Good result!
I assume that the other times you were listening all the other factors were the same.
Break-in Time
If I had any doubts about the efficacy of break-in on cables they were dispelled yesterday. Having spent a lot on speaker cables (Audioquest Robin Hood Zero,) I expected to see some impressive results. At first, they sounded fine, certainly better than my lower priced cables, but lacking perspective and sounding somewhat lifeless. I realized I’d have to wait for burn-in to take place. After many, many hours of constant listening, they sounded a lot better, but still lacking something which my former cables had, a sense of presence. I phoned my dealer and said I was disappointed. He recommended another pair to try out. So I ordered them and planned to return the Robin Hood after comparison if they were better.
No sooner than 2-3 hours after I hung up with the salesman, a miracle happened.
The sound opened up to the extent that I didn’t recognize my set anymore.
It was transfigured into some of the best sound I ever heard. No matter what I played, or what source, the sound was incredibly life-like.
So much for the deniers!
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Congratulations. Yeah. It is hard not to be skeptical… and really anticipate great sound immediately. But alas, it can take time. The first time I recognized breakin was over forty years ago, I promised myself I would wait to judge new stuff after that. But, over and over again I would get ahead of myself and proclaim judgement too soon. I think it is just human nature. Glad the sound quality flipped… it is amazing how it is exactly the same for individual products… but different for different products. This was brought home for me because I broke in three individual Audio Research Reference 160s amps. I expected similar break-in… but I was shocked at how exactly each of them followed the same path. |
+1 @nonoise it’s not unusual at all for cables to flip flop few times before they settle. Usually at a 200hr mark you notice it’s all coming together. |
It’s usually held that the better the sound is, the more easily you can get into the music. I’ve never entirely bought into this concept. I think I’ve leaned toward the feeling that music is music and sound is sound. |
OP, This is absolutely true… providing you are fully assessing the sound correctly and not being swayed by a couple attributes and ignoring others. It is easy to be seduced by detail and slam, letting rhythm and pace, musicality, and natural sound slip through your fingers. You end up with spectacular highlighted cymbals, chest thumping kick drums and silent background, but sound that misses soul… the emotional connection. This is why a lot of us old codgers moved back to tubes and companies that are all about the music and not sonic aerobatics. |
@rvpiano - I think getting into the music more is a general result as your system is improved. In this case it was cables that seemed to be responsible for the improvement in sound quality. For me, it was rolling some Mullard tubes in my Pathis that really elevated my system beyond what I thought was possible. That improvement compelled me to dabble in other areas like cables for the first time. Cables made things better, but the combination of upgrading my DAC and moving to a balanced Morrow Audio interconnect has resulted in another unbelievable improvement. I think the designer of Iconoclast is on to something when he says that timing is the key. I think that great timing leads to a more visceral experience which ties into PRAT that gets your toes tapping and head nodding involuntarily. |