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Old 12th Oct 2017, 2:57 am   #81
joebog1
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia
Posts: 2,704
Default Re: Audiophoolery. 'Cable Break In' - I never knew that!

Some would ask why I am building somebody else s amp design. I have designed and built many amps ( I cant remember how many) both vacuum AND sand, and even ventured into modern mosfets for a time.
WHY ?
I used to own a small audio manufacturing business. I am NOT a brilliant engineer by any means, BUT I am extremely proud of my output transformers. Also my toroid design.
I just happen to have an abundance of brand new, unused big fat output transformers, AND as it happens, a fairly large ready made supply of power toroids. Add to this a couple of hundred weight of passive components.
I have retired from working mostly, except for a few repairs here and there for beer money.
WHY will I build the Golden ears amplifier? I still love building stuff. I still build model aeroplanes ( yes balsa and tissue style) BUT I dont fly them.
It keeps me off the street, and I derive huge pleasure from drilling and filing and soldering, then desoldering after discovering a better layout. At the end of the day, my kids will have a stonkin' amplifier to listen to, ( or do rock festivals with ).
I have a seven watt amp at present that I have displayed here, and I almost dont use it at all.
I still love my construction projects though!!!.

To keep on topic, I use "modest" cables for inputs and outputs, BUT to buy anything that isnt directional or oxygen free copper is nigh on impossible these days. So speaker cables are about 4mm cross section, and after years of break in I still cant hear them, even if I jam them into my ears. These cables are perfectly silent!!
Input cables are "matching" being OFC and directional.
The speaker wire was about $1 / mtr
Screened input cable about $2/mtr. I did try using twisted pair telephone cable but it hummed alarmingly, so I still use my hot pink directional input cables. These cables also dont make any sound BUT they did stop the hum.
One thing I did do that was audiophoolery was to change the arm wires in my SME3009. I used Van den Hull cable. Cost about $50 for a half mtr. It DID improve the sound though, and yes I wasnt being deluded.

Joe
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