Power Cable Break In - Such a Change!

@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.

     According to SOCRATES: "The only true wisdom is knowing when you know nothing."

     My version: "In order to know you don’t know anything you have to know something."

     Here are examples, in response to a previous post (mrskeptic’s):

https://thermalprocessing.com/freezing-out-the-competition/#

     and:

https://www.thefabricator.com/tubepipejournal/article/shopmanagement/cryogenic-processingadispelling-the-myths-mysteries

     iow: YES, cryo treatment DOES fundamentally change the molecular/crystalline structure of metals (as well as a plethora of other materials).

     The problem with naysayers* isn’t that they’re ignorant (ie: that, "actual metallurgist)".    It’s that they, "know" so much that’s outdated and simply wrong.

                 *Those still basing their opinions on 1800s Electrical Theory

     More to the point of the potential affect of cryo treatments on our cables/components/systems:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/materials-research-society-internet-journal-of-nitride-semiconductor-research/article/improved-low-resistance-contacts-of-niau-and-pdau-to-ptype-gan-using-a-cryogenic-treatment/F9F3004B4AB0272292BB7D0122B63429

the book on cable theory and design is certainly not closed...the video posted by @sls141 has appealing comic-like graphics, but that is not science, just an individual stating opinions without scientific evidence.  Even at our "advanced" date, the science of how  wires conduct electricity(notice I did not say how electricity travels THROUGH wires) is still controversial...if you wish to read mind-challenging science, read the article shown on Jeff Smith's website from FIDELIUM  CABLES.  Regardless, how many reading this truly understand the science?   one can be practical....what sounds better?  That should be what matters, right?

mrskeptic

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.

Bending creates stress that distorts the properties of a material. 

Tying a knot in a rope reduces the strength of that rope where it is bent. One doesn’t need to be a scientist to understand this.

Knot strength chart.

Whether break-in is real or in the brain, it’s crazy to buy high end power cords new at retail or even 20 percent off (and have them sound bad for 150 hours) when they go for 50-60 percent off used and nicely broken in. I bought the AQ Hurricane for my AQ5000 on USA Audiomart for $850 (retail $1,750).