2. cables
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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!

rvpiano

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
7,539 posts
 

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.

ghdprentice
7,539 posts
 

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.

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