Why Cryo?

What?

A little background on DCT.

1. Deep cryogenic treatment, or DCT, is, and can only be called DCT, if the temperature reaches below -285F. So called "shallow cryo", ie. cryogenic treatment by dry ice, or putting things in the freezer, simply does not produce the results that DCT does.

2. There are two types of DCT, "dry" and another process where the items actually come into contact with the LN2 (liquid Nitrogen, the "cryogen" used). We believe that the "dry" process is better for audio, as there is less risk involved, especially in regards to the potential for thermal shock.

3. Any firm that claims that they are performing DCT and are specifying temperatures higher than -285F, or lower than -320F is simply wrong, or misunderstands the process and mechanisms involved. In order for DCT to be effective the temperature must reach below -285F. And unless they are using liquid Helium, which is highly unlikely, it is not possible to reach lower than -320F or so in the chamber. In addition, the RTD, or other temperature sensor used loses it's ability to accurately track pretty quickly after -310F or so.

So, that being said, what is the process? Properly deep cryogenically treating an object is a painstaking process that takes three to five days. There are three distinct processes that are part of "deep cryogenic treatment":

• Ramp Down-- The parts are first slowly cooled, using LN2, at a specified, tightly controlled rate until they are brought down to the target temperature.
• The Soak-- The parts are then subjected to a very precise program that varies both the temperature and time held at various temperatures for a period of 20-40 hours. The exact temperature reached, the temperature variances and times held have been developed over the past few years by us and are unique to the Locus Design Group. The various programs, or "profiles", that we use are proprietary and designed to elicit the best performance for our valuable audio parts.
• Return to Ambient-- The chamber is slowly allowed to return to ambient temperature. The temperature ascent is closely monitored to ensure that it does not ascend too rapidly.

As mentioned above, during the cycle the temperature is carefully montiored and controlled via computer as to avoid damage to the parts, frost and condensation. The greatest risk to parts is thermal shock, which can happen if the temperature is brought down too quickly, which causes metal to become brittle, cracking the jackets on cables, etc. Thermal shock is never a worry with a computer controlled chamber.

Why?

When Copper, Silver, or Brass, or any metal used in audio, is formed into cables or AC plugs, the materials develop residual stress. For example, microscopic examination of the Copper in an AC cord would reveal many voids in the crystal lattice structure of the Copper due to these residual stresses. Deep cryogenic treatment works at the atomic level; research indicates that as the temperature decreases the atomic bonds start to weaken and the crystal structure of Copper reverts to its original state and removes these stresses. These changes, theoretically, are one of the reasons why cryogenic treatment makes a positive difference to the sound.

As cryogenic treatment of audio parts, in the grand scheme of things, has not been around very long no one completely understands the mechanisms involved as to why it makes a difference in sound. Our niche market is simply too small for any major studies to have been done to quantify the changes to an audio item during cryo and correlate the resulting change in sound quality. As cryogenic treatment becomes more widespread in the audio industry, we look for someone soon to take on the project of measuring and quantifying what many are hearing as a result of cryogenic treatment.

Who?

Many who sell cryo-treated audio parts do not have an intimate knowledge of the DCT process.

We perform all of our deep cryogenic treatment in house. We believe so strongly in the benefits of cryogenic treatment of high performance audio accessories that we made the substantial investment in our own cryo chamber. The equipment is very specialized and expensive, but having our own chamber allows us the flexibility to experiment and derive the optimum treatment cycle for all of the parts we sell. Not all parts respond equally to a pre-defined cryo cycle (usually programmed for treatment of tool steels) that 99% of all other suppliers are forced to use as it would be prohibitively expensive to experiment using an outside contractor, unless you own the machine!

Why else should you buy from CryoParts? The principals of CryoParts have a tremendous amount of experience in the high end industry as manufacturers and retailers and, above all else, we love good sound. All of the products that we offer have been extensively researched and tested to ensure their suitability for the high-end audio market.

Furthermore, we are 100% committed to your satisfaction. We realize every company states this, but do they clearly state their return policies on their web site? Many years of spent "in the trenches" on a retail sales floor has equipped us to offer a unique perspective on customer service and what that term truly means. Feel free to contact us with any questions, we look forward to serving you.

Simply put, we feel that the proprietary CryoFreeze™ process we have developed, the strict quality control we demand and our dedication to only offering a superior product, result in the highest quality cryo-treated parts available.

For more info, feel free to visit our sister web site: CryoFreeze.