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geoffkait
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Are Power cords directional?

Why would power cords be directional? AudioQuest controls directionality of their power cords during manufacture. Now, I can understand why speaker cables are directional, as well as interconnects and fuses in an AC circuit. But power cords are puzzling in that there is no “audio signal,” only 60 Hz AC. Anybody have any ideas?

Directionality is defined as the cable or cord or fuse sounds better when the metal conductor is oriented in one directions vs the other.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking - “but the signal goes both ways in an AC circuit.” I’m way ahead of you, guys.

And please, no jokes that the power cord can only be plugged into the wall in one direction.

r042wal
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The signal goes both ways in

The signal goes both ways in a speaker cable too

geoffkait
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We only care about the signal

We only care about the signal when it’s traveling toward the speakers. Two wires are involved for a AC circuit. When the signal is going toward the speaker on one wire it’s going in the direction away from the speaker on the other wire. We can ignore the signal when it’s going away from the direction of the speakers, since that doesn’t affect the sound. The same logic applies to both + and - wires. That’s why wire and fuses are directional in AC circuits, I.e., they sound better in one direction than the other.

r042wal
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I care about when the current

I care about when the current in the voice coil reverses due to AC because it creates a negative magnetic affect drawing the voice coil in. This adds for massive excursion with my MC500 at low frequencies

geoffkait
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Eggs ackley! The electrons

Eggs ackley! The electrons flowing (current) toward the voice coil in each wire + and - is what produces the sound. One wire + moves the diaphragm out and one - moves it back in. That’s why direction of the + and - wires is important. Wires are not symmetrical, so they favor one direction over the other sonically. The best direction of the speaker cables should be controlled from the very beginning of manufacture so that the best sounding direction of both + and - wires is pointed toward the voice coil. As I said we can ignore the current traveling away from the voice coil on both + and - wires.

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