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Can You Expalin Why Power Cables Do This?

It has to do with handling and connecting a power cable that's been "broken in" before but has been laying around out of use, and what happens once you reconnect the power cable and it "settles in." (It can be a power cord on an amplifier or cd player, etc.)

Why, when you first plug in many power cables in the situation above, do they start out adding more bass weight and clarity to the presentation (often, not always). Then the power cable goes through a (stabilization, "settling in") or whatever you call it. With this stabilizing or settling in, the original bass and weight dissipates. The original clarity dissipates. Within a day or two (or 3) after "settling in," when you listen to the system, the presentation has changed. Now the presentation has lost some of that clarity and bass weight from before (I guess audiophiles call this a "tightening" of the bass, and the dissipation of clarity is called what? (the highs getting smoother?)

What's happening? Any EE's out there with a not too technical explanation in laymen's terms that average folks can relate to about this "re-settling?" I wish "broken in" power cables, continued adding the good attributes to the system before and after "settling in." (you know, bass weight, clarity etc.) I'd like to keep those sonic qualities not lose them. What's happening?
Thanks
foster_9

Showing 3 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,902 posts
 
Break in usually has a positive effect when noted.

Its true that any change in sound is often most noticeable at first. Then your ears adjust and the nature of the change becomes less noticeable.

I'm also convinced that the listener plays a major role in what one hears day in day out, especially in the case of critical listeners. Why assume that we are constant from day to day and its only our gadgets that vary?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,902 posts
 
Unfortunately, Macd's explanation is perhaps as plausible as any I can come up with other than its often us that change in terms of what we hear from day to day and not our devices.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,902 posts
 
Here's something interesting regarding power cords:

PC measurements
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