[WGH]

You are not the only person to notice the change in sound. I have always used the upper connections with my speakers.

The owners manual for the Von Schweikert VR-2's have the following wiring instructions:

"The best sound and transparency from the VR-2 results from bi-wiring the speakers, but if a bi-wire set of cables is not initially available, use the supplied jumper plates. Connect the cables to the upper binding posts for the best sound quality.
*If you connect the main cable to the woofer and then use the jumper upwards to the tweeter, you will be able to hear a slight loss of clarity, since there will now be two connections in the signal path instead of just one to the high resolution tweeter."

Wayne

[DMurphy]

You are not the only person to notice the change in sound. I have always used the upper connections with my speakers.

The owners manual for the Von Schweikert VR-2's have the following wiring instructions:

"The best sound and transparency from the VR-2 results from bi-wiring the speakers, but if a bi-wire set of cables is not initially available, use the supplied jumper plates. Connect the cables to the upper binding posts for the best sound quality.
*If you connect the main cable to the woofer and then use the jumper upwards to the tweeter, you will be able to hear a slight loss of clarity, since there will now be two connections in the signal path instead of just one to the high resolution tweeter."

Wayne

I should probably join Frank with a sore tongue, but---but---if the connections are reasonably secure, and the copper jumper conducts an electron flow, just what is happening to the electrons that would cause a loss of clarity?  And all of this comes after those electrons have made it through the amplifier connection and traveled down many feet of wire, and are about to enter into a maze of connections on the crossover board.  Not buying it.   

[mdfoy]

Dennis,

I take offense at your comments about my jumpers, they didn't do anything to you. But, seriously, I didn't want to start something here.  Should the jumpers sound the same whether on top or bottom?

[DMurphy]

Dennis,

I take offense at your comments about my jumpers, they didn't do anything to you. But, seriously, I didn't want to start something here.  Should the jumpers sound the same whether on top or bottom?

I'm not an electrical engineer.  I don't know how much a decent jumper could degrade the signal flow.  But I sure can't figure out why there should be any directional impact.  There certainly isn't for speaker wire--so I would suggest you replace the jumpers with wire and see what you hear.  That would be the logical next step.   

[mdfoy]

Dennis,

Cool. I will give that try the copper blocks, and anti-cables again. Just as a sanity check. I don't think the jumpers were degrading the flow as such. They sounded better than the anti-cables jumpers, that is why I kept them.

I think that WGH may be referring to the same experience as I did. 

[Nuance]

There are just far too many factors involved with audio equipment and human hearing to share these things.  I suggest that you take what you've learned and use it for yourself only.

This sums up how I feel as well.  I've learned to just keep these things to myself, or at least off public forums.  Whichever "side" you take, you'll get flamed. 

If you do hear, or even think you hear a difference for the better, just enjoy!  If you don't hear (or think you hear) a difference, spend your money elsewhere and return said product.  It's really just that simple.  The hard part comes when you try to unbiasedly convince others that what you're hearing is real or not real; that's when things get messy, and that's why we should probably avoid it.

[TJHUB]

This sums up how I feel as well.  I've learned to just keep these things to myself, or at least off public forums.  Whichever "side" you take, you'll get flamed. 

If you do hear, or even think you hear a difference for the better, just enjoy!  If you don't hear (or think you hear) a difference, spend your money elsewhere and return said product.  It's really just that simple.  The hard part comes when you try to unbiasedly convince others that what you're hearing is real or not real; that's when things get messy, and that's why we should probably avoid it.

Well said.  I was going to make the statement that even if it is all in your own mind that said change was an improvement, just take it!  No need to prove it to anyone, if YOU hear a change for the better, that's all that matters. 

[jsalk]

Nuance and TJHUB -

Very good points!  In the end, all that really matters is what you think.

- Jim

[Paul K.]

While retired, I am a BSEE and I totally agree with Dennis here.  There would have to be something significantly wrong with the jumpers to make a sonic difference IMO as described. Still, if someone hears a difference and is happy, whether or not it makes sense or has any scientific validity, that's fine with me.
Paul

I'm not an electrical engineer.  I don't know how much a decent jumper could degrade the signal flow.  But I sure can't figure out why there should be any directional impact.  There certainly isn't for speaker wire--so I would suggest you replace the jumpers with wire and see what you hear.  That would be the logical next step.

[coke]

While retired, I am a BSEE and I totally agree with Dennis here.  There would have to be something significantly wrong with the jumpers to make a sonic difference IMO as described. Still, if someone hears a difference and is happy, whether or not it makes sense or has any scientific validity, that's fine with me.
Paul

x2 from another EE. 

If it sounds better to you just enjoy it.

[WGH]

The great thing about this alternative wiring arrangement is that it costs absolutely nothing and very little effort to try out. An option that requires a little more effort it to place both speakers side-by-side, connect the speaker wires to the top on one speaker and the bottom on the other, put on a mono source and have a friend change the balance between speakers.

I don't think I ever heard a big difference, but I did get rid of the chrome plated jumpers that my speakers (unfortunately not Salks) came with and replaced them with speaker wire.

Wayne

[nyc_paramedic]

While retired, I am a BSEE and I totally agree with Dennis here.  There would have to be something significantly wrong with the jumpers to make a sonic difference IMO as described. Still, if someone hears a difference and is happy, whether or not it makes sense or has any scientific validity, that's fine with me.
Paul

Out of curiosity, were the jumpers cleaned with a solvent like DeOxit? I know they might *look* clean with the naked eye but _surface chemistry_ is an entirely different animal from general chemistry.

[rlee8394]

What the hell are "directional" jumpers  

[srb]

What the hell are "directional" jumpers

They are jumpers that some boutique audio wire vendors will tell you pass electrons better in one direction than the other, to presumably differentiate them from regular wire and help explain their high cost.
 
Some boutique audio fuse vendors will also make the same directional designation to try to differentiate their product and have one more bullet point to explain why it is different and more costly than a standard fuse.
 
Steve

[rlee8394]

The last time I listened, audio was an AC signal, you know, current flows in BOTH directions! I guess the Audio Boutiquers aren't aware of that fact!

Let's take the jumpers out of the equation.

1) Measure the distance between the two posts that you want to jump.
2) Add 0.5" to that length and strip that amount of insulation from the cable end that connects to your speakers.
3) Spin insulation as you remove from the cable to keep the strands tight (unless solid core wire).
4) Tin the ends with solder to keep strands from fraying.
5) Pass wire through one post and then continue through the other post.
6) Tighten both posts.
7) Repeat for other conductor for speaker.
Listen.

I'd be interested in a comparison between a jumpered speaker with links, and this method.

Ron

[markie]

Nice system mdfoy! I say, experiment away with different configurations! I eagerly await your findings if you are so inclined.

If and when you settle on a configuration that clearly sounds the best, and if and when you can further demonstrate this with a blind test (with yourself as the listener and someone else changing up the connections), then you have something that you can take to the bank.   Then the more skeptical of us who once politely dismissed your finding as merely subjective may instead use that considerable brain power to fathom what previously unexplored physical phenomenon is going on to cause such a real and repeatable difference in hearing perception. And when thinking like that goes on, that is when the science advances to the benefit of all.

mdfoy, I notice that you have your cables lifted off the floor. I presume you can notice a difference in the sound as a result? I've heard that others like Anthony Gallo notice a difference.  That might be another blind test worth carrying out - for the advancement of science of course!

Mark

[srb]

The last time I listened, audio was an AC signal, you know, current flows in BOTH directions! I guess the Audio Boutiquers aren't aware of that fact!

Most "Audio Boutiquers" are EE's, but just the wrong kind.  They are Enthusiastic Entrepeneurs, not Electrical Engineers.

[mdfoy]

Mark,

Thanks.  I swapped back the copper bars and anti-cable jumpers. The SoundStrings sound better, in any direction.  The system doesn't sound any different with the cables off the floor, nothing scientific, it looks cooler.

On another note. I only asked if anyone had the experience that I did, and why it would matter. Nothing more. The engineers and non-wire guys went a little overboard don't you think? As indicated earlier in the thread, I wasn't trying to start something here.

Mike

[markie]

That is interesting Mike. So the Soundstring jumpers sound the best of all the jumper options. Yet if I am understanding you correctly it is the wiring to the tweeter terminal first and then jumping to the woofer which makes the biggest difference of all.

Well you have anecdotal evidence going for you. Wayne has noticed the same thing, Von Schweikert has, your wife and friends have. A blind test would seal those results, at least in the context of your room and your equipment.

Given the results are real (which I believe they are) then the question remains why.  Nyc_paramedic suggests the possibility of surface chemistry issues as far as the jumpers contacts go. Perhaps the tweeter is more susceptible to the effects of a less than perfect contact. Thus wiring to it first minimizes these effects.

(Still, that the effect would be *so* large as to be clearly audible is the puzzler. It's as if it was a phase issue, but how could that be?) 

I read somewhere long ago that the nature of contact between two dissimilar conductors is what makes the significant difference. One example would be how cables themselves are terminated, another is the nature of the contact between speaker terminal and cable terminal.  Electrons either maintain their signal coherence through this change or are slightly scrambled as they hit another type of medium.

It's a fun hobby especially when you can play scientist!

Mark

[Nuance]

Most "Audio Boutiquers" are EE's, but just the wrong kind.  They are Enthusiastic Entrepeneurs, not Electrical Engineers.

LOL - nice one.