Quack System Upgrades

@mikethehunterguy: " A good whisky is the best tweak ever."

I disagree. Now that I remember, the best tweak I ever heard was joint of some mystery pot that a biker tipped me in the late '60s. When I smoked it in my room and put Led Zep II on my cheap Magnavox all-in-one it was like a this divine music was filling the whole world! I turned the volume to max, took the removable speakers off the unit, put them about 2 feet apart and placed my head between them. Never heard anything as good before or since. Never met that biker again either, drat!

That is probably how I got hooked on this hobby. They say it's a gateway drug.

@gdhal 

@astro58go, yes, I do not believe in cable burn-in based on listening.

Have you ever listened to a cable, new or old, that's spent a couple days on a cable cooker, like an Audiodharma?  To each his own, and I'm not suggesting that what you hear is invalid, just that to my ears the difference between a fully conditioned cable and one that isn't is rather substantial.

 
bcowen
@gdhal
@astro58go, yes, I do not believe in cable burn-in based on listening.
Have you ever listened to a cable, new or old, that's spent a couple days on a cable cooker, like an Audiodharma? To each his own, and I'm not suggesting that what you hear is invalid, just that to my ears the difference between a fully conditioned cable and one that isn't is rather substantial.

Excellent point! Ditto cryogenics. Which is why almost all high end cable manufacturers got hip a long time ago and Cryo their cables. Can't compete otherwise. Duh!

@bcowen 

no, I haven't listened to a cable before and then after being "cooked".

I get what you and others are saying about the substantial difference. My point hasn't been addressed, however, which is on what basis are you/anyone else saying that the substantial difference is an "improvement" as in more accurate reproduction of the source? If you mean to say it is your preference, that is perfectly fine/acceptable. If something else, then I reiterate that by all means please produce a data spec sheet of the particular cable, let's compare it to  https://www.belden.com/techdatas/english/5T00UP.pdf and review what elements are "better".