I've done experiments with my sound engineer brother using 4 and 5 string versions of the same bass. We noted the same results - a fatter, fuller sound with the 5er.
Yamaha RBX 760/765a for reference.
Surely as long as the intonation is right for the fretted neck then it's going to be just fine? I have tried various intonation experiments on my fretless basses and it doesn't really matter where they end up as you intonate by ear.
One of my favourite local bands- Hell Death Fury (who really are excellent btw) like to describe their songs as 'Sh*t but short'
I'm not sure, but this sounds similar.
Having access to several hundred litres of liquid nitrogen I could actually test this - however having seen what this does to soft rubbery plastics I'm not prepared to ruin a perfectly good cable!
I'm a bit confused by this - given that cables are flexible any effects on the structure brought about by freezing are going to be negated by them flexing when back to ambient. If you were to flex them whilst frozen you would almost certainly introduce stress fractures.
Edit - so I had to research this. He apparently has solid copper bus bars in the power system of his floating recording studio which have had cryo treatment. Not cables though.