Cable memory can be a terrible thing. They might take months to reform if they've had country music played over them.
An EEVblog Kickstarter idea - all I ask is 5% of sales :-)
Device XA device that "conditions and reconditions audio cables"
(Pseudo)science behind it.Like any other item you own, cables and interconnects degrade over time, and the more "refined" and "specialized" the cable is, the faster it degrades as impurities and wear and tear take their toll, first making cables perform like low-end cables, and over time they will perform exactly like regular cables . Issues like work hardening (due to the flexing of the cables) and constant exposure to low frequencies signals, and the leaching of impurities from the insulator to the conductor. The initial stages of this process are wanted as "burning in" the cable, but it does not stop after the burn in period, and with extended use cables gradually "burn out".
Very few people realize it, but similar to how the rubber surrounds that supports your speaker cones ages and change over time, degrading your system's performance, the cables and connectors age too.
Unlike speaker aging which is an irreversible process,
Device X allows you to undo most of this damage, It sends a short, high current pulses down the cable - much higher voltage, current and frequencies than standard audio content . Connecting your cable to
Device X and applying the current pulse causes any microscopic spots of resistance that have formed (for example, due to oxygen ingress into OFC wires) to microscopic defects of the heat up very quickly, and in tandem with the process of electromigration allows the connector and conductor to perform closer to "as new" condition.
For older cables, you can think of it is much like an Auto Battery Desulfator, which uses pulses of electricity to restore aged lead acid battery to function, it doesn't make it "like new" but it definitely restores a significant level of performance.
However, like the way human skin ages, cable damage in cumulative and cannot be completely rejuvenated, so to ensure that you maintain the sonic purity of your cables it is best to treat them with "Device X" at regular, monthly intervals, maintaining the cable's youth for as long as possible, for your listening pleasure.
As an extra feature, because it controls the direction of the pulse, it can also repair any damage that may have been caused by accidentally using directional cables the wrong way around, it can also make standard 'bidirectional' cables perform like their higher value 'directional' cousins.
Other featuresOh, it also has to charge from USB. That is a must. And Bluetooth - must have Bluetooth. Yes and Wifi to monitor the rejuvenation process with a HTML5 GUI, from anywhere on the planet.
Business modelKickstarter for a limited edition run of 20 at at $1,999 each, and spend $300 on case aesthetics and cool looking sockets and $5 on a LM555 PCB and a $5 ESP32 for Wifi & Bluetooth for then we are onto a winner!