I sure do appreciate everyone commenting on their experiences about their audio experiments and observations, it really helps us all learn and progress. Thank you!
FryBaby2 cable conditioner.
Take for example Bill's recent observations that voltage-only conditioning with his Hagerman cable conditioning device really complemented the Duelund DCA tinned-copper cables by making them warmer, richer, and brought out texture and overtones in a really nice way.
Bill also observed that sometimes cooking DCA cables with current can cause them to get lean sounding, which I have experienced myself. In fact, I've pretty much quit using my Cable Cooker for DCA cables, instead getting better results with letting them run-in naturally.
This isn't a dig at the CC, as it has worked great on regular copper & silver cables I have conditioned on it, but the DCA cables don't respond the same as the silver & copper cables I've tried. The DCA cables appear to be a completely different animal when it comes to conditioning.
The downside of letting the Duelund DCA cables run-in naturally is that it takes 100+ hours to do, which is fine for home listeners, but for me trying to write about them, I'd never get anything written at that rate!
FryBaby2.
I couldn't do the voltage-only conditioning with my trusty Cable Cooker, so I ordered a FryBaby2 from Hagerman Audio Labs so I could duplicate what Bill did with voltage-only conditioning.
A shielded Duelund DCA20GA interconnects!
I had previously built a pair of shielded DCA20GA interconnects to try with the Sumile phono cartridge. I ran them in for a while on my Cooker, and when I put them into the system they sounded so lean and amusical I immediately took them back out.
That was not the result I was expecting at all, given I had brilliant results with the unshielded (and un-cooked) DCA20GA that I use between my preamp and amps.
So I put my shielded DCA20GA interconnects onto the FryBaby2 and conditioned them for 24 hours in its voltage-only mode.
Tonight I took the shielded DCA20GA interconnects off the FB2, then put them into the system between the Arai MT-1 SUT and my MX110Z preamplifier, and the change wrought on the my shielded DCA20GA interconnects by the FryBaby2 in its voltage-only mode is astonishing.
It's just like Bill said, in voltage-only mode the DCA cables get warmer & richer, and it brings out additional texture and overtones in a really nice way. Tone was off the charts!
The difference is not subtle, it's a night and day sort of change, and the shielded DCA20GA interconnects now sound absolutely gorgeous.
In fact, it might be better start at 6-12 hours of voltage-only conditioning, and then ease into the exact amount of warmth you desire, as 24 hours of conditioning resulted in really warm and lush sounding interconnects.
If this result with my shielded DCA20GA interconnects is any indication, you can undo the leanness from conditioning with current by conditioning with voltage-only conditioning. (I'm thinking of you, Ian.)
DCA16GA interconnects on the FryBaby2.
However, you should consider these to be very preliminary impressions, as one data point does not predict a trend, as my statistician friends like to say.
I've got a pair of unshielded DCA16GA interconnects on the FryBaby2 now, so we'll see how they respond to 12 hours of voltage-only conditioning.
I'm going to try the same thing with the DCA26GA headshell leads I made, and probably my extra pair of DCA12GA speaker cables that didn't fare so well after being cooked with my Cooker.
If it turns out that voltage-only conditioning can allow DCA owners to dial in the exact amount of warmth and richness wanted, it could be huge!
I've got all kinds of DIY DCA project ideas if that's the case!
FryBaby2.
More to come!
As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!
