Need answer to simple question.

[Rehan Azim Hashmi]

Hello, fellow MLO members.

I have been using Nordost directional RCA interconnects.

Assuming i have CD player and integrated amplifier.

Then do both ( left and right ) arrows travel and connect in the same direction.

OR

does the signal travel in circular way?

Answer will be much appreciated.

 

[Robert D]

Same way. Supposed to go from the source toward the amp. The direction that the signal is traveling.

 

[roberto]

Hola Chicos,
And why is this? The left channel does not interact or interfere with the right channel. On LPs, the channel separation is at 1KHz circa 30 to 35dBs, in digital these days you have over 110dB of channel separation. When you use an interconnect cables or speaker cables, it is wise to use a one way connection. If you see a copper crystal, or a silver crystal under a microscope, you will see a lot of holes there, the surface is full of imperfections. Then once you used the cable for some time, this kind of road, is almost bumps free. Why in one way? Because is like our head's hair, we combe our hair in one direction mostly. Is our natural way to do it. Well, that's the famous brake in time. The signal goes and travels only in one way. Or perhaps I'm too crazy...many people swear that they don't hear any difference, and other claims they do.

Happy listening!

 

[Robert D]

Hola Chicos,
And why is this? The left channel does not interact or interfere with the right channel. On LPs, the channel separation is at 1KHz circa 30 to 35dBs, in digital these days you have over 110dB of channel separation. When you use an interconnect cables or speaker cables, it is wise to use a one way connection. If you see a copper crystal, or a silver crystal under a microscope, you will see a lot of holes there, the surface is full of imperfections. Then once you used the cable for some time, this kind of road, is almost bumps free. Why in one way? Because is like our head's hair, we combe our hair in one direction mostly. Is our natural way to do it. Well, that's the famous brake in time. The signal goes and travels only in one way. Or perhaps I'm too crazy...many people swear that they don't hear any difference, and other claims they do.

Happy listening!

I accidentally had some of mine running the wrong way and it sounded the same to me. I still switched them back though.

 

[roberto]

Don't look for the bass or treble. Look for the right size of the musical instruments and voices. Look for the image and stage presentation. The wrong way is a kind of stiff sound, the right way is smother. These differences are subtle but they are there. Just play your favorite song and play it three or four times. You must concentrate in what is happening with the musicians. Are they having fun playing together or they are just there? Also if you find this about the same it is OK. Some of us are more sensitive to those little nuances and we like that. This does not means that you do not enjoy the music. Just seek for little things that are happening. My CLXs are a fantastic resolving speakers and having the harmonic texture just right.
Or perhaps, with much respect, you might have an electronic component that is not resolving all this. When you are listening to a piano, do you understand what the left hand is doing vs the right hand? Can you hear the plush of the hammer hitting the strings of the piano? Many of you might say, why do you need to hear that? Well this is part of the resolution. Or the wind through the sax. There is a sax player with tons of air while playing the musical notes, specially a the end of each musical note. His name is Ben Webster. Here, listen to Ben

 

[amey01]

If a cable can conduct one way, but not the other way, then it's not a very good cable!

If a high-end cable (that you have paid good money for precisely because it is (ostensibly) a good cable) can conduct in only one direction, that's preposterous!

Given audio is AC, then the flow of electrons needs to travel both ways equally well. If it doesn't, then it is adding distortion/non-linearities - again, precisely what you have paid NOT to have!

So, again by definition - a cable designed for AC must be worse (faulted) if it is directional; by definition, a non-directional cable is superior.

 

[Russr]

Instead of "going off" on the topic, here is a nice article. Please note the "bonus scams" section...

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-v...n-audio-cable-vendor-is-selling-you-snake-oil
And to add my take, lightly brushed with just a hint of science:
At the frequencies we're dealing with "hear" (i.e. 10Hz to 30,000 Hz (and yes, I've even allowed a bit of extra bandwidth here)), the relative distances, the speed at which current flows through (half-decent OFC) conductors, etc., etc., etc., you would need a building full of test/monitoring equipment to register even an infinitesimal difference between "right way" & "wrong way" a cable is placed... UNLESS of course a vendor is placing a battery or diode or some other nonsense in-line, in which case they're degrading/messing with the signal WAY more than holy crystaline structure of copper is doing.

Buuuuuuut...
All that being said, I'm also pretty darned sure that my vehicle runs that little bit smoother/quieter/quicker whenever "I personally" do some maintenance on it... heck, sometimes even if I just wash it! So I suppose there is a certain subjective bias that can go on as well... in my case, I just refuse to have my unprovable beliefs make other people rich!

/rant

 

[twich54]

I accidentally had some of mine running the wrong way and it sounded the same to me. I still switched them back though.

Robert, shame on you ! The Audiophile community will probably have you sent off to Siberia

 

[Robert D]

Robert, shame on you ! The Audiophile community will probably have you sent off to Siberia

Its kinda like leaving the tags on your mattress.

 

[Leporello]

Hello, fellow MLO members.

I have been using Nordost directional RCA interconnects.

Assuming i have CD player and integrated amplifier.

Then do both ( left and right ) arrows travel and connect in the same direction.

OR

does the signal travel in circular way?

Answer will be much appreciated.

Audio signals aren't directional, they are AC. Current flows in both directions. There would be no point in any DC component to an audio signal because no loudspeaker can reproduce "DC" sound. Distributed (wave) characteristics are not important in audio cables because the signal travels many, many cable lengths in one cycle at the highest audio frequencies.

However, there is one instance where which end is connected to the source and which end to the load can make a difference: if the signal travels through a balanced pair of wires and the shield is grounded at one end only, you might achieve better SNR one way and not the other, or worst case, ground loops one way but not the other. But you will have to experiment to find which way, if any, is better. If you hook an oscilloscope to the output of your system and crank up the gain (e.g. 5mv/division) you *might* see a difference.

The idea that electrical conductors care about which way the signal is traveling is ludicrous. Under certain, pathological conditions (rectification) they may care about which way the current is flowing, but that is an entirely different matter. Cable companies should be ashamed of themselves for marketing such idiotic concepts.

 

[Leporello]

When you are listening to a piano, do you understand what the left hand is doing vs the right hand?

If you're listening to the Goldberg Variations without the benefit of following the score, more power to you! On a double manual harpsichord with different registers on the upper and lower manuals, and you're paying *very* close attention through your CLX's (yes, they do help) then OK. But I maintain it has nothing to do with which "direction" the signal is flowing through the cable!

 

[amey01]

Sadly, the audiophile world has been full of things that are ajbect bullsh1t. They come and go in fads.

I've been an audiophile long enough to see a lot of "you're mad if you don't buy this tweak", "it's essential" fads come and go. Who, for instance, still uses:

* Green pen on their CDs
* Drilling "anti-vibration" holes on their CD spindles
* A Tice Clock
* Tuned-mass dampers
* CD Clarifier gels
* Contact enhancer fluids
* GSIC (Golden sound Intelligent Chip)
* Cryogenically treats their cables
* Cryogenically treats their CDs
* Uses the "Cable Cooker" (how does this go with cryogenically treated cables I wonder - can you "cook" cryogenically treated cable for even better sound??)
* Cryogenically treats their valves?
* Uses those stupid plastic cable suspenders?
* Hospital grade power outlets
* CD demagnitisers
* Marigo Magic Dots (there is actually a thread on this one here - Call me crazy but they (magic dots) work!)
* Talisman magnetic optimiser
* Black Diamond room treatment crystals
* Black Diamond cartridge compliance optimiser
* Orb Audio Cartridge Warmer
* Full system demagnitisers
* Keeping EQs out of the system (now we are adding them to the system!!)
* Worrying about absolute polarity
* Stores files as WAV instead of FLAC
* Swapping out for audiophile fuses
* Jumpering unused inputs on your preamp.

Who still cares whether Linux sounds better than Windows or worries whether transcoding to FLAC or WAV sounds better?

Then (in the most reprehensible of all), there have been many "audiophile" components (and audiophile priced components) from ostensibly "respected" audiophile companies released which were just rebadged cheapo Jap-junk - The Simaudio Moon CP8 (which was just a Denon) and the Goldmund Pioneer DVD player are two of my favourites.

Honestly, I could go on all day. Each of the above have come with "expert" reviews and been branded "essential" and "best value improvement", etc.


Fast forward to today - we have a whole new set of contemporary tweaks that everyone is talking about. Not surprisingly, a lot of it relates to computers. We see bullsh1t things being branded as essential like:
* Audiophile ethernet cables
* Audiophile USB cables
* Audiophile network switches
* Upgrades to computer power supplies (switching power supplies in a computer can be heard throughout the whole audio chain, you know)
* etc.

The other one that seems to be popular today is around other cables:
* Power cables
* Power plugs
* Network and USB cables (being a variation of the aobve)
* You can include directional RCAs and dielectric biasing and all that wonderful bullsh1t as part of this one.

Sure, plenty tweaks have been ground in science. Those are the tweaks which have generally stayed around for longer than a few years. Things like room acoustic treeatments, use of balanced cables, spiking loudspeakers, et al.

 

[Robert D]

RAH, so did you swtich your cables so that the direction arrows are going toward the amp? Does it sound any better to you? Like I said, I had mine on wrong for months and didnt even know. I switched them to the correct way and it sounded the same to me. I have Wire World RCA cables and HDMI. They are all directional but I didnt really buy them because of that. They are just good cables and the ones I bought arent really expensive. The directional bit is just an added bonus and I didnt really care about it. Since I have it though I figure I might as well use them as intended.

 

[rpokuls]

Instead of "going off" on the topic, here is a nice article. Please note the "bonus scams" section...

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-v...n-audio-cable-vendor-is-selling-you-snake-oil
And to add my take, lightly brushed with just a hint of science:
At the frequencies we're dealing with "hear" (i.e. 10Hz to 30,000 Hz (and yes, I've even allowed a bit of extra bandwidth here)), the relative distances, the speed at which current flows through (half-decent OFC) conductors, etc., etc., etc., you would need a building full of test/monitoring equipment to register even an infinitesimal difference between "right way" & "wrong way" a cable is placed... UNLESS of course a vendor is placing a battery or diode or some other nonsense in-line, in which case they're degrading/messing with the signal WAY more than holy crystaline structure of copper is doing.

Buuuuuuut...
All that being said, I'm also pretty darned sure that my vehicle runs that little bit smoother/quieter/quicker whenever "I personally" do some maintenance on it... heck, sometimes even if I just wash it! So I suppose there is a certain subjective bias that can go on as well... in my case, I just refuse to have my unprovable beliefs make other people rich!

/rant

That's so true about vehicles.

I had a Mazda RX-7 once upon a time that I was very proud of.

I swear to God, every time I washed it, it was quicker, smoother, and for some reason, it cornered better.

 

[amey01]

Instead of "going off" on the topic, here is a nice article. Please note the "bonus scams" section...

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-v...n-audio-cable-vendor-is-selling-you-snake-oil

Worth watching that little video too. I like how he summed it up, to the effect of:

"This stuff is no secret to any engineer, or anyone in pro audio, or anyone who deals with signal propagation. The only time this stuff gets contentious is in consumer-level marketing."

Surely that's got to get you thinking?

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

And here is another all-time favourite that I forgot about - to add to my list above.

Shaving your CDs.....Did anyone actually try shaving their CDs with this "CD lathe"?

Note, it's even belt driven, to reduce vibration to the cutting blade! Now that's serious stuff, hey?? As if a blade blasting through polycarbonate is not going to cause enough vibration......that dear little motor needs to be isolated, HAHAHA. But where is it today? Why aren't we all still using it?

 

[Rehan Azim Hashmi]

Thanks really appreciate, Robert D, roberto, amey01, Russr, twich54, Leporello and rpokuls reply and effort and trouble taken to respond.

 

[Rehan Azim Hashmi]

RAH, so did you swtich your cables so that the direction arrows are going toward the amp? Does it sound any better to you? Like I said, I had mine on wrong for months and didnt even know. I switched them to the correct way and it sounded the same to me. I have Wire World RCA cables and HDMI. They are all directional but I didnt really buy them because of that. They are just good cables and the ones I bought arent really expensive. The directional bit is just an added bonus and I didnt really care about it. Since I have it though I figure I might as well use them as intended.

I knew Nordost cable are directional. I connect interconnect with left and right channel signal flow going from source to amplifier.

Wanted to confirm this is indeed correct. I had doubt in mind that source output is positive and negative. Wonder whereas positive signal travel to amp the other negative signal travel in opposite direction. Thus direction of wire would be opposite to each other.

Thanks to everyone’s help problem is sorted.

Initially from time when CLS were delivered to a distant time, I not know what arrow on my speaker cable mean.

Yesterday occurred to me why not much difference in sonics between $25 professional JTXLR interconnect, I use to connect desktop direct to power amp, and Audioquest Sydney JTP - dual female RCA connector - Nordost Blue Heaven RCA to RCA that I use for same purpose.

Though no arrow for signal flow through audioquest dual RCA connector and built of solid metal they are directional.

I switched to correct direction inferred by horizontal text on each. And presto substantial improvement in sonics like should be.

 

[Leporello]

If you see a copper crystal, or a silver crystal under a microscope, you will see a lot of holes there, the surface is full of imperfections. Then once you used the cable for some time, this kind of road, is almost bumps free

Have you done this?

 

[Leporello]

Sadly, the audiophile world has been full of things that are ajbect bullsh1t. They come and go in fads.

I've been an audiophile long enough to see a lot of "you're mad if you don't buy this tweak", "it's essential" fads come and go. Who, for instance, still uses:

* Green pen on their CDs
* Drilling "anti-vibration" holes on their CD spindles
* A Tice Clock
* Tuned-mass dampers
* CD Clarifier gels
* Contact enhancer fluids
* GSIC (Golden sound Intelligent Chip)
* Cryogenically treats their cables
* Cryogenically treats their CDs
* Uses the "Cable Cooker" (how does this go with cryogenically treated cables I wonder - can you "cook" cryogenically treated cable for even better sound??)
* Cryogenically treats their valves?
* Uses those stupid plastic cable suspenders?
* Hospital grade power outlets
* CD demagnitisers
* Marigo Magic Dots (there is actually a thread on this one here - Call me crazy but they (magic dots) work!)
* Talisman magnetic optimiser
* Black Diamond room treatment crystals
* Black Diamond cartridge compliance optimiser
* Orb Audio Cartridge Warmer
* Full system demagnitisers
* Keeping EQs out of the system (now we are adding them to the system!!)
* Worrying about absolute polarity
* Stores files as WAV instead of FLAC
* Swapping out for audiophile fuses
* Jumpering unused inputs on your preamp.

Who still cares whether Linux sounds better than Windows or worries whether transcoding to FLAC or WAV sounds better?

Then (in the most reprehensible of all), there have been many "audiophile" components (and audiophile priced components) from ostensibly "respected" audiophile companies released which were just rebadged cheapo Jap-junk - The Simaudio Moon CP8 (which was just a Denon) and the Goldmund Pioneer DVD player are two of my favourites.

Honestly, I could go on all day. Each of the above have come with "expert" reviews and been branded "essential" and "best value improvement", etc.


Fast forward to today - we have a whole new set of contemporary tweaks that everyone is talking about. Not surprisingly, a lot of it relates to computers. We see bullsh1t things being branded as essential like:
* Audiophile ethernet cables
* Audiophile USB cables
* Audiophile network switches
* Upgrades to computer power supplies (switching power supplies in a computer can be heard throughout the whole audio chain, you know)
* etc.

The other one that seems to be popular today is around other cables:
* Power cables
* Power plugs
* Network and USB cables (being a variation of the aobve)
* You can include directional RCAs and dielectric biasing and all that wonderful bullsh1t as part of this one.

Sure, plenty tweaks have been ground in science. Those are the tweaks which have generally stayed around for longer than a few years. Things like room acoustic treeatments, use of balanced cables, spiking loudspeakers, et al.

I mostly agree, with a couple of quibbles:

Absolute polarity: as I ranted before, music signals have no DC component. They frequently, however, are asymmetric. I have anecdotally heard differences in timbre with such instruments as oboe and trumpet. How the preamp I had at the time (PS Audio 5.0) was switching polarity was a black box, and may have had something to do with it (I did not check for level matching, for example). And mind you, I couldn't decide one way was "right" and one way was "wrong". But in the interest of accuracy, I try to maintain absolute polarity whenever possible. Also, coherent loudspeakers such as full range ESL's are theoretically more sensitive to polarity. I was using Acoustat 1+1's at the time.

Hospital Grade Outlets: you do need a good solid AC connection for all your gear. "Hospital Grade" is a category of AC hardware that falls into this category. Most do not have rear "stab-through" connections and I would never use them if they did. Also, avoid "daisy chaining" through the outlet and use wire nut connections instead. I usually use the best grade Leviton or Hubbell outlets. They do not cost $60 a pop, but more than $0.99. If your lights dim when you turn on the stereo as the filter caps charge, first thing to check is if you're at the end of a long daisy chain of outlets with stab-through connections.

 

[Brandon Hartwick]

I wasn't aware they made directional copper, must be some new science used nowhere else except audio .