Wanted to experiment with my stereo - (IMHO) improve the sound , more towards elements I heard from an audiophile friends' system: dug around in my closet and pulled out a 1 meter pair of HARMONIC TECHNOLOGIES PRO-SILWAY MK III (which was part of an equipment buy about 5 years ago), and replaced the Stager Silver interconnects from my Marantz SACD SA-8001 into my JOB INT integrated amp. Let it play low 24 hr/day for 7 days and then for about 21 days (still at 24hr/day) med volume during the day and low overnight - and am now thoroughly amazed at the change (positive in my estimation) in so many aspects of the musics' presentationthru my system.
This leads me to question who else is using 'older' interconnects and/or speaker cables (meaning 15+ years old) and how they rate in comparison "... to new and of course better constructions and technologies..."
Also: do cables " burn out" or lose their effacicy to perform over time?
Looking forward to real life experiences being shared... Thanks!
I have had any number of cables in various systems over the years; Audioquest Diamond, Mackenzie, Water, Sydney, XLO, Audience ONO, Synergistic Research Foundation, Morrow, MIT, and others which do not come to mind now. Well, after a recent move I came across a forgotten 1m pair of Cardas Hexlink Golden 5C. I had only briefly given the Cardas Hexlink a listen, as I bought them used quite a while ago. Initially Initially I felt they were a bit rolled off and went with Synergistic for a while. In the meantime I attained a new RME ADI 2 DAC. I had some time and decided to plug in the old Cardas. I was amazed at how good they sounded. Much more "substance" or body to the music than the Synergistics, yet all the musical detail was there and the spaciousness and instrument separation seemed to simply allow the music to float in the sound stage. Needless to say I was very impressed; thinking if this is what a 25 year old Cardas can sound like, the newer stuff must be Dynamite! So, I ordered a pair of Cardas Golden Presence IC's. I liked them a lot. Very musical signature, similar to the Hexlink 5C's (Apparently a Cardas house sound). Well, after around 2 weeks of listening decided to listen to the Hexlinks again. Once again I was taken aback by the spatial characteristic of those older cables. I have decided to continue with the Cardas Hexlink Golden 5C interconnects. They are absolutely superb! And this is from a 25 year old interconnect. Whodathunkit???
All of my current interconnects(Kimber KS-1132 and KS-1032, Synergistic Tesla Apex(w/Spallone MPC mod) and Analog Tricon, Wireworld Eclipse 7 Golds, not to mention my Analysis Plus, Big Silver Oval speaker cables), have silver conductors. So did every other interconnect I’ve owned, in the past 30 years. None of them have ever gotten brighter(in the least)after, "aging"(most, for over 15 years each). I’ve been very pleased/happy, with their abilities to pass whatever’s fed them, without editorialization. I’ve no doubt, I could move up the food-chain, in each company’s offerings, which is why I haven’t auditioned anything, lately. I’m getting cheap, in my old age.
Having replaced 8 gauge 20+ year old copper with modern 14 gauge Synergistic speaker wire and being stunned by the improvement, I conclude even copper ages. I also know that silver gets bright as it ages.
I have a 20+ year old pair of Audioquest Ruby ics that are still going strong in our HT.Whenever I swap in cable or cord that's been languishing in a box for a few years,it seems to break in again fairly quickly.20-50 hours.
Just wondering if anyone knows about old Vecteur interconnects. I found a pair deep in my old audio drawer. They are woven copper, covered with see through tubing. They are quite good looking with very nice RCA terminators. They also have a short, exposed wire coming off the cable on the source side...some sort of ground or noise damping I imagine. I can't find anything on the net about them. Thanks, Jim
curiousjim The OP did ask a question that I don’t think has been answered. If you stop using an IC, speaker wire or PC, for a long period of time will it need burned in again when later used again?
>>>>>>i actually answered that question already yesterday when I pointed out that even cables that have been in constant use for 15+ years would nevertheless benefit from true burn-in using a Cable Cooker or burn-in track of a Test CD or LP. It’s because playing music is not nearly a complete burn in method. This is why folks burn-in their cables periodically with a Cable Cooker or burn-in track for a couple of days. Even though many cables manufacturers routinely use cryogenic treatment as part of the manufacturing process it is beneficial to repeat the cryogenic treatment or, at a minimum, place the cables in the home freezer for 48 hours.
I have a mix of old and new cables and I've switched and exchanged these at various times. I am using old (and now discontinued Music Metre) interconnects between my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ and my Classe Audio DR-9 power amp. The wiring harness from my Moerch UP-4 is by the same company. They sound fine to me but maybe I've got an unsophisticated ear. Because I've swapped components, it's hard to tell changes in quality over time though.
The OP did ask a question that I don’t think has been answered. If you stop using an IC, speaker wire or PC, for a long period of time will it need burned in again when later used again?
@insearchofprat You may be looking at the new price of the Mk 3 version (or whatever version they’re up to). Decades ago, used, they were quite approachable. They’re the model with the white woven silk covering. If I do experiment with anything else, it’ll probably be the Triode Wire Labs Spirit II’s.
BTW, it was Arnie of Accutronics in Ann Arbor who sold me to me. He was running a used component operation out of the basement of his store, listing on eBay. Shortly thereafter, he went on to found Audiogon.
15+ years old and still not broken in. If you want a new lease on life break then in on a Cable Cooker or at a minimum two straight days using the burn in track on the XLO Test CD or similar. You should also consider cryogenically treating then. Be nice to your cables and they’ll be nice to you.
Hi insearchofprat, My whole system is wired with Stage III Concepts- I have Duke and Emperor interconnects, and Emperor speaker cables. Also, Stage II Concepts power cords on my 3 amps in the system (bi-amped with two mono on bottom and one stereo amp on top) The other pieces of equipment in my system use a mix of power cords. All this was bought about 18 to 20 yrs ago.
I'm wondering: do all who have chimed in here believe that higher cost (into the lower to mid $$$$) really do make a difference in their ability to passion information and reproduce close-your-eyes, real-sounding music (given high quality recordings with either vinyl or CD)?
...did a it of research about the brand/model IC you have: opinions about it vary from somewhat of a 2nd coming to they're OK - but it appears they are double $$$$ to the cost of my electronics (and abit out of my price range at the moment)... If you tire of them or feel the need to experiment (with something like Luna Cables), please contact me...
I've tried a number of interconnects over the years, but I keep coming back to my Acrolink 8N-A2080 [Mk 1] cables, bought over 20 years ago when they were already used.
I certainly hope that interconnects and speaker wire don't corrode and go bad that quickly. I plan to keep what I have. I don't know if cable technology has advanced much over the past 15 years. If someone offered me a pair of NBS Black Label cables, I would snatch them up really quickly.
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