow facing the source -Voilà. Everything snapped into place. A rich, organic presentation with excellent dynamics and tone. The difference in direction was obvious. Thx to Geoffkait for recommending to try it both ways!
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Since all wire is directional it can sometimes be tricky to hear it when a cable is reversed. The odds are 50-50 any given cable or fuse is in the correct direction, with the exception of cables that are specifically marked for “wire direction” (as opposed to shield direction). So, all cables and all fuses should be evaluated *one at a time* for directionality. The more cables and fuses you get correct the easier it will be to hear the next thing you evaluate. |
One reason that a symmetrically designed digital audio cable may exhibit directional properties in many systems is that the supposedly symmetrically designed cable is not truly symmetrical at the very high RF frequencies (tens of MHz or more) which comprise the risetimes and falltimes of the digital signal. Minor physical differences between the two ends of the cable in how the connectors and wires are mated and/or soldered together will result at those high frequencies in differences in VSWR-related reflection effects. Which in turn will depend on the impedance characteristics of whichever of the two components each end of the cable is connected to. Which in turn will result in differences in the degree and characteristics of waveform distortion that will be present on transitions between the higher voltage and lower voltage states of the signal as received by the DAC or other component receiving the signal. In turn potentially resulting in differences in timing jitter at the point of D/A conversion. Whether or not there will be audible consequences from all of that will depend on many system-dependent variables, including the exact output impedance of the component providing the signal, within whatever +/- tolerance it is designed to, the exact input impedance of the DAC or other component receiving the signal within its +/- tolerance, the jitter rejection capabilities of the DAC, the characteristics of the cable (including its length and its propagation velocity, which will affect the timing of how reflections and re-reflections from both ends of the cable are seen by the DAC), the susceptibility of both components to ground loop-related noise issues, etc. Best regards, -- Al |
It may not work for bare wires but it could explain fuses and why they sound better one way than another (cue heads exploding). It also goes a ways towards agreeing with what Roger Skoff says:https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/capacitors-speakers-cables-and-other-magic-stuff/ All the best, Nonoise |
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http://www.hifi-tuning.com/pdf/wlfr.eng.pdf Conclude what you will. |
Installing my first Blue Quantum Fuse in my Melody amp I had no idea which way was which. First thing I noticed it sounded a lot better. More dynamic, more depth, darker background. Next thing I noticed, it didn't sound right. Everything sounded just a little wrong. Jumbled, disoriented. Just not right. Even though technically "better" it just felt wrong. Barely two minutes, and I'm being generous it was probably more like 1, I got up and flipped the fuse around. Huge improvement! Went through the same thing three more times with three different components. One time, new interconnect, rushed for time hooked it up the wrong way without knowing. Thought I'd thrown away $400. Until I caught my mistake, switched it around, got all the sound expected and then some. I honestly don't know what to make of people who don't get this. Are they deaf? Is it denial? Delusion? Or are their systems that hopelessly pathetically dysfunctionally inchoate? Or then again, its not like I've tried everything under the sun both ways to be certain everything is directional. So did they just happen to have the bad luck to compare the one or two things that aren't directional, and then conclude from that skewed sample nothings directional? I honestly don't know. The only thing I do know for sure is they should knock it off with the measurement excuse. That ones even more lame than their hearing and their system and their bad luck combined. If you hear it you hear it, and the onus is on the measurer to explain it and not the other way around. |
This too applies to fuses , when a high purity metal like a OCC 6-9s Copper is slowly draw through dyes in a nitrogen environment it structurally changes cryogenics is a perfect example of a easy upgrade to cables and Vacuum tubes. some of its properties being draw in even tighter this was from I Furutech engineer from Furutech ,while in the UK when I owned a Audio store that uses this process developed in Japan there in truth are only 4-5 licensed companies in the World that use this process , most of your top cables made buy their Teflon OCC Copper , and Silver from these companies , I was very surprised the differences I many cases is the quality of connectors alone, which many cheat and use Goldover Brass, which degrades sonic purity by as much as 15-20% in some cases. My whole system has Occ CopprrPorous Teflon dielectric which BTW is the closest pure dielectric which is Air, and Golg or Silver over high ourityCopper Connectors..even in all my electronics and speakers-the synergy is Very much apparent. The things that we will do for our Audio non Audiophiles just cannot fathom !! |
glupson geoffkait is frequently right. That is not to say that directionality of the wire should not be left to someone more level-headed and less passionate about proving himself right every time. >>>>One assumes you mean left to someone more pointed-headed and less passionate about proving himself wrong every time, like yourself. |
I have no passion about proving myself wrong. Proving you wrong, however, is entertaining at times. "One assumes..." is not the best approach to anything. For example, it starts with "one assumes that all wire is directional" while "another one assumes it is not so". One then has to assume that one of those two is correct. Being passionate about wire directionality is a good start of a humorous relationship. Nobody could assume anything else about that. |
florida7117 Are you going to reverse all the wire in your gear, too? Maybe go down to the recording studio and reverse their cables as well? How about the power lines coming into your house, they ok? >>>>In fact, I did exactly that when I hopped off the power grid entirely and got rid of power cords, speaker cables, interconnects, transformers, fuses, all that internal wiring. Follow? As far as the recordings it’s too late to do anything about that. But if it were up to me I would control all cables and wire in studios for directionality, too. Why not? If it’s better. |
I heard that batteries may also have reversed polarity but people rarely check for it. SONY Sports headphones (yellow and grey, not yellow only) were notorious for their "wrong direction" cables and a bad batch of 3.5 mm connectors on them. Those connectors had polarity reversed, according to the stories. |
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>>>>In fact, I did exactly that when I hopped off the power grid entirely and got rid of power cords, speaker cables, interconnects, transformers, fuses, all that internal wiring. Follow?Not really. So how do you get electricity from one place to another without power cords, speaker cables, interconnects, transformers, fuses, all that internal wiring? Do tell. |
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Geoffkait is the one Audiogon members comments i find the most interesting and knowledgeable, when it comes to out of the box thinking and Isolation. I know use Townshend Audio Seismic Isolation( spring loaded air suspension) in conjunction with Stillpoints or other ball bearing type devices, It has took my system up to a level of performance i did not realize was their, until i isolated every component first was Townshend Audio Podiums under my Sound Lab Majestic Loudspeakers,What surprising claims coming from a Townshend dealer. |
