Greetings everyone! I've rewired the output of my Sansui TU-9900 with 24 gauge Mundorf silver/gold hookup wire and after 120 hours of burn-in, the sound is still quite congested. I read that these wires can take up to 500 hrs for burn-n, an extravagant length of time! So, I've toyed with the idea of removing and cooking the wires, on a cable cooker before reinstalling them.
Then, I had another idea. I thought I'd replace these wires with an 18 gauge version, but, cooking these ahead of time.
So, my question is: when the rca interconnects average 23 gauge, will upgrading to 18 gauge, from 24 gauge output wires, constitute a noticeable improvement in SQ? Or, am I wasting my time and money?
Any and all information appreciate!
Thanks,
John
Then, I had another idea. I thought I'd replace these wires with an 18 gauge version, but, cooking these ahead of time.
So, my question is: when the rca interconnects average 23 gauge, will upgrading to 18 gauge, from 24 gauge output wires, constitute a noticeable improvement in SQ? Or, am I wasting my time and money?
Any and all information appreciate!
Thanks,
John
You would be wasting your time and money. You have already wasted your time and money.
A long 'burn-in' time would seem to be a good marketing ploy; it keeps buyers guessing for longer, ideally so long that the warranty has expired before they realise that they have wasted their money.
A long 'burn-in' time would seem to be a good marketing ploy; it keeps buyers guessing for longer, ideally so long that the warranty has expired before they realise that they have wasted their money.
Good. It was intended to be helpful. If you want to know why it was helpful just read any good book on electronics, especially the pages on potential dividers.
Then let me ask why would you think simply replacing the wires to the output on a tuner would fix the "congested" as you say sound? The web is full of articles on modding and upgrading that tuner.
While a wire can be burnt-out or damaged by over current or over voltage, it can't be burnt-in.
And even with the above listed wire, it would take lots of current or voltage for something bad to happen.
And even with the above listed wire, it would take lots of current or voltage for something bad to happen.
I am a bit baffled. You dislike some thin wire and expect that exactly the same but thicker will be an improvement as an interconnect? Weird.
My experience with this wire was only as a separate mids/tweets speaker cable, obviously in a thicker gauge. Do not recall congestion or extreme break in time, it was actually a pretty good sounding wire.
Are you certain it is genuine? Have you observed correct directionality when assembling the cable? What is the dielectric? Can you try cotton?
Perhaps it is just not so good as an interconnect, or simply not to your taste. Why not let it burn in for a week with square waves and sufficient current? If it still sounds bad move on. The logic of putting good money after bad for a thicker gauge escapes me.
Why hasn't this thread been moved to the lounge when my very serious thread on speaker cable was?
Anyway, it seems the OP has seen the light?
Anyway, it seems the OP has seen the light?
Incase you are still toying with ideas, have you considered freezing them?
Changing just the output wire won't make much difference.
Replace all the electrolytic capacitors , they are 40 years old. ( read the link first!)
Change the power supply diodes to soft recovery, better yet also CRC snub the rectifer bridge - see Quasimodo
In Diyaudio.
The real mods to improve the audio quality of the tuner are in the link below. read the general section at the top and there is a specific section for the TU 9900 far down the page.
Tuner Information Center - Jim and Bob's DIY Mods
I've done them all and replaced the power supply regulators with Jung regulators. This all added up to a better sounding tuner.
Replace all the electrolytic capacitors , they are 40 years old. ( read the link first!)
Change the power supply diodes to soft recovery, better yet also CRC snub the rectifer bridge - see Quasimodo
In Diyaudio.
The real mods to improve the audio quality of the tuner are in the link below. read the general section at the top and there is a specific section for the TU 9900 far down the page.
Tuner Information Center - Jim and Bob's DIY Mods
I've done them all and replaced the power supply regulators with Jung regulators. This all added up to a better sounding tuner.
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Ticknpop, thanks for the intelligent response. I’ve already recapped the tuner, a new pair of BB627’s, Mundorf silver/gold in oil bypass caps, new diodes, ps caps and floated the transformer - did all this last year, including rewiring the variable outputs with Cardas shielded 2 x 21 - sounds amazing.
It was suggested to me to convert the Dolby outs to direct output, which was a simple enough task and so I rewired it with Mundorf silver/gold wire and new rca terminals. Given the wiring for the variable outs is shielded, it’s surprising how much quieter the direct outputs are and so I’m assuming the pot is responsible for the added noise. The direct outputs still sound a little congested, though and since the Cardas side, with the larger awg wire, sounds more open, I thought gauge might be the issue, but my gut feeling is that more play time will resolve the difference, given how much it’s already improved.
Ticknpop, I was quite surprised by the responses I received, discouraged and, so, thank you for this.
It was suggested to me to convert the Dolby outs to direct output, which was a simple enough task and so I rewired it with Mundorf silver/gold wire and new rca terminals. Given the wiring for the variable outs is shielded, it’s surprising how much quieter the direct outputs are and so I’m assuming the pot is responsible for the added noise. The direct outputs still sound a little congested, though and since the Cardas side, with the larger awg wire, sounds more open, I thought gauge might be the issue, but my gut feeling is that more play time will resolve the difference, given how much it’s already improved.
Ticknpop, I was quite surprised by the responses I received, discouraged and, so, thank you for this.
Sorry if you feel discouraged, but some of us on this site still try to apply physics to audio electronics. This will always look strange to those who prefer alchemy.
That’s interesting, as I have a physics background.
Science is theory and, in and of itself, is not reality, but a mode of understanding it. Just because we fail to have a theory for a phenomenon, doesn’t negate the phenomenon, only means we fail to have a scientific understanding (which remains distinct from reality).
However, feel free to argue, if you have no better way of spending your time!
Science is theory and, in and of itself, is not reality, but a mode of understanding it. Just because we fail to have a theory for a phenomenon, doesn’t negate the phenomenon, only means we fail to have a scientific understanding (which remains distinct from reality).
However, feel free to argue, if you have no better way of spending your time!
Here's the scientific definition of the word theory:
Scientific theory - Wikipedia
Every time I hear someone saying something like "It's only a theory" it makes me cringe.
Mike
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I would be interested to know which "mode of understanding" can explain how a trivial potential divider such as a short audio wire can have such a strong effect on sound that changing one excellent conductor for another excellent conductor in the series element is audible. A back of envelope calculation ought to convince you that this is impossible unless, of course, physics is inadequate to explain how audio circuits work. It would be a peculiar stance to take for someone with a physics background: physics can explain how transistors work, but not how wires work!
You fail to have a phenomonon, so what good is a theory? Cable burn in dosnt exist, and its ridiculous that if it did it only makes a difference in audio. Ask NASA or LIGO about it and they will laugh.
Try burning it twisting both conductors together, and apliying a 12V car battery between the two ends. This will burn it very well.
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