I'll throw in two more possibilities:
1) the binding posts actually do "burn-in" (although this one has really already been floated by the original poster)
2) the new binding posts were cryo treated by the manufacturer.
#2 I actually have a fair bit of experience with, and others that do will also tell you that cryoing cables, receptacles, etc. results in a fairly hyper-detailed but thinned out and etched presentation if the cable or receptacle is inserted back into the system without any burn-in.
The initial sound that Chris describes is very typical of any cryoed cable not subjected to burn-in and the Nextgens may very well be burning in post cryo. There are a number of cable manufacturers that do cryo their wire and identify as such, but there are also manufacturers that cryo and do not identify that their products have been cryoed.
Every receptacle and every piece of wire in my system has been cryoed so I've been through this a number of times. I did replace speaker binding posts with the Eichmann posts a number of years ago. To be honest, I can't recall whether there was a burn-in with the posts; I wish that I had taken the time to cryo those posts but I was impatient and just wanted to get them in and didn't do it.
1) the binding posts actually do "burn-in" (although this one has really already been floated by the original poster)
2) the new binding posts were cryo treated by the manufacturer.
#2 I actually have a fair bit of experience with, and others that do will also tell you that cryoing cables, receptacles, etc. results in a fairly hyper-detailed but thinned out and etched presentation if the cable or receptacle is inserted back into the system without any burn-in.
The initial sound that Chris describes is very typical of any cryoed cable not subjected to burn-in and the Nextgens may very well be burning in post cryo. There are a number of cable manufacturers that do cryo their wire and identify as such, but there are also manufacturers that cryo and do not identify that their products have been cryoed.
Every receptacle and every piece of wire in my system has been cryoed so I've been through this a number of times. I did replace speaker binding posts with the Eichmann posts a number of years ago. To be honest, I can't recall whether there was a burn-in with the posts; I wish that I had taken the time to cryo those posts but I was impatient and just wanted to get them in and didn't do it.