A basic knowledge of wiring and cabling connections can still leave you scratching your head when it comes to figuring out what your entertainment system needs or deserves. Steven Hill of manufacturer Straight Wire answers some questions we had on the topic of connections.

Is there really a direction to speaker wire? If so, then why and how? 
Some companies claim that they draw the copper in the same direction for each pull and have grain-optimized structures and keep track of it. Likewise for long or mono crystals, claims that have better performance based upon directionality.

Most speaker cables have a slight “candy-cane” twist between internal conductors—especially multi-conductor helical designs with 4, 6 or 8 conductors. With these designs, there is a slight advantage based upon the “right hand grip rule” of magnetic fields and signal flow. Place the palm of your right hand in front of you. If the twist of the internal conductors goes from palm to fingertips (clockwise), then the direction the thumb is pointing (up or forward) has a slight electrical advantage.

In the case of a shielded speaker cable with the shield tied to the negative at one end, it is important to know the best place to connect that end—usually to the amp and not the speaker.

Does only good wire have a direction?
As noted above, there are a few instances where directionality may be considered. For high-level systems, just like a high-performance car, all aspects should be considered and the system should be tuned. The only substantive aspects noted above include right hand rule, grain-optimized direction, and shielded speaker cables.

Many customers want to be told what direction to run the cable for peace of mind, even if there is little substantive basis. Most cable companies print arrows or suggest following the direction of print so the end user is satisfied.

What does someone look for when shopping for speaker wire?
Uniform tight jacket, internal fillers or twist of internal conductors that doesn’t allow gaps or variation. Copper that doesn’t show tinges of green or black indicating corrosion.

For install cables, a UL rating to go in the walls that meets the code for the location—CL2, CL3, CM, Riser or Plenum. Most companies use basic grade PVC and add a flame retardant to the jacket. It meets the code but limits performance for longer runs. Be careful and inquire if the jackets have non-leaching plasticizers. Over time some cheaper cables will dry out and crack, especially in environments with extreme temperature and moisture fluctuations.

Better speaker cables use higher-quality insulation (polypropylene) and OFC (99.95% pure) conductors. The copper is free from other trace elements as well as oxygen. Standard cables use ETP (Electrolytic tough pitch grade copper that is 99.5% pure.

A common misconception is that finely stranded conductors (xxx strands) are better than those with only 19-41 strands (more common). While the finely stranded cable may be more flexible, odds are that those strands may have more surface corrosion to begin with due to the handling and extrusion process employed. Tighter pressure extrusions vs. tubular extrusions leave less space for copper oxide to form. While some may argue that the greater surface area of many fine strands gives better high frequencies, the greater surface area is subject to corrosion in the drawing, stranding and extrusion processes.

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