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

128x128ozzy
tsushima1
1,165 posts
 

@havocman , good post 

“ 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.“

ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
7,220 posts
 

Thanks for all the posts thus far.

Just a little of history. I have owned several iterations of PS Audio power plants. I also have owned Acoustic Revive, Shunyata, Purist, Synergistic etc.

The AudioQuest Niagara 7000 has been the most impressive of all of them.

The same with power cords, I have owned all the ones mentioned and lots of other top named power cords. Including some of my DIY and many specialty ones.

The combo of the Dragons with the Niagara 7000 provides the synergy that was probably lacking with the others.

ozzy

andy2
1,525 posts
 

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?

Have you ever heard that a car engine runs worse after broken in in 40 years of your life?

 

 

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,193 posts
 

OZ,

 I am confused. If the cord was used, shouldn’t it be already broken in and the DBS is supposed to last as long as the batteries are good, plus about  three weeks. 

What was the other change you made at the same time?

JD

asctim
438 posts
 

@mrskeptic This video explained it IMO. Jump to about 11 minutes in to speed it along. At about 24:30 minutes in, he explains break in.

 

What this video is suggesting to me is that cables are a terrible idea. Every time you move them at all you're degrading them in an audible way! What we need are cables that are built with the proper bend to fit between our components and then held in stiff harnesses to prevent them from being bent again. If we want to rearrange our components we're just going to have to buy new cables. Oh, but then there's the little flex cables that lead to the voice coil. They're being vibrated and flexed constantly. Those should be easily replaceable as they must be degrading at a rapid rate. How many hours are they good for? 

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