How long does cable technology take to 'turn'?

Every couple of weeks I think I know it all again, then I hear something which redefines everything.
Such is the case with the Acoustic Zen Audio Cables.
A long time Kimber Kable fan, (and still am) I gladly and gratefully give a full nod to Robert Lee and his Shotgun cables, as being the current best on the market for an even semi realistically priced cable.
This find was by accident really; I bought a new entertainment center and needed longer cables so I decided to update my thinking.
Last year at CES I put together a consortium of high end manufacturers in order to make a big splash in a ballroom, (versus a small room like everyone else), for a speaker manufacturer, featuring some of the best equipment available. I selected, VAC, and the well respected Kevin Hayes, PS Audio's power conditioner, Chris Huston was there to record Misty River each night for a "Live vs. Recorded" face off, Oracle's Jacques Reindeau and, of course, Robert Lee's Acoustic Zen.
During the show I got to know him as much as such a venue will allow, and found him to be straight forward, prefering science and technology over emperical opinion.
His cables did nothing to draw attention to themselves, even though in show circumstance, that is not always the case.
Last week I asked him to send me the "Shotgun" for appraisal, he did and here we are.
The cables, (I am using my own speaker design, which has bi wiring capabilities) replaced two pairs of Kimber Select 3035's. The difference was startling.
Better high frequency openness and clarity without a hint of sibilance, better bass definition without any bloat so common to some cables.
The midrange was right, as opposed to forward and overblown.
So the question is: How long do we hold on to current cables before we decide that last year's fav's are this year's also ran's?