Break in time for Nordost Valhalla

i have owned Valhalla since 2001; and at one point used 6 sets of Valhalla interconnects in my system. i now have three sets.

i purchased a Nordost CBID1 (Cable break-in device) when i first purchased my Valhalla and have always used that for break-in and annual 'tweaking'.

i would expect that it will likely take 300 to 500 hours to optimize the Valhalla. if you own a good break-in disc with 'ultra-sonic' type noise that would be best to use some of the time.

there will likely be some that will respond here that Valhalla is 'brittle and edgy' after break-in. not true. Valhalla will not 'smooth' or 'soften' the sound. but it will tell you what is happening in your system; whether you like it of not.

BTW, if you purchased your Valhalla from an authorized Nordost dealer they should have the latest Nordost break-in device, the Vidar, and should offer to break-in your Valhalla as a no-charge customer service.

another caveat; if you purchased your Valhalla privately, and it has no serial number or wooden presentation box, it could be that it was 'cut-down' from a longer length and does not have the proper factory termination. this could be the source of your edgyness; the Valhalla needs to be properly terminated.

Send them to me .I'll break em in for you!!!!!!

I have but one short length of Valhalla used in my V.P.I. tonearm. As Mike Lavigne points out it takes an extraordinary long burn in needed to hear the true measure of what this wire can do in a system...Carrying on with more Nordost wire to my phono stage was a striking revelation.I realized at that moment the enormous sonic benifits of this wire used in a tonearm.Harry Pearson of the Absolute Sound and Roy Gregory of Hi-Fi+ magazine report no anomolies produced by Valhalla.For those of you that hear other wise....its not the wire....

Mike is absolutely right. Nordost dealer here. The valhalla's will reveal yours systems weakness and strengths. They are not edgy. If so, it's probably your gear or another variable in your system. We have purchased the Vidar Machine and I always burn in every Nordost cable for 4-5 days. The Vidar puts an equivalent of 100 years of actual playtime, according to Nordost. The audible difference is definitely noticeable. In fact, for fun I often play back my customers cables after I've burned them in and compare them to a non-burned in set just to show them the difference that the Vidar makes. And the machine works with all cables! Now you should forget about Valhalla and come hear the Odin!! Check Nordost to find your Odin dealer on the west coast.

Happy Listening

Nordost Valhallas are by nature, tipped up on the high end and short on mid-bass and lower mid-range. A top reviewer in The Absolute Sound admitted as much, but said that the Valhallas' ultra transparency made up for these faults. Thats an opinion of one as far as I am concerned. If your system is bright at all, no amount of break-in will get rid of that high frequency problem. Tara Lab "Zeros" or Silent Source "The Music Reference" will solve the problem at opposite ends of the price spectrum. Good luck.