Been there done that. One of the biggest reasons manufacturers have such difficulty getting their systems to sound even reasonably good at audio shows like CES is that they insist on showing brand new systems - new components, new speakers and new cables. Because the system has not been broken in properly it will by and large sound thin, bass shy, two dimensional, harsh, beamy, irritating and generic. Sometimes the systems will open up and start sounding a little listenable on day three, the day it’s time to pack up and leave! |
The flagship Duelund capacitors that everyone is raving about are notorious for long break-in times, as much as 500 or 600 hours, so they say. Of course it’s always possible that some sort of group hypnosis is going on. ;-)
One High Fidelity Cables reviewer noted that the CT-1 ICs were 90% broken in after 10 hours. Well, I happen to be rather disenchanted with the whole idea of 90% of anything so it begs the question is break-in like recharging a cell phone for which the last 5% of charging takes the longest time? Aren’t we just trying to get the last 5% to get to the Promised Land?
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In order to fully appreciate the significance of break-in for wires and cables it helps to have installed the wire or cables in the correct, I.e., best sounding direction, just like fuses. If they are installed in the wrong direction they will sound lame both before and after break in. |
Roger wrote,
"The experience cannot be described in words. So let me simply say the in the coming months you will see one audio magazine after another validating what I have done as the biggest breakthrough in sound reproduction. Period."
Actually, eveything can be described in words. No reason for all the mystery. We are not illiterate slobs. See if you can describe what indescribable experience you’re talking about in say a paragraph or two. Is it like a Mounds candy bar, indescribably delicious?
"If it doesn’t make sense it’s not true." - Judge Judy
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It's been my experience that amplifier designers are the most educated, clever and talented audiophiles in the business. Don't believe me? Just ask them. I'm more of a Zag Nut guy myself. |
Funny you should say that. I actually don’t use an amplifier. Or a preamp. Pretty ironic since you're the big amp guy and I'm a non amp guy. Let me riddle you this: is no amplifier better than any amplifier? I also eschew fuses, transformers, interconnects, house AC, power cords, speaker cables and digital cable.
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I actually have eight - count ’em!! - products that reduce distortion in the sound. None of these products affect the audio system per se - not the electronics, not cables, not the house AC, not the house wiring, not speakers, and not room acoustics. Did I leave anything out? So, no matter how well you do with reducing, ameliorating, attenuating, or plain getting rid of distortion everywhere else, including the amplifier, there is a long way to go. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.
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"geoffkait, so you’re the one. Organic neuron stimulation? telepathic-enabling technology?... like in the film Æon Flux?! That’s way cooler then this gear thing."
I prefer to think of myself more like in the film The Men Who Stare at Goats.
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Well, there are obviously lots of reasons why a system might lack focus including, but are not limited to, lack of vibration isolation, lack of sufficient or correctly placed room treatments, disregard for cable and fuse directionality, disregard for absolute polarity of the system, there is at least one problem in the system, disregard for the magnetic field produced by large transformers, insufficient damping of circuit boards and CD transport mechanism and non optimum speaker locations.
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"I wonder how designers of well regarded "active" speakers deal with the vibration issues with amp in the same space (essentially) as the drivers. Sort of kicks that issue out the door."
That’s an excellent Strawman argument. First, who’s says active speakers are well regarded? Second, who says they don’t address vibration? Besides speaker crossovers in conventional speakers are not immune to vibration, either. They aren't immune to the rather large magnetic fields, either.
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