The Great Cryo'd Outlet Test

"Science is quite often 'crap'. Setting up a good sounding system is an 'art', and as an 'artist' I question your technique. Have fun with your 'test'." - Maxgain on 4/2, about Eldartford

Hey, at least Eldartford is doing a test. You, Max, apparently aren't concerned or curious enough to be bothered - same as me. (And note that conducting a test is not the same thing as "setting up a good sounding system", which was not the goal of Eldartford's efforts in this particular episode. But I think we can assume he's already been attending to that quest over the years, same as any of us.)

"...I noticed barely audible improvement immediately after installing the one cryo-treated IEC. It was not until perhaps 48 hours later (24 hours of system uptime/burn-in) that I noticed the surprising improvements." - Stehno on 4/5

"If it takes several days of operation on the cryo outlet for a difference to be audible I can't do the test. My auditory memory is not that good." - Eldartford on 4/5

I've gotta say after digesting Stehno's updates (5/27, 5/30), I'll take my chances lending credence to Eldee's scientist over Maxie's artist any day. Sorry John, but the differences you report thinking you heard over several days and listening sessions could be due to just about anything that is temporal in nature, from powerline conditions to atmospheric ones, but most prominently including your state of mind/body and the limits of auditory memory.

"...none of the listening tests that I've seen described so far regarding cryo'd outlets do I consider sufficiently rigorous for drawing meaningful conclusions, EVEN WERE I TO DUPLICATE THEM MYSELF...I feel that most of what has been reported on the plus side in this area is probably attributable mostly to psychological causes..." - Me, on 5/29. I just thought it could use repeating.

No problem, Alex. But you may notice, I intentionally started off both updates as 'generic'. Meaning that I had no intention of sharing specifics until I was confident that my testing was complete.

This would be my second experience with a cryo-treated product. The first was replacing a 20 amp hubbell ICE connector with an identical one that was cryo-treated thru Jena Labs. I was amazed at the improvements there. And like I said in an earlier post, I had that cryo'ed IEC connector sitting in a drawer in my toolchest for about 18 months before I installed it. That inaction should at least give some indication toward what I previously thought about cryo-treated hardware.

-IMO

I can appreciate that you were unconvinced before trying it out, John. But even in the case of that IEC connector, had I done the exact same 'test' myself, I would draw no conclusions because:

1) there was no opportunity to repeat an A/B test once the connectors were swapped

2) there could always be uncontrolled variables between the original vs. new connectors concerning crimping/soldering/oxidation issues affecting connection integrity

3) there was an inevitable time lag in between audition opportunities while the work was being done

4) even allowing for a low level of interest in this swap going in, just the mere fact of finally having done the work and invested the time has the potential to create a biasing expectation that *something* will 'change' when listening resumes

5) you *were* exposed to positive propoganda about cryo before trying it yourself

6) experience tells me that when it comes to the sort of subjective sonic alterations we as audiophiles often assign to tweakage (i.e., generally unmeasured or even unmeasurable, often subtle or elusive and difficult to repeat with consistency, open to interpretation and preference as to whether any changes reported represent actual improvements, heard by some and not by others, usually not test auditioned with the rigor of controlled or blind procedures, and often requiring a process of 'belief-formation' over time in order to fully convince ourselves of their worth), there is ample motive and opportunity for psychology to play a leading role.

Regarding point #6, I see elements of many of those potential pitfalls in your own reporting on your audition progress, but please don't take that as criticism or think I'm trying to single you out somehow. I'm actually not a big proponent of blind testing (because I think it creates pitfalls of its own) and don't expect audiophiles working with their own systems at home as a leisure activity to don white lab coats. And 'scientific' analysis of one's audio system is largely beside the point anyway, which ought to be enjoyment of music with a little enjoyment of gear and tweakage on the side, not splitting the atom.

But I do think we also ought to try and be as honest as we can with ourselves when exhortations to spend money and incessant attempts at raising of our levels of dissatisfaction are involved. I've made many little adjustments or modifications to my system that I've convinced myself improve the sound, but being totally honest about things, I'd have to say that if someone snuck in during the night and put everything back the way it was, there's at least an even money chance that I'd never pick up on the difference just by listening. I mean, there are many days I can turn on the system and start listening, and have it sound as if just such a scenario may have happened while I was out, so much worse than what I remember does the music sound, while on other days I can do the same thing and think "Damn!", that sounds so freaking good compared with what I was expecting.

Most days of course it just sounds the same and I don't think about it, but these things can strike at any time - just during the last week or so my system has sounded vaguely disappointing to me about half the times I've listened. Who knows why? I'm sure it - or I - will snap out of it eventually (maybe it's just the health of my ears, the pollen count or something), and I'm just as sure this same kind of thing happens with all of us once in a while. My point is that 'improvements' on the level of most tweakage IMO fall within the 'margin of error' inherent in everyday life variability, so I don't like to get too dogmatic or overly certain about these things. I'm not trying to be a scientist when I listen, but I do try as best I can to use a scientist's level of skepticism and awareness in making honest assessments of my reactions to system changes.

Anyway, continue to enjoy your cryo'd AC connectors, and when you (or anybody) formulates a good technical argument explaining why they ought to make any difference in the sound, please share it with us. Until then, this one will reside securely in my "Jury Still Out But Evidence Thin" file no matter what I think I hear or don't hear when I install the Porter Port...

Hdm, I've reached a conclusion regarding the supposed cryo-ed and non-cryo-ed outlets.

To whom should present my findings?

Stehno: I'm not sure many others will be able to take advantage of using those receptacles now that the tabs have been broken, but perhaps someone else wants to try them out. Perhaps the best way is to check your results against Eldartfords A-B identification in the sealed envelope and then I can confirm the correctness of that identification by either privately e-mailing you (in the event that someone else wants to try them) or simply posting the info (with respect to how the cryoed outlet is marked) in this thread and having you confirm it.

That is, if you hear a difference between the receptacles.