2. cables
  3. 177583-11265

Can cables have a shelf life?

I have a combined HT/Stereo set-up I’ve been revamping for a month or so. New monitors/new center. Same brand but the center is a different family.

I had everything dialed in and sounding pretty darn good but I’ve made a move of my amps and some XLRs I’ve had tucked away due to length issues in a box for guessing 8 years? 9 years? Longer? And I pulled them out today and inserted them in after all these years. Honestly my XLRs I had in place might have sounded better. Particularly the center. But really need to let it ride a few days but was wondering about age (They work so should be no issues right?) After all these years to they require a mini break-in?

They are Kimber Select 1126. I had been using Kimber Hero. The 1126, in theory should be a decent perceived step up. I feel it’s a perceived step back (-:

But not sure if they need to settle in again, if the age may take into account or the build of new cables have gotten closer to these. They’ve kept the model number after all these years but these have to be a couple of recipes back my now.

Thanks

Rick

 

 

dynguy

Showing 1 response by dynguy

dynguy's avatar
dynguy OP
66 posts
 

I’ve got them running. Thanks for the input. I have a loaner coming just to compare. It’s sounding better. I want to put the Kimber Hero back in then try something not Kimber. Going to insert an Audioquest Water in.

But I am certain night one was a bit messed up. The best time is right after the swap. A little brief background. I bought a Dynaudio Contour Ci center new to go with a special edition Dynaudio stereo monitor I also purchased with no matching center for a combined HT/stereo rig. I would not call the center dark as it’s not but maybe at first constricted may be a better word. I won’t go into a lot of adjectives but I was worried it may not workout. I let it run for a month. Doing some clean-up with cables. Adjustments etc and at some point the past week it was like a switch went on. Everything sounding fantastic. I mean I was really floored. I then remembered I had these cables and the amps are close now. They may reach and bet it will even go further. These were pretty awesome as I remembered from a decade ago. When I popped them in, that sound to me of constriction and voices sounding a bit dark back. Maybe worse.I couldn’t believe it and it was obvious. To be honest I expected nothing discernible. And I didn’t expect the much cheaper cable to sound better. Now for the hell of it I want to try a non Kimber.

It could well be the Water goes back and coin flip the other two.

But really thanks. This proved at least to me there may be some truth in run in. Wouldn’t think a used cable required anything. Sounding better now. Nothing like night one. Been running four days straight. It has really improved but I’d like to take my personal test further now.

More to discover