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Kimber GQ-Mini-Cu, Part 2

162.205.183.92

Posted on February 2, 2023 at 17:25:23
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7291
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000
Fall 1991 brought about a major change in my life. Then a junior at UC Santa Cruz, I, instead of returning to the dorms, got an apartment. Problem was, Student Housing didn't allow mixing of males and females. Sigh, so instead of rooming with my (female) friends, I had to find 3 other guys.



Before classes commenced, I met up with 4 of my friends. We did the bikini haul try-on. Because each body was different, mixing top and bottom was the way to go (for fit, not necessarily looks). We bounced to Gladys Knight's "Meet Me In The Middle." Something clicked. That then got me talking to my 3 housemates. Since we were merely college kids, we did not have stacks of electronics.

Eric would bring a 19" monaural TV and Super Nintendo. Doug would bring a JVC S-VHS hi-fi stereo VCR, and a Denon integrated amp. Todd would bring some floorstanding Bose speakers. Yup, like my friends' bikinis, everything was all mixed-up.

Gauging what my housemates could cobble together, I then provided original Monster Cable; a Monster 1 male to 2 female RCA adapter (for the monaural TV); Monster IL-400 (for both the TV and VCR); a Sony D-10 Discman; and an AudioQuest Mini-Adapter Z. The latter, which went from a headphone minijack to 2 RCAs, became a cult favorite. Housemates, friends, and visitors could not believe how the Mini-Adpater Z (versus supplied OEM patchcords) reduced grain, and partially prevented the images from shrinking.

I lament not being able to room with my friends, and I regret not taking photos of that AQ Mini-Adapter Z.



For me and my housemates, one of the greatest and most appreciated pleasures was when my friends came over, brought ingredients, and cooked meals. When the girls were over, music was a major component, factor, and binding force. Which brings us to the Kimber GQ-Mini-Cu. Not just here on AA, but everywhere else, you just do not hear much, about headphone minijack-to-RCA cables. And you sure as heck do not hear about properly conditioning them, via the audiodharma Cable Cooker. In order to do that, you need an adapter, which goes from 2 male RCAs to a female 3.5mm minijack.



For a number of years, friends and I have had several samples of the Kimber GQ-Mini-Cu. If you do not Cook it, it will sound raw, congested, and underwhelming. Optimum Cook time might be a mere 2 days. With 4 days of Cook time, the GQ-Mini-Cu displays the telltale signs of over-doing it: soft, warm, bloated, muddy, thick, and slow sound.

Do not worry. Once the GQ-Mini-Cu is off of the Cooker for about two weeks, it settles. When you compare an untreated sample to a Cooked one, the latter will do a better job of preserving:

  • bass depth, power, and control
  • body mass
  • freedom from grain and congestion
  • image size
  • instrumental textures
  • musical flow

    -Lummy The Loch Monster

     

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