Question 1

Are they directional in nature? If so, how would I determine which direction to best suit me?

Accepted Answer

No, this one is not directional.   But, 
be aware that most comments folks made on here are not actually talking about the right thing in regard to directional cables.

That has has nothing to do with AC audio signals as most of the replies have talked about.

A directional cable has an extra shield that's grounded on ONE end only.   It's still AC and only the ground wire is affected.  
It's not a clean of a signal as a balanced pro-audio XLR signal but it's better than an average RCA/phono connection.  
 
The purpose is to reduce the chance of a ground loop hum which is a very real phenomenon sometimes seen in pro-audio gear where there can be 3-4 guitars, various amps, drum sets, keyboards, 5 sets of microphone cables +  powered guitar amps, guitar effect pedals, 12 to 24 channel mixers, dual subs, etc all connected together.   
The amount of wiring used for a band can be surprising.

A small potential difference between ground points on equipment (such as equipment running on a different breaker or phase of incoming 120V power) can induce a small current causing 60Hz hum.

Cables intended to help with that are meant to be connected 1 way only.  They need the grounded end to be connected at the signal source end, not at the remote amp or remote powered speaker end.   Cables with this feature often have a directional arrow on it.   This has nothing to do with AC audio signals since those still travel both ways on the cable.

A ground loop is not a problem in a typical home theater applications where there aren't mixers, guitars, effects pedals laying spread around on the floor,  and 100ft of microphone cables involved, plus a stereo is often ran from a single outlet which would not be prone to having a ground loop.  A band is often spread across a 10x25ft area and various pieces of gear end up connected to multiple power sources which induces noise issues.

Most home users won't see a benefit from a directional cable, and as a result they often claim that it made no difference, which can be true in that case.

Question 2

Can you pull them apart into separate cables?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can, in fact that's exactly what we did to make 2 seperate cables for 2 different subwoofers

Question 3

How many come in pack

Accepted Answer

One set of cables - 4 male plugs total, one on each end just as shown in the picture ...   worked perfect for my phono to receiver connection

Question 4

Do the cables run in parallel as a single (flat) unit and not split apart until near either of the ends?

Accepted Answer

They run in parallel as a single unit

ASIN	B00DI89I04
Best Sellers Rank	#1,145 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #7 in RCA Cables
Brand Name	KabelDirekt
Cable Type	RCA/phono
Color	Black
Compatible Devices	Subwoofers, A/V receivers, tape decks, audio amplifiers, PCs, speakers, TVs, stereo systems, Hi-Fi systems
Compatible Phone Models	No Compatible Phone Models
Connectivity Technology	RCA/phono
Connector Gender	Male-to-Male
Connector Type	RCA
Customer Package Type	FFP
Customer Reviews	4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (27,446)
Data Transfer Rate	3 Gigabits Per Second
EU Spare Part Availability Duration	3 Years
External Testing Certification	Não aplicável
Global Trade Identification Number	00799422538955
Included Components	KabelDirekt - 2 RCA 2 RCA - 0,8m
Indoor Outdoor Usage	Outdoor
Item Length	3 Feet
Item Shape	Round
Item Weight	0.2 Pounds
Manufacturer	KabelDirekt
Model	258
Model Name	CableDirect – 3ft RCA/phono cable, 2 × 2 plugs, stereo audio cable, practically break-proof & flawless sound quality (coaxial, subwoofer/amp/HiFi & home cinema/Blu-ray, analog & digital)
Number of Items	1
Number of Pins	2
Other Special Features of the Product	Gold-plated connectors
Outer Material	Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Part Number	258
Recommended Uses For Product	Audio Transmission
Specification Met	CE
UPC	799422538955
Unit Count	1.0 Count

CableDirect – 3ft RCA/Phono Cable, 2 × 2 Plugs, Stereo Audio Cable, Practically Break-Proof & Flawless Sound Quality (coaxial, subwoofer/amp/HiFi & Home Cinema/Blu-ray, Analog & Digital)

Details

Details

Description

Specifications

Common Questions