[Paladin79]

I can't tell you specifically why it works. But I suspect it has more to do with conditioning the dielectric than the wire itself. Just my opinion though. With some interconnects it makes a very audible improvement, and with some interconnects it doesn't make any difference at all that I can hear. Same thing with power cords. But if you want to blow your mind, cook a headphone cable. Or tonearm wires, especially if it's a captive cable (my Nottingham has one continuous run from the cartridge clips to the RCA jacks that plug into the preamp).

@bcowen

Since you offered to lend the cable cooker to me to check out, what if.......

You pick the cable usage, headphone cables come to mind since you mention those. I will use identical wire and hand build the cables, run some through the cooker per your instructions then set you up with a switch box so you can easily do comparisons between four sets of cables at a time. You will not know how many cables I run through the cooker, it could be 3 out of 10, or 2 out of 8, whatever. I label them with numbers so I can tell them apart, send them to you, and all you have to do is see how many you perceive went through the cooker and which ones they are. If you pick only the ones that have gone through the cooker, and you come close on the proper quantity, say 3 of 4, or 2 of 3, then you win a steak dinner and another bottle of the 2016 Rosso like I already sent you.

If you do not pick the correct cables, we can think of a proper penalty, something like wearing a Duke university T shirt or tie to work every day for a week. Well maybe not that but something suitable.

Needless to say, I would send the results to some trustworthy individual prior to your announcement so there is no question this is on the up and up. I could even do short videos showing each cable cooking if that helps.

 

[yonson]

I regret to inform the citizens of this thread that my good friend Robert Padgett has passed away.

Rick

Wow, that's terrible news

I always enjoyed reading his posts.

RIP Robert

 

[yonson]

Now about those nose hair trimmers... how much current does 55yo gray nose hair need?

ALL of it...

 

[sam6550a]

I regret to inform the citizens of this thread that my good friend Robert Padgett has passed away.

He was a great guy and I knew him quite well.

I spoke with him on the phone just a couple weeks ago for over an hour. The last we heard from him was on Monday.

He was able to overcome some serious health problems for quite some time.
We are still unsure of what exactly happened to him because of physical distance between us all.

But not a day went by when I didn't talk with Robert one way or another.

He had friends all over the internet. He was very knowledgeable about music and affordable HiFi gear.

I will miss him greatly.

We are all still hoping that this is some kind of a mistake and are shocked by his absence from our small group of friends.

I'd be happy to be wrong about what has happened to Robert but I'm afraid he won't be seen around here again.

Rick

So sorry to hear this. RIP Robert.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

ALL of it...

Good. 480V it is then.
Starting bamboo nose flute practice after that.

 

[bcowen]

@bcowen

Since you offered to lend the cable cooker to me to check out, what if.......

You pick the cable usage, headphone cables come to mind since you mention those. I will use identical wire and hand build the cables, run some through the cooker per your instructions then set you up with a switch box so you can easily do comparisons between four sets of cables at a time. You will not know how many cables I run through the cooker, it could be 3 out of 10, or 2 out of 8, whatever. I label them with numbers so I can tell them apart, send them to you, and all you have to do is see how many you perceive went through the cooker and which ones they are. If you pick only the ones that have gone through the cooker, and you come close on the proper quantity, say 3 of 4, or 2 of 3, then you win a steak dinner and another bottle of the 2016 Rosso like I already sent you.

If you do not pick the correct cables, we can think of a proper penalty, something like wearing a Duke university T shirt or tie to work every day for a week. Well maybe not that but something suitable.

Needless to say, I would send the results to some trustworthy individual prior to your announcement so there is no question this is on the up and up. I could even do short videos showing each cable cooking if that helps.

Gonna put me to the test *again*? LOL! I'm game, except I hate you going to all that work and then having to buy me a steak dinner as a reward for your effort.

Here's an alternate suggestion. As I mentioned earlier, the biggest differences I've heard have been with the tonearm cable (impractical in this scenario, obviously) and headphone cables. So let's go with those. Let me send you the Cooker, and cook a headphone cable you're using now. If you do it with the Alpha's, I can send you the adapter I made (same termination as the Aeons). If you want to use a different cable/'phone combo you'll have to make an adapter for the 'phone end. If after cooking it as I recommend you *don't* hear any difference, then we'll proceed to the test you describe above. If you do, we'll just have to agree to agree and you won't have to go to all that work.

 

[bcowen]

I regret to inform the citizens of this thread that my good friend Robert Padgett has passed away.

He was a great guy and I knew him quite well.

I spoke with him on the phone just a couple weeks ago for over an hour. The last we heard from him was on Monday.

He was able to overcome some serious health problems for quite some time.
We are still unsure of what exactly happened to him because of physical distance between us all.

But not a day went by when I didn't talk with Robert one way or another.

He had friends all over the internet. He was very knowledgeable about music and affordable HiFi gear.

I will miss him greatly.

We are all still hoping that this is some kind of a mistake and are shocked by his absence from our small group of friends.

I'd be happy to be wrong about what has happened to Robert but I'm afraid he won't be seen around here again.

Rick

He will be missed. I only "knew" him for a very short time through these pages, but I regret not getting up with him in person seeing he lived so close.

 

[crazychile]

While I want the Bifrost2, $699 is a bit too rich for my blood atm. I am seriously hoping for a Unison true Multi-bit dac at right around the $299 price point soon (hopefully in the first half of 2020)

Well, that would probably have to be a Modi Multibit sized variant, and that package is too small for Unison. You may want to consider buying a used Bifrost (1) Multibit for cheap and then change out the USB card once the Unison upgrade is available.

 

[Paladin79]

Gonna put me to the test *again*? LOL! I'm game, except I hate you going to all that work and then having to buy me a steak dinner as a reward for your effort.

Here's an alternate suggestion. As I mentioned earlier, the biggest differences I've heard have been with the tonearm cable (impractical in this scenario, obviously) and headphone cables. So let's go with those. Let me send you the Cooker, and cook a headphone cable you're using now. If you do it with the Alpha's, I can send you the adapter I made (same termination as the Aeons). If you want to use a different cable/'phone combo you'll have to make an adapter for the 'phone end. If after cooking it as I recommend you *don't* hear any difference, then we'll proceed to the test you describe above. If you do, we'll just have to agree to agree and you won't have to go to all that work.

That sounds reasonable and sending your adapter is a good way to go. This would not be that much work for me since I already have most everything I need as far as splitter and switch box. The way I would do it is to build the cables RCA to RCA so they fit between my current devices, then run the output to a quarter inch headphone jack. No matter what only one cable would be in the circuit at a time in series with your own headphone cable. If you are already using one that has been through the cooker, it should not diminish the signal on the ones I run through myself. The standard cables should be obvious since your cable can only sound as good as the weakest link. An identical signal would go to all four cables but you are switching them to your headphones one at a time of course.

If I do not hear a difference I may let a friend or two listen as well. I seem to recall being a steak dinner ahead because of a previous bet so this is your chance to get even.

All in the interest of science. I just skimmed the website for your cooker and I may have to stop and read it again. I have a pretty decent knowledge of conductors, insulators, impedance, dielectric breakdown etc. Nothing against that site, but when I read testimonials, I often wonder how many were submitted that were not selected for publication. I can easily measure any kind of signal they are using since someone asked about that.

 

[US Blues]

RIP Robert.

 

[golfbravobravo]

So sorry to hear this. RIP Robert.

We were due to meet at the Canfest in Charlotte, but Robert couldn't make it at the last minute.

I'm sorry we didn't get to meet.

 

[Oveja Negra]

I regret to inform the citizens of this thread that my good friend Robert Padgett has passed away.

I'm so sorry to read this line of text. I interacted with him briefly via pm some time ago and I got the best opinion about him, very chill dude who also had tons of great stories to share. I don't know what else to say except I'm still processing this, since he was active posting just some days ago, I don't know... it feels surreal.

RIP Robert.

 

[yonson]

Good. 480V it is then.
Starting bamboo nose flute practice after that.

Constanza will love the Crispy Pietro Cozi Tinin...

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Picture Robert and ORT together on the eternal hunting fields.
That'll keep us well.

 

[bcowen]

That sounds reasonable and sending your adapter is a good way to go. This would not be that much work for me since I already have most everything I need as far as splitter and switch box. The way I would do it is to build the cables RCA to RCA so they fit between my current devices, then run the output to a quarter inch headphone jack. No matter what only one cable would be in the circuit at a time in series with your own headphone cable. If you are already using one that has been through the cooker, it should not diminish the signal on the ones I run through myself. The standard cables should be obvious since your cable can only sound as good as the weakest link. An identical signal would go to all four cables but you are switching them to your headphones one at a time of course.

If I do not hear a difference I may let a friend or two listen as well. I seem to recall being a steak dinner ahead because of a previous bet so this is your chance to get even.

All in the interest of science. I just skimmed the website for your cooker and I may have to stop and read it again. I have a pretty decent knowledge of conductors, insulators, impedance, dielectric breakdown etc. Nothing against that site, but when I read testimonials, I often wonder how many were submitted that were not selected for publication. I can easily measure any kind of signal they are using since someone asked about that.

But that way you're only comparing the cooked versus uncooked interconnects. I won't bet a dinner (or worse, the horror of donning a Duke T-shirt) on interconnects. Interconnects are too variable. Has to be the headphone cable itself from 1/4" jack (or adapted mini plug) to the cup connection(s). Still happy to send you the Cooker to play with regardless, but we'll have to agree on the specifics if it comes to the point of a test bet with a steak dinner at, um, stake.