I've tried IC's and speaker cables that had very similar issues.
During the break in period some cables can sound quite bad after a few hours - this is normally short lived - normally between 20-30 hours - and then SQ improves dramatically and then gets even better after that.
Many of the cables I have tried only sound their very best after around 400 hours, but sound very good after around 80-100 hours
I have even experienced this with RCA plugs from KLE Innovations, but they sound amazing after around 60 hours
Stick with it - they will reward you with excellent sound.
For speaker cables I simply leave the system streaming a radio station 24/7 at very low volume . Try that for around a week to get over the hump.
If you have a tube rig you might not want to leave it on 24/7, so take a look at a cable cooker.
Regards - Steve
During the break in period some cables can sound quite bad after a few hours - this is normally short lived - normally between 20-30 hours - and then SQ improves dramatically and then gets even better after that.
Many of the cables I have tried only sound their very best after around 400 hours, but sound very good after around 80-100 hours
I have even experienced this with RCA plugs from KLE Innovations, but they sound amazing after around 60 hours
Stick with it - they will reward you with excellent sound.
For speaker cables I simply leave the system streaming a radio station 24/7 at very low volume . Try that for around a week to get over the hump.
If you have a tube rig you might not want to leave it on 24/7, so take a look at a cable cooker.
Regards - Steve