2. cables
  3. 175954-41

Power Cable Break In - Such a Change!

I installed a new AudioQuest Dragon Source power cord from my Lumin X1 to my Niagara 7000. The power cord from the wall to the Niagara 7000 is also a Dragon but the High Current version. I bought that cord used.

So, when I first started using the new power cord everything sounded great. However, after a couple of days I started hearing a strident sound. Especially in the upper mid/ treble region. The bass was also constricted. I started blaming the sound change on another piece of equipment that was installed concurrently.

Now, I was under the impression that the Dragon power cord with its DBS system required no break in. But I did inquire about it to AudioQuest who responded that it would still need about 150 hours to break in. It's been close to that now and sure enough yesterday I started hearing the glorious sound that I heard from day one with the power cord only perhaps better.

I must say the difference during break in and now is quite remarkable, I don't remember any other power cord going through this amount of dramatic change.

ozzy

ozzy

Showing 2 responses by mrskeptic

mrskeptic
262 posts
 

Can anyone here (or anywhere else for that matter) explain in a scientific way, how electrons traveling over, around, and through wiring of any type, change the properties of said wire to supposedly improve the sound?

 

Also, in more than 40 years of reading about stereo stuff, I've never heard of something sounding worse after the supposed break-in. Why is that?

mrskeptic
262 posts
 

@sls141

 

I appreciate the effort but he’s only giving his opinion. First of all, who is he and what are his qualifications as a metallurgist or other scientist that deals with wiring and electrical measurements? Second of all, when he says simply bending a wire changes it's properties and therefore changes how your speakers will sound, he loses all credibility with me.

Several years ago I talked with an actual metallurgist and specifically asked him about cryogenic treatment of wires changing the crystal structure and when he stopped laughing, he said *if* that happens, the crystals will go back to their normal structure when they return to room temperature.

Until there is blind testing that shows differences more frequently than simple chance, it’s all just an opinion, and that goes for anything in the audio world.

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