Auditioning anything is or can be, frustrating... sometimes... and if it is, perhaps the match is not a good one. There probably is a better path to go than the one I followed in assembling what Ive currently got. Whether you start with power cords, or speaker cables, I know you gotta start somewhere. Given the expense of speaker cables I figured to start with interconnects, then power cords and lastly speaker cables
but thats just me
probably doesnt matter if one is thoughtful along the way.
Since August of this year I've been in the 'audition' mode. Power cords. tubes. Power cond. More tubes. More power cords... Dog gone little "Let's listen for some fun", listening. Well the Cable Co. ain't a bad way to go. Provided they carry the one you want to hear... but what if they don't? Whole new ball game then, huh? And trust me, they dont have em all.
Also, and I really hate this part, but it works quite well. Do one thing at a time. Doing more is very confusing
and costly. Want a cord for the amp? Put it on the amp! First and foremost. If time permits, after a decision is made then see what it does for another component
and take notes actually write things down. Review the notes
. And be blatantly honest with yourself. Did you really hear a difference, or just think it to be different? More importantly, Better? Being rigidly honest here will save a lot of money and regret..
More equipment is needed in that event. Adapters! Other gear... and time. I've found in my experience (s)cables, power cords, etc.. have a relationship with the item they are immediately associated with... eg, power cords for example develop a relationship with a device over some time. .. and that relationship does change with time.... to a point. It's at that point where I've found listening is then applicable. Before it, simply a waste of time. Cryogenically treated cords seem to take less run in than non treated cords, on the whole but not always.
I've taken advantage of the Cable Co. offerings and they are good folks there... Definitely. Even with their 'so called broken in' items, time in one's system is absolutely required! Nothing I've gotten from them right out of the box has performed the way it does after a week or so of runing in with my system. Nothing! So I'm fairly skeptical about them burning in things prior to lending them... matter of fact I've personally been told by them, to let the item run in for a few days before any serious comparisons are made... and to NOT 'Hot swap" cables while doing comparisons. After some time of doing this, I tend to agree. Things change. Tubes are like people, they change, evolve, especially NOS, right out of the box. Power cords get 'used' to a certain current draw... and other factors tend to change too... Time of day you listen... humidity... sources... etc...
Here's what I do... with power cords... use the IEC/AC adapters to get them warmed up... 48 hrs min. (new or unused cords require more time, comsiderably more on occasion, Ive a couple that took over 200 hours to sound right, and up until then I didnt care too much for them, and they continue to develop in a positive fashion), then put it into the system... for at least a couple hours... using the exact same source, and source material (CD, DVD, etc) then play and listen...though casually. Serious is a later on thing. At this point some noticeable diffs should be easily detected. Either positive, or negative. After another day or two, with NO other/additional chages to the system, try it again.. same record, CD, or what have you... now things should be far easier to determine in terms of harmonics, spatiality, tonal balance, phase shift, etc.
Everything I've implanted into my system has changed significantly after being in there for some considerable time... Interconnects seem the items that take the least amount of time... and I think it a toss up between speaker cables & power cords... used, or preowned surely take less time. Again, being in the system on the intended device is most important... especially with capacitant cords, cables, etc.
Always, Always, always... before you finally make your decision... take one last session and notes... with whatever it is that you expect to add to your system, then put back in your 'old' or previous thing, and listen to it... one last time... Differnce, yes, or not... and most importantly, was the diff, a good thing or not?
For myself, it's got to be an Oh, Man!, or Wow!, sort of thing if I'm going to spend a lot. or, it absolutely has to possess the subtlety I'm searching for, exactly. It can't be just different. Incremental improvements are at some point the best one can hope for... the wow! thing is the deal... for me, especially when the price for it is drammatic. You know, like when you've got to sell blood, hock the first born, put in some more overtime... and always, I've got to ask myself this, "Do I really want this because of the way it acts in the system, or just so I can say I've got one?" Ego can not play a part in any of this if I am to make a sound choice... pardon the pun.
I don't care if the folks that made it are ex-NASA engineers, astronauts, or graduates of M.I.T. or from the Ft. Lonesome Finishing School for the Criminally Absurd... is this thing giving me what I want? or, Is it just close to what I want? Change, simply for the sake of change, is a very expensive endeavor. Always. Frustrating too. And past the additive part of what something does in my system, and this part is something Im pretty much a stickler for, what about the folks that support it? Are they accessible? Do I need only a simple phone call? Perhaps an email? How quickly the manufacturer responds, and how forward a stance they take in customer relations, means a great deal. A great deal! It serves no purpose to have an item wherein it takes an act of congress to have them return your call or emails
Lots of stuff to consider for sure. Not just if a thing is different. It definitely has to be better than what I have and worth it too.
I suppose, one overlooked item I mentioned early on is time. Ive a good bit of it. Although I do not have enough time to, or the patience to,. Investigate first hand all that is available. There are far too many makers & products out there. Way too many. Id like very much to be done assembling it at some point
There have to be limits. How long, how many, and how much, before I make a decision. My recent power cord extravaganza included ten or eleven, different power cords, from five or six makers
and spanned four months and change. . . and Im going to recheck out one more before I get to getting it
because now other things have changed along the way.
Its good to be satisfied with a thing, but if I depend on my happiness to come from a thing, and not from within myself, Im lost before I begin. Audio is fun, provided I ask the right questions of myself and my gear, and others along the way to lend me their experiences. A thoughtful predetermined process, specific changes, notes, and honesty have helped me save a good bit of money, time, and effort, not to mention, a great deal of regret.
