Cable 'Burn In'.

[Mike]

How does it happen, and why?

Quite frankly, I've stopped believing in it!

[goraman]

after passing an electrical signal through wire with dilectric in contact with the sureface,
It would seam on some nano level the flow of power becomes smoother,I belive the well traveled path becomes charged.I can tell you that silver cables change very dramaticly after a year of use or more and a new pair by the same manufacture can be sonicly picked out of 4 older pairs,so silver dose settle in (This guy can explain it better than me.)www.whitezombieaudio.com
His name is Tom,you can email him he has been in radio for years and has built thousends of cables.

[Effem]

This is my opinion and personal observation so you can accept it or not.

Not only do new cables have a burn in period (especially silver ones) they also have to be burnt in all over again if they have not been used for a while.

I have a mains cable down in the basement that sounds horrid for about a minute or so if it hasn't been connected up for a while. I'm not entirely sure what that period might be, but I do know that the last times I used it was around 3 years ago, then again a year ago. I am reluctant to keep on "testing" it as it sort of bypasses my theory over the timescale (if that makes any sense). It isn't just a case of lack of dynamics either with this cable during this "burn in" period, it distorts the entire sound so it's unintelligible. Within a minute though it behaves as a normal cable would. Strange. It would be interesting to know what element is the culprit for this effect.

[Ali Tait]

I wonder if this effect is more down to the dielectric than the conductor.

[DSJR]

Don't forget how bad our hearing is compared to our sight and we are VERY easily fooled where our hearing is concerned (been there and done it many times).

I'm not saying that there's no difference, but my Mark Grant cables didn't seem to change since I fitted them (some may say my setup isn't good enough and to them) and I've just got used to them - same with the new cables I've just made up for the ton-up Quad 33...

Just get cables sensibly made with sensible bits and I doubt you'll go wrong. I understand silver self-oxidises and although it's not as bad as copper when it goes off, the conductivity is apparently altered *slightly* from what I've read.

[Mike]

Hmmm... lots of viewing but not so many opinions. I suspected as much!

Dave, I tend to agree with you. I'm beginning to think it's our heads that are 'burning in' rather than the cables!

[Mike]

I found this rather wonderful bit of text today, have a read and see if any of it makes sense.

It is critical to not only concentrate on the conductor, but also the dielectric. Ideally, cable burn-in needs to force electrons into all areas of the cable; this is something that simply playing music through an audio system can never achieve.

The <name delated> cable burn-in accelerator from <name deleted> not only dramatically reduces the burn-in time of all cables, but also fully prepares them like no music ever can. <gadget in question> does more than simply synthesise music; using specially-developed technology, the unit generates a sequence of unique ultra-low frequencies to penetrate the core of the conductor, and ultra-high frequencies that penetrate both the conductor and the dielectric.

Using conventional methods, it’s extremely difficult to condition the dielectric of a cable, yet this is exactly where effort should be focused. Using carefully controlled energy levels and frequencies, electrons are forced and attempt to enter the dielectric. Imagine a high-frequency, high-energy force zipping along the conductor surface in a corkscrew fashion between the conductor and into the dielectric; the malingering electrons and negative charges are then forced to join the procession.

Eh, what?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

I just don't care any more... If I don't listen to try and hear anything in burn in of things like cables then I don't hear anything... By that merit I guess nothing is happening... But like I said I don't care anyway... I have only ever heard a few cables and the only ones that sound like they don't do anything are marks, that happend when I got them ... And I can't see how they could possibly sound more like they are doing nothing when they already do nothing ... That wouldn't make sense... So yeah... That's my inarticulate view on the subject!

[Mike]

I just don't care any more... If I don't listen to try and hear anything in burn in of things like cables then I don't hear anything... By that merit I guess nothing is happening... But like I said I don't care anyway... I have only ever heard a few cables and the only ones that sound like they don't do anything are marks, that happend when I got them ... And I can't see how they could possibly sound more like they are doing nothing when they already do nothing ... That wouldn't make sense... So yeah... That's my inarticulate view on the subject!

I agree... I think!

[goraman]

This is my opinion and personal observation so you can accept it or not.

Not only do new cables have a burn in period (especially silver ones) they also have to be burnt in all over again if they have not been used for a while.

I have a mains cable down in the basement that sounds horrid for about a minute or so if it hasn't been connected up for a while. I'm not entirely sure what that period might be, but I do know that the last times I used it was around 3 years ago, then again a year ago. I am reluctant to keep on "testing" it as it sort of bypasses my theory over the timescale (if that makes any sense). It isn't just a case of lack of dynamics either with this cable during this "burn in" period, it distorts the entire sound so it's unintelligible. Within a minute though it behaves as a normal cable would. Strange. It would be interesting to know what element is the culprit for this effect.

A silver cable my sound thin,brittel or even a little animic when green but should not distort or become unintelligible,That sounds like a sheild crossing the signal or return to me.A copper sheild crossing a termanel will do what you discribed.


I did find this to be good reading and supports Mikes current veiw,I really like the bit at the end.


http://www.audioholics.com/education...-psychological



I think this would cover both cables and capacitors during a break in prosess,but capacitors can show a very radical change unlike any audio cable I have heard.
I do feel there is a very small differance between a green and a seasoned cable the biggest differance may not be a change in scale,dynamics or bass but ease of presentation and they do become somewhat less forward sounding.It could be in my head but I like to think there is still some bit of undiscovered majic in the world.Remember it's all majic till sience figures it out.I really think at the end of the day it dosen't really matter at all if you like your cables.

This is intresting http://www.morrowaudio.com/breakin_2.html

Who the hell would wait nearly 17 days of playing music 24 hours a day to decide if they like there cables?
400 hours of break in,If you listened to music 2 hours a day on avrage it would take 200 days or 3/4 of a year!
I belive we should all demand a 1 year return policy based on manifactures own claims or tell them to burn them in for free before delivery.
How menny people would get fully burned in cables do you think, if this was requred by all cable salesmen?