Point taken, you are right, it's more funny than sad.
What would be sad would be if your instructors taught you that wires are directional, even though there is neither theory nor evidence to support the claim. Then you would be in a good position to sue them for defrauding you.
Let me rephrase that: "if your instructors taught you that wires are electrically directional". As you know perfectly well, electromagnetic theory does not allow for directional conductors.
Now, is it possible that the act of reorienting a conductor can cause a mental state which perceives a change which is attributed to the new orientation of the conductor, even though there has been no change to the signal propagated through the conductor?
Not intentionally, but in the process of tuning the impedance, it ended up that way.
I have done numerous experiments that have confirmed to me that wires (& cables) can be directional.
One experiment is to swap the direction of one of a pair of identical interconnect cables.
IME this causes a side shift of the centre image that cannot be corrected with balance control.
I have also constructed interconnects to be intentionally non directional.....the result was 'surround' sound without rear speakers, good enough to cause listeners to look behind the couch for rear speakers.
Other experiments have further confirmed this (subtle) property.
Dan.
One experiment is to swap the direction of one of a pair of identical interconnect cables.
IME this causes a side shift of the centre image that cannot be corrected with balance control.
I have also constructed interconnects to be intentionally non directional.....the result was 'surround' sound without rear speakers, good enough to cause listeners to look behind the couch for rear speakers.
Other experiments have further confirmed this (subtle) property.
Dan.
I used enamelled wire 0.5mm, didn't try bare wire though I should.
One long length doubled back and twisted.
This one long twisted pair then cut into eight lengths and used to construct a pair of interconnects each in star quad configuration.
The connection was straight so I was able to use air spacing with no filler rod or sheathing....these will subtly alter sound signature.
You could use Cat-6 star shaped separator and wrap with tape of some kind...Teflon plumbers tape is worth a try but IME Teflon causes an identifiable signature....cellulose sticky tape sounds ok, sort of.
Give it a try Soong, you may be pleasantly surprised. 😎
Dan.
That is the problem with modern 'education' at modern 'universities'. You need to find a time machine and go back to a proper university, where students educated themselves by studying (e.g. writing their own lecture notes while actually attending lectures). Then you will find that there is nothing so practical as a good theory.soongsc said:
Given good theory, it is clear that snake oil claims are snake oil - except where Maxwell demons are involved. If the miliary have access to this technology it is obvious that they would want to keep it secret. I am just curious how Feynman was peripherally involved in creating a Maxwell demon yet managed to keep this out of all his biographical books; his sense of humour (and poking fun at the military) would have required him to at least hint at it somewhere.
In my technical education wire directionality was never mentioned (either for or against). However, the necessary theory was taught so I could work out for myself that a short wire containing no exotic (e.g. multiferroic) materials cannot be directional.Max Headroom said:
For the benefit of those who lack a good technical education, the requirements for a wire to be directional are:
- the wire is not short compared with wavelength
or
- there are arrangements to separately sample or respond to both current and voltage
and (in addition to either of the above)
- both the current and the voltage must be significant
A domestic audio interconnect fails to satisfy any of these criteria. It is short. There are no arrangements to separately sample current and voltage. The source impedance is low and the load impedance is high, so current is small and the signal is essentially carried by the voltage.
Directionality can occur with RF cables. For example, if the characteristic impedance smoothly varies along the cable then it can give a good match one way round and a poor match the other way round. This is unlikely to arise accidentially, unless the cable manufacture is astonishingly incompetent. Biased ferrites (as used in circulators) could cause directionality. Certain arrangements of couplers are directional. None of this is relevant to audio, so people who claim cable directionality there are merely fooling themselves and may sometimes be trying to fool others.
- the wire is not short compared with wavelength
or
- there are arrangements to separately sample or respond to both current and voltage
and (in addition to either of the above)
- both the current and the voltage must be significant
A domestic audio interconnect fails to satisfy any of these criteria. It is short. There are no arrangements to separately sample current and voltage. The source impedance is low and the load impedance is high, so current is small and the signal is essentially carried by the voltage.
Directionality can occur with RF cables. For example, if the characteristic impedance smoothly varies along the cable then it can give a good match one way round and a poor match the other way round. This is unlikely to arise accidentially, unless the cable manufacture is astonishingly incompetent. Biased ferrites (as used in circulators) could cause directionality. Certain arrangements of couplers are directional. None of this is relevant to audio, so people who claim cable directionality there are merely fooling themselves and may sometimes be trying to fool others.
I tested a car fuel saving device earlier this year. The company claimed it worked a certain way which from my experience, could not save more than 5%. When I tested it, I was shocked to find it saved over 10%. However, acceleration capability was compromised, I later figured out why it really worked and designed a different device which not only could save up to 10%, but acceleration was much better such that I was frequently going up to 140Km/hr in 100 zones in a 22 year old car, scheduled inspection show it meeting the latest pollution standards as well.
Originally we were thinking about not revealing the technology, but since I have applied for a patent..., anybody interested in discussing this snake oil?
Originally we were thinking about not revealing the technology, but since I have applied for a patent..., anybody interested in discussing this snake oil?
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So your equipment is using balanced inputs and outputs?
No 'essentially' about it, star-quad cables are not directional. current flows the same either way. Because it's wire. And that's how wire works.
Inspections don't check for emissions compliance, just a very basic test. And a 22 year old car will certainly not meet the currently EU or US emissions compliance. So show this tech on an EU5 compliant engine that still meets the full spec compliance and someone might be interested.
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