# Got New Monoprice RCAs for the 2-Channel System But...



## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Hey Guys,

I ended up pulling the trigger on Monoprice RCA interconnects for $4.11 and hooked 'em up yesterday between my Marantz changer and Onkyo stereo receiver (in the two-channel room/system), but I'm wondering...is there a certain way they're supposed to be plugged into each connecting bank so that the audio signal flow is correct?

On my previous Monster RCAs which I'm replacing with these Monoprice cables (because the Monsters were not long enough to channel through my rack to the receiver) there were arrows indicating which end of the cable terminals should go to which component -- the direction of the arrows indicating the signal should flow towards that direction, from the source component, to the receiving component...

But I don't see any such indicators on the Monoprice cables...does this matter? Is there definitely a flow direction that needs to be followed with interconnects at least in the analog domain?

Of course, I got the Left/Right connections of the cables right -- but I was wondering about this flow...


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

I'm sure that if they don't have any marks... it doesn't matter how you connected them, the flow will be the same :innocent:


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

salvasol said:


> I'm sure that if they don't have any marks... it doesn't matter how you connected them, the flow will be the same :innocent:


Are you suggesting that my previous Monsters, because they had arrows supposedly "indicating flow," actually were supposed to be connected a certain way between components?


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

There is little reason to consider such cables directional. The only reason that they might be is in the case of a twin conductor with a shield where the shield is only connected at one end. Some cables are configured this way to improve shielding and minimize ground loops that act as antennae. The value of this method is questionable, and the assumption that grounding on one side or the other seems faulty to me. If, indeed, there was a reason to use this configuation, the better direction would likely vary from system to system depending on the components and ground paths in the system.

The bottom line is that it is unlikely to make any difference which way an interconnect is connected.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Thank you, Leonard.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Osage_Winter said:


> Are you suggesting that my previous Monsters, because they had arrows supposedly "indicating flow," actually were supposed to be connected a certain way between components?


Yes...


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

salvasol said:


> Yes...


Well now that worries me...:sweat:


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

The foil or braided shield is only connected at one end (source, I believe) in directional cables. For non-directional, it is connected at both ends.

The theory being that the RF signals picked up are drained and do not follow the good signal to the amp. The merit of that is debatable. Pro broadcast stuff has the shield at both ends. A good shield does not need to be isolated like that -- it will keep the stray signals off the central conductor.

Don't worry about it. Those monoprice cables will be fine.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

FWIW I agree 100% with Leonard.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Thanks Guys.

So the basic concensus here is that there was no real merit to the arrows printed on the jacket of the Monster RCAs, and that the Monoprice cables I replaced them with don't need to follow a certain kind of "directionality flow"?


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Osage_Winter said:


> Thanks Guys.
> 
> So the basic concensus here is that there was no real merit to the arrows printed on the jacket of the Monster RCAs,


Re-read what Leonard said: there may be a difference if the connectors are labelled that way.


> and that the Monoprice cables I replaced them with don't need to follow a certain kind of "directionality flow"?


Correct, they do not.


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