psycho-acoustic or not.

[bigfish786]

Since i've had my new speakers, i've been running them in, listening to all sorts of music and watching dvds, and have been really happy with them, the sound has changed a fair bit during this time. but for some reason i kept getting up and going to the left speaker and listening to it more closely.. i have done this on many occasions,always to the same speaker.. as though something was wrong but couldn't tell what.

when i brought them home, i had hurridly taken down the old set, removed the 4 lengths of speaker bi-wiring my old speakers, selected 2 lengths to connect to the Focals as they only have one set of binding posts.

the cable i have is the Audioquest FLX SLiP 14/4 with 4 wires twisted to two. today, after doing this odd thing again i had a quick look at the rear of the speakers, everything looked fine, then i looked at the cable itself, and the writing on the cable.. oh, it's got tiny arrows on it, and the speaker i had been walking up to, the arrows were pointing away from it. so, i turned everything off and swapped it round.... yeah, you guessed it.. the sound is much more balanced, the speaker is singing now, rather than just working! i know there are a lot of doubters out there, but if i hadn't experienced it for myself i would be dubious too.

 

[chebby]

It seems to me that you have inadvertently corrected a reversed connection and that you had been listening to them out-of-phase beforehand.

(The clue for me was the use of the word 'hurriedly' when you described how you initially connected them after purchase.)

 

[Inter_Voice]

While I am not disputing the directional flow of signals, in your case the big change in SQ you heard MIGHT be due to better contact of your cable and your amplifier after you did the swapping head to bottom. Before you make the swapping there MIGHT be bad contacts due to long length of time you had not touched the connectors :?

 

[Al ears]

Either that or cable directionality is a fact.

Did I just type that?

 

[DocG]

Could you change it again and see what happens? And then do the same test with the right speaker?

 

[chebby]

While I am not disputing the directional flow of signals...

Signal current doesn't 'flow' in one direction.

It rapidly goes backwards and fowards (at the frequencies of the amplified signal) in both directions, in both conductors of each cable equally. So it doesn't have any net direction as such.

Those arrows are meaningless.

If music 'flowed' from source to speaker in only one direction then that would be DC, Your speaker cones would either be stuck permanently out (or pulled permanenly in) until the current melted the coils.

 

[andyjm]

While I am not disputing the directional flow of signals...

Signal current doesn't 'flow' in one direction.

It rapidly goes backwards and fowards (at the frequencies of the amplified signal) in both directions, in both conductors of each cable equally. So it doesn't have any net direction as such.

Those arrows are meaningless.

If music 'flowed' from source to speaker in only one direction then that would be DC, Your speaker cones would either be stuck permanently out (or pulled permanenly in) until the current melted the coils.

Way back when, there was an article that suggested that because of the continual back and forth motion of the electrons in a speaker cable, that after a while they get tired and old. The answer was to pass DC through the cable and swap out all the old tired electrons for fresh new ones. The article went on to calculate how long a car battery and headlamp bulb would need to be connected to the cable to have exchanged all the electrons.

Makes about as much sense as 'directional' speaker cables.

 

[bigfish786]

I'm no scientist, so all this technical stuff goes right over my head. the cables we'ren't out of phase, that was obvious as the bared cables are very colourful on the audioquest cable. maybe i have just got a better contact, i will have a go at swapping round the cable again, and to the other speaker too.. and see what i think. as for now, i'm just going to enjoy them with a few drinks and a few new cd's.

i'm going to stay open minded with regards to cable/direction/interconnects etc. the world is not black and white (thankfully)

 

[matt49]

Way back when, there was an article that suggested that because of the continual back and forth motion of the electrons in a speaker cable, that after a while they get tired and old. The answer was to pass DC through the cable and swap out all the old tired electrons for fresh new ones. The article went on to calculate how long a car battery and headlamp bulb would need to be connected to the cable to have exchanged all the electrons.

Makes about as much sense as 'directional' speaker cables.

Indeed. And in any case the electrons in the speaker cable don't even carry the signal. The signal is carried by the electromagnetic field that radiates around the cable.

Matt

 

[busb]

Way back when, there was an article that suggested that because of the continual back and forth motion of the electrons in a speaker cable, that after a while they get tired and old. The answer was to pass DC through the cable and swap out all the old tired electrons for fresh new ones. The article went on to calculate how long a car battery and headlamp bulb would need to be connected to the cable to have exchanged all the electrons.

Makes about as much sense as 'directional' speaker cables.

Indeed. And in any case the electrons in the speaker cable don't even carry the signal. The signal is carried by the electromagnetic field that radiates around the cable.

Matt

I've always found these articles on electricity highly engaging - especially the one regarding the "speed" electrons "travel" in a conductor. That electromagnetic field ain't going to do jack without electron flow - one is a consequence of the other which is rather fortunate for transformers.

http://amasci.com/miscon/speed.html

As for the OP's issue, the more likely explanation was a poor connection. For his observation to be correct, simply swapping back should return to the original sound. I'd be hugely surprised if that proved to be the case.