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Re: Cryo treatment & soldering....

Posted by alan m. kafton (M) on May 9, 2007 at 14:51:24

In Reply to: Re: How to wreck Townshend Audio Isolda speaker cable posted by The Wiz on May 7, 2007 at 14:32:57:

I asked Townshend for a length of the wire they use to terminate the Isoldas, so assumed it would have exactly the same properties. However, I have noticed that the original terminating wires are stiffer than the wire I was sent.

I'm presuming that it's a different terminating wire Max sent you, or else the new wire would not be so flexible.

Is this a product of cryoing?

No....wire does not stiffen up with proper treatment.

Also, is it possible to re-cryo (as you suggest)?

Yes....I have done this many times.

Without wishing to sound ignorant, how is a termination disturbed by soldering?

High heat, for one. Cryo treatment, depending on the process, achieves anywhere from -290F to -320F. (true "deep" cryogenic treatment reaches -320F. for a prolonged soak period). The high heat of soldering can disturb the treatment at or near the solder joint location, causing a retrograde condition. Additionally, you are joining the connectors and wire with a new material/alloy (the solder)....this alone will change the sound, especially if the newly-terminated cable has had little conditioning time, let alone time to settle in.

The only way I can see this making a difference is if Townshend cryo each cable after it has been made up, which seems incredibly inefficient in this age of cut throat business. Wouldn't manufacturers cryo industrial supplies of raw materials (copper ribbon, termination wires, etc) and then assemble them?

Some manufacturers cryo treat the bulk materials individually....others treat completed/terminated products. I think it is better to treat the finished product, especially if there are solder joints. It is not inefficient to do so, unless custom lengths are involved.

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Schiit Audio

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