Cryogenic treatment of steel for mechanical properties and thermal properties is well understood, and applies to other metals, though they typically do not have the significant changes that steel does.
Some of the properties that are stated for steel after cryogenic treatment, i.e. transformers, are not as well accepted, at least whether the cost justifies the improvement or if it can be accomplished by other means. Even small improvements in electrical transmission efficiency can justify fairly significant equipment cost increases, at least for transformers.
We do know that cryogenic treatment of copper does increase the conductivity, depending on the initial copper quality and processing method, from 2-4%. That would of course be the same as increasing the cross-section 2-4%, or in the case of high frequencies, increasing surface area 2-4%.
If a cable vendor has a very specific construction, that they claim has some specific impedance control, whether we believe that is effective or not at audio frequencies, then cryogenic treatment of those cables is going "break" that design by changing the properties of the conductors.
The corollary is that all those implied "impedance controls" don’t really do anything at audio frequencies at least if cryo-treating the copper always has a positive effect ..... well that or the cryo-treatment provides no audible benefits.
millercarbon1,879 posts11-04-2019 1:26amCryo is another one of those things that have been around and known to work for a very long time now, and yet still it goes on on an the people who haven’t yet learned. My first cryo was brake rotors on my 911. They modulate better at threshold, respond more consistency at temp, and last a lot longer compared to identical factory non-cry rotors.
Which is interesting because when I went looking for someone local to try cryo with my stereo the closest one turned out to be a shifter kart racer who me being a PCA track Instructor we hit it off and he told me all about his business.
