Cryogenics

All of our wire and connectors are cryogenically treated, either by the manufacturer (in the case of Furutech connectors), or at our local cryogenic treatment facility.

Effect of Cryogenic Treatment of Metal

During the cooling or solidification phase of the wire manufacturing process, molecules are trapped in a haphazard pattern. This random placement causes obstacles for electrons when encountered. This interference can cause noise, slow down electron flow and will negatively affect the quality of the music being played. At very cold temperatures (below -300°F), the molecules will align in a more uniform, compact structure through the removal of kinetic energy. When the material is returned to ambient temperature, this new uniform, compact pattern is maintained. This process makes a permanent change and the benefits do not deteriorate over time or upon return to operating temperature.

The use of extremely fine grained Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) metals in conjunction with cryogenic treatment results in the most uniform crystal structure possible, providing the ultimate in cable performance.

The computer controlled vapor cryogenic process involves an 8 hour rampdown from ambient temperature to -310°F, “soak” or hold at -310°F for 10 hours, and a rampup to ambient temperature of at least 24 hours.

Cryogenic treatment provides a number of important performance benefits for audio applications.

  • Reduction of sibilance in the lower treble range. An example would be the 'sss' with female vocalists.
  • Increased depth of soundstage, allowing the music to better fill the room.
  • Improved timbre in musical instruments. More realistic presentation of acoustic instruments such as violin and piano.
  • Better retrieval of low-level detail in music due to reduced noise floor.

Cryogenic treatment will not magically transform the performance of cables built with low grade materials. However it provides a noticeable incremental improvement, and is one of the many manufacturing steps we apply to extract the maximum performance from our cables. 

Cryogenic Treatment Facility

Here are some pictures of the heat treating facility located in Southern Ontario where our cryogenic treatment is done.

Many of our competitors claim to use cryogenic treatment, but we thought it would be interesting for our customers to see the actual cryogenic treatment equipment.

We have been working with the same company for the last ten years with great success. The company has full ISO 9001 quality control certification.

Because of our large volume of business, we run dedicated batches, so we don't need to share space in the unit with dirty industrial parts.

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