Another Cryogenic Freeze Article HFNRR

In response to Megasam:

I used to work with Liquid Nitrogen as a part of my experimentation at work. Since then I have changed jobs and no longer have access to the Nitrogen.

As far as the procedure, it wasn't very scientific...
Chill down was achieved by blowing the liquid into an insulated dewar with the cables inside - Immediate Chill. Being careful not to bump the dewar at any time, I left the nitrogen evaporate off for a period that took almost 24 hours. The cables came to room temperature on their own in the next 24 hours without touching the container they were in. FYI - the cables were suspended horizontally (straight) in the liquid on teflon blocks.

The system seemed to sound smoother and presentation with more air. No other side effects were noticed from the deep freeze.

Hope this helps... and good luck.

Has anyone heard of the cryogenic freezing of *tubes*? Saw something about this recently -- Pearl Cryovac Electron Tubes. Do you think it is hoodoo, or voodoo?

Megasam. Yes, you may borrow some Purist Proteus or Dominus cables if you wish to experiment. I may or may not have the exact lengths you require, drop me an email.

Jim. I know the Pearl web site you are referring to, it is www.tubeworld.com/. I have not heard the "exact" tubes sold by these people, but I am familiar with the stock version of all the tubes listed at the site.

In the past few years, much work has been done by both Purist Audio and a well known tube supplier in this field. Their results were similar in that drastically mixed results were achieved depending on exact tube type and brand as well as circuit application.

I had the opportunity to hear several samples from these experiments, and therefore do not suggest the carte blanche cryo treatment of every tube type, especially at the prices indicated at that site. The problem is not finding good cryo processors, but knowing which tubes benefit and which tubes are performance diminished by the treatment. ( Longevity not considered ).

For instance, a tube like the Dutch Amperex 6DJ8, or the Chinese 845 benefit fairly well from a properly executed cryo process. However, the Telefunken 6DJ8, renowned for its open midrange and warm presentation is totally altered by the same cryo process. The Telefunken's personality is reduced to a bland and sterile musical presentation, removing what is so sought after by many audiophiles.

Cryo processing of audio tubes is not uniformly predictable as with wire and transformers. Like many tweaks, is a valuable tool when applied to specific situations. In short, I would be very cautious about spending what amounts to five times the asking price for a tweak that may be the reverse of what you seek.

Has anyone seen reviews or experienced whether the freezing has long term effects? I'm not a scientist (and I know from listening that science doesn't know it all by a long shot), but the effects of freezing may not last. I wonder if the freezing permanently alters the state of the material or if the effects are temporary? I'm happy to load up some dry ice and give it a shot unless I need to do it weekly. Just curious.

Thanks, Albert. Given today's prices and scarcity of great NOS tubes like the Telefunken or Siemens 6DJ8's, I have no intention of experimenting with the cryo treatment. It is an interesting thought for lesser tubes, however. Maybe by the time *all* of the good stuff is gone this process will be more predictable.