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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

128x128ozzy
ghdprentice
6,408 posts
 

Cool. Great post. Yes, it may sound ridiculous but break-in is very real and can make a big difference.

emailists
923 posts
 

Off topic, but Ozzy can you tell us your history with power conditioners and how you ended up with the Niagara 7000?

Personally I had the powerplant 500 (i think it was called back then).

After a few years I got a passive device, Acoustic Revive RTP6, which I liked better. Then I heard about Garth Powell going to Audioquest, and started to read about the Niagara. The hilarious thing is that watching Garth’s demo over YouTube, I could hear a slight benefit in the demo of the amps straight to the wall vs. Niagara 7000. A very skeptical golden eared friend heard it over YouTube as well.
 

The science behind the Niagara series made sense and It greatly benefited my 2 channel system and Home theater rig, which are both plugged in.

I haven’t compared it to any other conditioners, however, and don’t exactly have a desire to be moving this 90 pound monster.

 

dchang05
60 posts
 

I really like my Dragon HC power cord connecting to my power generator. To me this is the best place for it. I remember it took three weeks to reach the best sound. I am considering to buy a Dragon source power cord, if I can find a used one. You seemed to like the combination.

havocman
350 posts
 

well then Ozzy you should try power cords from companies like Harmonic technology acoustic Zen or any other companies that use OCC single Crystal, audioquest charges an arm and a leg for it other companies use the same wire and much cheaper audioquest is ripping people off big time Harmonic technology Neotech and a few others have much more reasonable prices for the same OCC single crystal wire.

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?

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