Stupid question regarding speaker wire...

It's probably to indicate which conductor is which.
Cables are not directional.
Insulation is not the same as a shield.

Speaker wire is not directional, but the arrows aren't just for decoration. They're there to fool you into thinking that Audioquest wire is better than other wires because it is directional.

AudioQuest tests out the resistance on both ends of the cable. The end direction that has the least amount of resistance is the direction that the arrows point in. Arrows go from the source (Blu-ray player) to either your display device (TV), or Audio Device (AVR).

That's a joke, right?

i HOPE it is...

but, sadly, i think he is serious...

If you have ANY resistance on EITHER end-YOU have a problem.

If you hook a meter between the terminals-it should read an open (ie VERY high resistance).

But like others I really hope you are just kidding and trying to get people "excited".

Just make sure you don't connect them backwards--ambient sounds in your house from garbage disposals or air horns will be fed through your speakers and could overload your AVR .

For real? could it also cause my BD player to clip?

Actually they ask the electrons which way feels better to them and then line the atoms up in the cable (one by one) so the electrons are happy. Happy electrons = superior sound.?

that is kind of like saying that the arrow on my garden hose is for showing the path of less restrictive water flow. I better go check if it's hooked up correctly, wouldn't want the water to come out of my neighbor's tub when I want to water my lawn

for the record, there is no arrow on my garden hose

he he, I like your analogy better

For optimal electron alignment in my listening room I use my Tice clock.

I was curious just what specs they might sell this stuff with so a googling I went and found this in the Crutchfield ad. When I first saw the sequential footage markers I thought maybe that's it, but then the next line squashed that. I think the best feature is the last one listed:
14-gauge, 4-conductor cable (14/4)
UL-rated for in-wall installation
rated for direct burial
high-purity copper for high-integrity signal transfer
Concentric Pack stranding ensures high conductivity and low distortion
twisted pair construction combats interference
sequential footage markers printed on jacket for accurate cable measurements during installation
directional arrows tell you which way the signal should flow for the best sound
warranty: 5 years
Our 60-day money-back guaranteee.

If you're going to run inwall why would you want four wires? You always plan on co-locating speakers? Or bi-wiring/bi-amping?

Really? I never knew that. I thought that the arrows were there as a way to tell dust bunnies which way to migrate, to make more dust bunnies.

What other wisdom do you have for everyone?

Maybe he's just a kraze dj...or being sarcastic.

That's pretty funny that they would test each wire and mark 'em! Marketing does work! The bonus that you can use your speaker wires to connect your components as well is pretty good, too...

Bunnies do not need to be told how to make more bunnies.

Tell me about it. We seem to always find a second or third Golden Retriever in our house, when we vacuum, at least twice a week.

lovinthehd, only place that the arrows really matter, is with stuff like Diodes, etc, filters for liquid agents, etc, or when marking pipes for flow, so that when people are trying to trace the route, even though they have blueprints or schematics, they may not have them at that point.

Never really in my life of handling hundreds, if not thousands of various gauges of wire, from everything from wire wrapping, to hauling huge Ship to Shore power lines, has there ever been an arrow on that. Now of course, if some joker decided they wanted to pull one over on the new guy, yes we would take some length and mark it, to see if they would catch it.

And don't forget: They charge more for the wire with the arrows.

I am getting more laughs at avs forums than comedy central !!!!

Yer preachin' to the choir as they say. I was just curious what bs those trusty folk in sales/marketing might come up with and just to see what the product actually was.

You obviously do not have an AudioQuest garden hose.

I have very old speaker wires. There is some green discoloration in one of them. It is clear and I can see the green going a ways. what is it? Should I think of replacing? It is thick wire, I think 10 gauge, maybe 12. Thicker than lamp cord. The only problem is that they run through a built in cabinet. They may be a PIA to replace. If my speakers still sound good, should I worry about it?

Since you have not been more specific with the precise cable topology, such as between twin conductor or coaxial variants (although I would normally assume a twin lead for regular full range speakers...), it may indicate neither 'electron directivity' - where electron drift measured in inches/feet per second and is not a significant factor in signal flow, considering that the signal is actually carried by an EM field..., nor some imagined difference in resistivity; but rather another more practical factor.

It can very possibly indicate that while "normal" cables can incorporate an outer circumferential shielding that is connected at both terminating fittings, that in order to reduce ground loops and the associated hum, that one end of the sheathing is disconnected (unterminated). thus the arrows indicate the recommended orientation of the cable and the terminated fitting(s).

Not an optimal solution, but it can work to a limited degree.

So in some cases there is a manner of reasoning behind the concept of a 'directional' cable. But even with such cases considered, I fear you (and to many in the market as a whole) are being influenced more by the marketing techno-babble, appearances and suggestive rationalization than to any objectively determined actual behavior in a product niche where significant profit margin exists, and where vendors count on such accessory sales to constitute a inordinately large and significant percentage of their actual profits.

Do you know how much it's costs to print arrows on the casing? Also after testing a them a large percentage are rejected because the arrows were printed in the wrong direction and they will short out your amp/speakers.

Also they can't print the arrows before testing because the cables can change direction and it becomes fixed after printing.

If they are printing anything else on the wire, adding the arrows costs next to nothing.


I don't think there's much danger of the printing going on wrong, since the wire itself is fully bi-directional. ;-)



Testing? Do tell how one tests copper wires for their preferred direction of conduction!

Dowsing rod?

Inspection of goat entrails?

Observe splatters of chicken blood?

If the wires didn't get green until you had them for a long time, I'd replace them immediately because they must be slow wires. Some of the wire I've had turn green did so quite quickly, which indicates that they give "fast bass". ;-)

Seriously, the green color is probably due to a very thin layer of copper sulfate or other copper compound forming on the surface of the wire. Sulfur r comes from either the atmosphere or from the insulation. If it happens along the length of the wire, then the insulation is the most probable source. If it happens only at the ends, then the atmosphere is the most probable source.

Other than making the wire hard to solder and very much in need of cleaning at the ends before you reconnect them to equipment, it has no electrical effects.


Basically its corrosion. In a few hundred years it might have some effect on how the wire conducts signals.


The only reason I can think for replacing this wire is aesthetics. If you foresee a visit by the wire police, then you may want to change them out. The corrosion might be very detrimental to bragging rights.

It's actually the direction of the ch'i.
So if you want your music to 'go with the flow' you make sure it's oriented in the right direction. Unless, of course, it's death metal, then you probably want to hook it up backwards.