I don't know what the mechanism is, but I have had experiences similar to Dopogue's, particularly with cables. And with the Avalon Eclipses I bought in 1995, which were so variable in the first 6 months as to induce severe bouts of hypochondria (I must have some hearing disorder, etc etc). High-end audio...not for the faint of heart.
Break in period
What would the forum say about how long or how many hours of play time needs to occur before you can establish that your new loudspeakers are playing at optimum performance? I've heard opinions on this all over the scale!! Does this depend on the type and brand of loudspeaker, material of drivers, power being driven, etc? Can we agree on a nominal time period? I realize it may also depend on how loud you play them as well. Any thoughts? Many thanks.