Do Interconnects need to "warm up"?

So do I!

really, they need to "relax" after being moved around and touched.

That's awesome-jogging suits for interconnects.

Where's Capt. Kaitt? This is right up his alley and fits the product line perfectly.

Yes send them out jogging.

...and every religion has its own truths and myths indeed.
AMEN.

Audiophilia simply cannot be compared to a religion because it doesn't include any belief in anything beyond here and now. It's probably closer to a mental illness and voices in our heads.

06-22-11: Blkadr
Audiophilia is a religion. As with all religions, it is based on faith.

I don't consider it a religion, but as a hobby,obsession or whatever one thinks of it, it is definitely faith based !!!

Blkadr (Black Adder perhaps) brings up a point which I reject, at least in part. Audiophilia is terminology used to explain those of us who care ALOT about our HiFi systems and their capabilities to re-create musical events well enough for us to suspend belief. We experiment and choose what we find works best, without being overly biased as to any particular pursuits predilection for failure. In other words, the proof is in the puddin' my dear fellows. Those on the other side of the coin, who have pre-determinations already formed as to the efficacy of any particular avenue of audio enhancement, are the blindly religious zealots. We audiophiles are not necessarily religious.....just passionate for the advancement of the auditory arts!

No they do not it must be something in your gear tubes maybe?

Audiophilia is a religion. As with all religions, it is based on faith.

It is good to know it takes a while for my cables to settle down once I disconnect them. Not sure why...but it's good.

Wolf_garcia, Spacial Coherence tried to do this with their linestage which took a very long time to settle down. It didn't work.

I would not use the phase, warm up, but when you disconnect cables or move them around, they definitely require some time, perhaps an hour to settle down. This really means that you need to A-B-A comparisons for cables to assure that cable A isn't advantaged. Or do long term A-B comparisons.

I also agree with what "Brf" said in the above post. I was in a dealer that had a system running all day long that sounded a little bright. After listening to it for ~10 minutes, that little hint of bright of sound it had, was hardly noticeable afterward.

Bravo, Maestro WAG! LOL!

Well mister "Ted Denney III"...prior to a show you should rent a truck, put the entire entire system in it powered with a generator, drive it fired up all the way to the audio show, carry the whole damn thing in there while it's still running, and then quickly switch the AC to the room power. Then you'd get some respect!

Yours as a musician,
Wolfgang Amadeus Garcia, Esq. Phd BFD WTF
Unleaded Designer, Wolfdroppings Music Inc. ASCAP BMI WWF

Prior to doing a show (CES, RMAF, T.H.E. Show Newport, ect) we get the system together we are going to use for the venue and set it up at our factory at least ONE MONTH prior to the show and leave it on repeat 24/7 while changing the material on a daily basis. Then we ship all components, speakers and cables to the venue for set up. The first day we just get everything in place and put the system on repeat. It always sounds dark muddy and closed in and we don't sweat it. The next day the system has opened up dramatically and this is when I begin to fine tune speaker placement and then acoustics. Then with each successive day the system sounds better and better until the last day when it always sounds its best.

System warm up, cable warm up it's all the same. Biased cables like my Actively Shielded cables suffer less but all cables / components / speaker sound better when they are used on a regular basis.

Yours in music,
Ted Denney III
Lead Designer, Synergistic Research Inc.

I would think that any difference in tonal characteristics would vary more as a particular battery was drained than from using different brands, but who am I to judge since I admittedly can't hear that level of detail.

I read someplace that Eric Johnson claims to sense different tonal characteristics in his guitar sound when comparing various brands of 9 volt batteries in his effects boxes. So there. And, interestingly, since I'm not actually wiring up all these batteries to the cables, I can use any battery I want...they can even be dead and thus require NO break-in...I'm cramming little fake wire leads under the cable plug casings to lend an air of legitimacy to the whole thing. I really think the sound has improved.

Whow i didnt know that.

That's the ticket! Yeah, batteries...I have some special audiohile edition batteries for sale designed by Professor Lipschitz from We Hosem Inc. Correction, I of course meant to say there are "none better" than the MIT PC's for non digital applicaions IMHO:O) FYI, I found only a 29% increae in efficacy in the AQ balanced cables after a couple weeks, but it did improve to 35% by week 3! Of course I used a special automated tube based measuring device with zircon encrusted contacts for minimal experimental error. It's always in the details...let me know about the batteries.

I bought some midrange AQ balanced cables and they sound somewhat better after a couple of weeks. I measured them and they sound exactly 32% better than when new (I used a measuring cup). Also...I don't care what any "technical" smarty pants says...I'm duct taping little batteries to everything.

No to the battery DIY thing...you need an Anode and a Cathode wire for each one running inside the cable bundle. It expediates the dielectric warm up/breakin effect. In other words, the cable is always ready to go full throttle with no warm up or lengthy breakin process. They still need about 48hrs bur in however, despite what they say. The PC's are superb for digital gear, but for all other applications there is one better than MIT...experience and tons of cash went into my decision so don't even start!!

Here's a thread about Audioquest DBS FWIW:

IC Twilight Zone

I bet somebody has asked this someplace but I wonder if I could hook up my own batteries to the cables I have?

Ted_d - What is it that changes in a warmed up cable that would be "doubly" important compared to say, speakers and amplifiers?

I'd like to hear from the OP after warming up his system with an alternate interconnect and then swapping in his main one while the rest of the system is warm.

"AQ has an entire technology based on cables staying "warmed up" (DBS) from batteries (at least I think that's what they do)...I like it! I don't own any...but hey...I STILL like it! "

Yes, I have a pair of these. I like them too. I have never been able to attribute any identifiable sound difference to the DBS devices, but I still like the way the wires sound and the DBS gadget in theory at least.

Where's Rod Serling when you need him...............

Realistic isn't always cynical, but Synergistic research products are unrealistic for me. ROI is too small or nothing vs. Mogamy as an example.

I have an AQ power cord with DBS, which kind of doesn't make sense, since it's charged all the time from the AC, but I does like the sound....alot!!

AQ has an entire technology based on cables staying "warmed up" (DBS) from batteries (at least I think that's what they do)...I like it! I don't own any...but hey...I STILL like it!

Cynics and peeps with an agenda aside, I have never heard anything that did not "Warm Up" in the audio chain. This goes doubly for cables.

Yours in music,
Ted Denney III
Lead Designer, Synergistic Research Inc.

Wolf_garcia - How do you know it was the cold temperatures and not the shielding that made the difference in sound. I'd suggest pulling the plug on the freezer all together to find out. Maybe dorm refrigerators will become an audio tweek.

Anything for the "good cause" my dear fellow! Here here, spit spot, cheerio and all that:O)

I drilled a hole in my freezer in order to route my cables through it...they seem to sound better but my food is getting soft, my popsicles are melting, and my girlfriend just doesn't understand...I wonder if it was worth it.

Chrisr,
Make sure your measuring device handles magnitudes of 10 or more decimal positions.

Maybe - all things characteristics change with changes in temperature, especially metals. It would be interesting to measure electrical characteristics of interconnects before and after use.

I think Hifihvn makes sence of cooling cables vs. worming up. Designing freeze packs for cables might be the next crazy tweak in the audiophile business.

I suspect AF is correct.

My technical gut instincts (which usually serve me pretty well) and personal experimentation with ICs tell me that what matters is the physical configuration of the IC, its impedance characteristics within teh system it exists in, its ability to transmit all frequencies in phase and ability to shield/protect against external EM fields when needed that mostly matters.

USe of exotic materials just ups the cost and snob appeal perhaps but probably is not a major factor in sound.

Just my technical gut assessment. VEry little relating to ICs is proven in the usual scientific sense.

All I can speak to is my own experience with silver cables. The difference was not always night and day, but it definately decreased my enjoyment of listening to my system (s) over time.

Rpg,
I've frequently heard the same thing you have. I also leave my system on most of the time, unplugging only if there's a storm approaching or I plan to be gone for an extended period.

I have no idea what causes it though. My gut feeling is that it isn't the ICs but who knows?

I could have you audition 10 cables of various compositions and you wouldn't have a clue if they were copper, silver, gold, or a combination.

No way, no how.

But nobody else could either. The conductor material plays a very minute part in the sonic signature.

With more experience you'll understand this.

Copper vs Silver is akin to listening to a performance at the BSO vs The New York Philharmonic (at the original Avery Fisher Hall). One is gloriously musical, while the latter was hard, bright and cold sounding. Metals have a sound. Pure silver cables add too much of that sound for my taste. I've heard some silver fuses and hybrid cable designs that are musical.

(already cooked) me bad

Silver not a "musical" conductor?? How is the Alabama State electric chair wired?? Hmmmm...

Audiofeil - I would take what Dave_b to mean that silver is not the most musical conductor material all other things being equal. While this may be a difficult claim to make since it's unlikely to find identical cables, your response about geometry, purity and deilectrics have nothing to do with a claim about a material choice being superior. What is your experience with, say, silver vs. copper conductors?

Rpg ... Iv'e found the same thing with My Levinson/ Ayre setup . It seems even if equipment is left on , it takes a couple of hours at the very least for things to settle in before the swing and flow return . I like Wolfs analogy .

>>06-11-11: Dave_b
pure silver cables are not the most musical choice<<

Wrong.

Actually the geometry, conductor purity, and dielectric are vastly more germane to the sonic signature than the conductor material itself.

With such an important discussion, I am suprised the more experienced here, did not mention the very necessary cable "stretch" after warm up ..... especially before a fortississimo!

Like a good wine it needs to breathe...or something.

Yes, everything sounds better after being played awhile. FYI, pure silver cables are not the most musical choice:O)

Oh Wolf you crack me up. I try to describe my system to some of my party guests and they look at me like I'm crazy. They are either bored or thinking why didn't I just buy something from Bose to keep it simple.

I pretty much listen to the same kind music all the time and don't have different kinds/genres of music so I think I often am not working out my speakers enough in the other frequency ranges so I got the Isotek System Refresher Disk to make sure I'm covered. (I can picture you all laughing at me now)

Here is a link about it if you want to know more info.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/isotek/cd.html