Hello,
Please provide information on how to determine the direction of the Linn K20 speaker cable connection? I once read on a forum that to the left side of the words “LINN K20 CABLE” there is a circle or oval with an arrow inside, the pointed end points towards the speaker (in the picture below I have marked it with a yellow check mark) is that the part that is plugged into the speaker terminal? Please provide instructions. Thank you
According to Linn’s own documentation, the triangle in the Linn logo should point towards the speaker, per your photo.
You are right: pointy end of triangle shows direction of signal flow: speaker <l amplifier.
Is electricity fussy about which way round the wire is? Just wondered whether there was any physical difference between ends. Just checked, one of mine is pointing the right way and one the wrong way 
As an electrical engineer, the answer is no, a wire is not fussy and all this directional stuff is audio fairy tales.
But some cable assembles are constructed to be directional …
e.g. an IC screen connected to the negative (-ve) at the source end only.
e.g. a power cable shield connected to E at the power source end only.
However, I might buy into the molecular structure of wire strands being different in each direction caused by the wire drawing process.
To that end I do make sure when making cables that I follow a logic such as the printed letters & numbers going from source to sink.
I remember a thread a few years back where someone flatly rejected directionality of non screened cables (fair enough) so they made a point of putting them in opposite to the direction of the arrows.
Which struck me as bonkers as how much effort or cost is incurred to put them in as directed? Absolutely zero.
There have been multiple theories put forward over the years. The crystalline structure as drawn out (which I assume would be rendered mute by cryo processing), to the annealing process of the sheath, to the cable passing through a guide hole that has naturally become magnetic over time.
All mute of course since all one has to do is follow directions and forget about it.
I think we’ve been here before…and Naim’s view, for whatever reason, is that there is – albeit there’s no science to back it up. There again, this whole hobby is subjective!
How are cables directional? - Lounge - Naim Audio - Community
Yes, it’s just another invention by the Hifi industry. You will have more chance of winning the lottery jackpot than hearing any difference.
However … I use QED interconnects which have arrows and, as has been said, it doesn’t cost anything to put them in that way, I do so 
Just swapped it around now so both pointing the right way. Instantly better 
Not really an “invention”, at least not as far as Naim are concerned. Julian could hear that cables tended to sound better one way than another. He just didn’t really know why, although he did speculate that the “directionality” was perhaps established through some sort of annealing process as the insulation was applied. Here’s what he wrote on the original Naim forum:
"I can’t tell you why cables sound different one way round to the other, but I do
know when the ‘directionality’ happens in manufacture.
It doesn’t seem to matter how the bundle (of copper) is drawn, single direction or mixed direction, but as soon as the insulation is extruded onto the bundle, the directionality is established. This means that one can mark the insulation and it will always be the right way round.
I suspect that the hot plastic insulation anneals the copper in some way, and this affects the crystaline structure.
But all our attempts, over many years, have failed to find any measurement to show the directionality or indeed whether one cable will sound better than another (other than the obvious - resistance, capacitance and inductance)
Maybe someone out there knows?"
When I was at Naim, whenever a new batch of cable reels arrived from the manufacturer, they would be quarantined and Roy would then cut lengths from the batch, have them made into cable assemblies and carefully listen to them in different directions. He would then establish the direction of the cable. In the case of NACA5 you really hoped it corresponded to the printed direction, but I recall one time when it didn’t and that posed a real problem as potentially thousands of pounds of NACA5 cable were now basically scrap and supply to dealers and distributors would be seriously impacted for many months until new cable could be made. Was Roy wrong? Partly I guess we hoped yes, but he was adamant and listening by others confirmed what he heard. Further investigation back at the manufacturer of the cable eventually turned up that a new staff member had loaded the machine incorrectly when the direction was printed and so Roy was indeed correct…
I’m not sure I buy that. There are loads of high end brands that don’t have directionality indicated in any way and claim theirs are not directional (for example, Atlas). So given that there are cheap as chips and ultra expensive cables that are directional, and again cheap as chips and ultra expensive cables that are not directional, I’m not sure what they have to gain. It certainly isn’t to charge more since the evidence runs counter to that.
It simply appeals to Audiophile’s angst and obsessiveness (imho).
As the wire is drawn through successively smaller dies to reduce its diameter, that will affect the grain structure of the cables so this ‘may’ be an explanation for the perceived QC difference depending on orientation ?
The annealing process ‘may’ also have an effect on overall SQ
Well, I even took AB clips with phone, and differences between right & wrong direction is obvious and clearly audible with Airpods Pro 3.
I am glad you have such extraordinary hearing, especially as your test was done with a phone and BT earphones. If it works for you … it works.
Let put this in a more sensible way
The so called ‘wrong direction’ doesn’t mean no sound or harming the system in time (that’s the scientific part)
it’s the result – audibly slower/sluggish, loose prat, mid recessed etc isn’t ideal for Naim
If one prefers a slower sound, the ‘wrong direction’ may sound better to them. but then it’s the not the performance mean to be
Ah, I am just an old audio fool set in my ways and with age, a healthy dose of cynicism when it comes to certain things Hifi.
Forgive my previous sarcastic remark. It’s easy to criticise but we’re all different. As I always say, if it works for you, it works.
I’m sure it does but that’s doesn’t mean it’s factually incorrect.
When does healthy cynicism become close-minded obstinacy cos someone doesn’t like the ‘idea’ of something? So many tedious posts on forums by people claiming something is nonsense.
