directionality

brittan_farmer
brittan_farmer Posts: 12
edited August 2002 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
I am interested in signal cable and did a search of the forums to find information on it. I found Ron-P's post about being unhappy with it. I am wondering if directionality of the cable could have caused this. I read about it in cable theory on audioquest's website (I recommend this for answers on the science of wire).
Well, it said that every conductur will work better with the signal going through it one way rather than the opposite direction. If the cable is not marked, you have to try connecting it both ways to see which direction is correct.

Could it be that Ron-P had either the signal cable or the Monster cable connected in the wrong direction? I was just wondering if this could explain the poor performance in his system of a cable that others have found to work very well.
Post edited by brittan_farmer on
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited August 2002
    Directionality??? I don't think I can buy into this 1...

    I'm not giving you a hard time, please don't take it that way brittan_farmer.

    Just sounds crazy to me... thats all.

    HBombtoo
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited August 2002
    Frank never mentioned anything about it, and he seems to be a pretty cerebral dude on the topic.

    Perhaps it just goes to show that all cables don't match with all gear, or everyone's ears for that matter.....

    Butter my butt and call me biscuit though, I love my Signal Cables.... that doesn't mean they are for everyone...

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,519
    edited August 2002
    Butter my butt and call me biscuit
    Man, that is one visual I did not need.

    Frank never told me which direction to install the interconnects neither did they come with arrows. Besides, as many times as I swapped out cables I'm sure they all did not go back in the same direction everytime.


    Peace Out~:D
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited August 2002
    brittan_farmer is correct. SOME cables do have a certain direction that they should be installed. My subwoof cable has arrows pointing in the direction it should be installed. For curiousity sake I installed it in the opposite direction. although i could not tell a difference.. it may not feed the signal correctly. I know someone on here wil refute my findings. but at least on the IXOS sub cable i use.. it has arrows on it. IF it's not needed. then why would the maker of the cables put arrows on them?
    :D
    IXOS cables
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited August 2002
    Do what the manufacturer says, sure. Frank makes no mention of it for Signal Cables.

    So you did not hear a difference? Interesting.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,643
    edited August 2002
    I am currently using MIT's that are directional (excellent cables) and pulled out some old (not in use) Monster's that also are directional. I had some Audioquest's that were and some Vampire's that were not. I have never reversed direction as I trust the maker knows best....hopefully. Perhaps it boils down to how & what the cable is made of.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited August 2002
    IMO.....It is a deception by the manufacture to make people think there is more technology in the cables. If you could only use it one way....well that mean some kind of "special stuff" went into making this cable if it "flows" in one direction. I could be way off on this one though.....
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited August 2002
    Everyone knows that electrons do not obey traffic signals!

    Maybe the directional cables need to be warmed up properly...in the oven at 350 Deg F. in order to allow for proper molecular alignment.... NAAHHH.

    Hey maybe thats why cables are different colors...If your color blind your screwed!
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,643
    edited August 2002
    Originally posted by nascarmann
    I could be way off on this one though.....

    Is that like in....Oh Sheeet, I'm lost....lol.
    Talking about direction...have you found your way to those 2.3TL's yet?
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • brittan_farmer
    brittan_farmer Posts: 12
    edited August 2002
    The passage I referred to before is found on this page:
    http://www.audioquest.com/theory/theory5.html

    It says there that all cables are directional, whether they are marked or not. If they are not marked you must figure out which way is correct by trial and error. So the pervieved "technology" needed to make electricity flow better one way than the other wouldn't make any manufacturer superior since all cables are like this. Some manufacturers just mark the correct direction.
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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited August 2002
    Yeah man....made the road trip yesterday (14hrs). Took all morning to unload, unpack, tote in the house and hook-up....Them babys are sorta heavy. They do rock though......:D
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • TheGrayGhost
    TheGrayGhost Posts: 196
    edited August 2002
    Directional arrows placed on interconnections are there to indicate how the shielding is grounded. You should know if the shield is connected at one end of the cable with the negative conductors or if it is "floating". The grounded end should be connected at the source.
    Best Regards, Cliff
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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited August 2002
    The grounded end should be connected at the source.

    So.....it is grounded to what...:confused:
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,643
    edited August 2002
    Originally posted by nascarmann
    Them babys are sorta heavy. They do rock though......:D

    Yeah, they don't move around too easily....took two of us to get them in my house, but you're a big guy...bet you had one on each shoulder!!!

    Let's hear more on what you think of them.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited August 2002
    F1nut go here and reply.....
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • TheGrayGhost
    TheGrayGhost Posts: 196
    edited August 2002
    Originally posted by nascarmann


    So.....it is grounded to what...:confused:

    It's an RF shield grounded at one end of the cable only.
    Best Regards, Cliff
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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited August 2002
    I am far from an expert and have lots to learn......why will it ground at the source or better at the source than lets say the amp? I really don't understand why this "ground" should be an issue. I don't see how a cable would have a "flow" direction. I"m just dumb I guess.....
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • north51
    north51 Posts: 66
    edited August 2002
    My understanding is that the directional ground helps if there is any interference(EMI, RFI) picked up along the cable length. It is plugged into the source so that this interference won't pass along to the next component.
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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited August 2002
    Sorry.....still don't understand. A ground is a ground? What difference if it is at the source, pre-amp or amp? If it's grounded......it's grounded:confused:
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • TheGrayGhost
    TheGrayGhost Posts: 196
    edited August 2002
    Floating Ground (electrical) A grounding technique in which circuit grounds (return paths) are isolated from earth ground. Many amps use floating grounds at the input circuits.

    Connecting the amps floating ground to an earth ground can introduce noise on the input circiut.
    Best Regards, Cliff
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited August 2002
    This kind of sounds like an incomplete carry over from telecom.

    In our systems we typically have 2 separate grounding schemes, 1 for signal ground and 1 for power ground. The reason in short for this is, power systems are isolated from signal(Equipment) so no intruduction of 60Hz on the signal side. Keep in mind that there are 2 separate paths to ground for each but never, never, never do we float or terminate only 1 side because by doing so you have created an Antenna dipole.

    Float nothing period.

    In most homes I dont thing it would be an easy task to create a signal ground that would be inexpensive but I do know my friend here at work may have some comments when he gets back from vacation.

    Just my take.
    HBomb
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • Aaron
    Aaron Posts: 1,853
    edited August 2002
    With the MIT cables (and probably Transparent), the network bricks are placed at the source end. Honestly I have no idea what they really do, but I can see this making a bigger difference than in the case of a typical Monster Cable.

    Aaron
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