I have the Ultimate Reference speaker cables. They are quite good, after what seemed like forever break-in. I never had the Ultimate speaker cables so can't really help you with a comparison - wish I could.
I completely agree with the 2nd component of HF cable break-in which is the associated equipment break-in to the magnetic currents. This is a VERY big thing and you won't really know when its done until your jaw drops at the musical presentation. To think for 2 seconds that you can get a real sense of the HF cable performance by just sticking it in your system, REGARDLESS of how well it has been cable-cooked, or even used before, is pure nonsense. Unfortunately, that's the way it goes with this technology. If you are willing to wait until the components also get broken in to the magnetic currents, you will be richly rewarded. That has been my experience as well as that of a number of others, some who have shared their experiences on this forum. It takes MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO, especially with the more advanced HF cables. Mine are STILL improving, after 2 months!! YMMV, of course. Too many people, I'm sure, don't give these cables enough time in their systems to truly hear how good their systems can sound. That's too bad, but easily corrected if desired.
I completely agree with the 2nd component of HF cable break-in which is the associated equipment break-in to the magnetic currents. This is a VERY big thing and you won't really know when its done until your jaw drops at the musical presentation. To think for 2 seconds that you can get a real sense of the HF cable performance by just sticking it in your system, REGARDLESS of how well it has been cable-cooked, or even used before, is pure nonsense. Unfortunately, that's the way it goes with this technology. If you are willing to wait until the components also get broken in to the magnetic currents, you will be richly rewarded. That has been my experience as well as that of a number of others, some who have shared their experiences on this forum. It takes MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO, especially with the more advanced HF cables. Mine are STILL improving, after 2 months!! YMMV, of course. Too many people, I'm sure, don't give these cables enough time in their systems to truly hear how good their systems can sound. That's too bad, but easily corrected if desired.