Cryogenic treatment
Cryogenic treatment - i.e. deep freezing (usually to about minus 310 degrees Fahrenheit) is often referred to as "audiophile woodoo". We have been experimenting with cryogenic treatment of our cables for over a year trying to establish whether it actually affects the sound quality. The conclusion is: it does. Cryogenic treatment makes a significant difference - if done properly. Freezing to minus 310 degrees using close but indirect contact with liquid Nitrogen, also known as LN2, and EXTREMELY slowly bringing up to the room temperature (72 hours cycle) removes both mechanical and thermal stress from the materials, and it looks like everyone begins to acknowledge that it does make a (positive) sonic difference via helping the materials to come to a "relaxed state"; the exact mechanism is not fully understood, but here are some considerations. Exposing metallic objects to this extreme cold causes beneficial molecular changes to occur. As metallic objects cool, they shrink. With the extreme cooling and the shrinkage, the crystal boundaries of metallic conductors align more closely with one another and become more conductive and 'quieter'. Mechanical integrity is also improved. The improved molecular condition stays intact through the slow warming process and is stable at room temperature. When conducting an electric signal, treated wire and formed metallic parts will produce less micro-diode-effect noise, less impurity inclusion field disturbance and less 'slow field' transverse energy generation. The result is a cable or electrical device that is quieter in noise floor and more revealing of subtle musical nuances. Unfortunately, the process - if done properly - is not inexpensive :-( Working with LN2 requires very specialized and expensive equipment, and extreme care in process. It is very dangerous, as the cold is so severe that it can result in severe injury from accidental exposure to the liquid. The process of chilling and warming takes several days to complete, and if done incorrectly can result in the fracture and loss of the materials being processed. In every phase of the treatment, extreme care must be taken...
Beware of pseudo Cryo-Claims. Several audio writers, equipment modifiers, and 'so-called technologists' have promoted refrigeration of cables and electronic parts by packing in Dry Ice. This is NOT cryogenic treatment. It results in only minor and temporary improvement. Even gas bath refrigeration in a 'cold furnace' cooled by LN2 will not provide a sufficient chill. Scientifically speaking, Cryogenics refer ONLY to temperatures around the vapor point on Nitrogen, -320.4° Fahrenheit. Our process involves temperatures that are substantially colder than this. Clearly, dry ice has nothing to do with Cryogenics. Only true Liquid Nitrogen Immersion fully and permanently enhances the musical behavior of metallic conductors.
The boiling point of LN2 is -320.4 degrees Fahrenheit, [-195.77degrees Celsius] or about 400 degrees F below warm room temperature)
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