2. cables
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Cable Burn In

I'm new here and new to the audiophile world. I recently acquired what seems to be a really high end system that is about 15 years old. Love it. Starting to head down the audiophile rabbit hole I'm afraid.

But, I have to laugh (quietly) at some of what I'm learning and hearing about high fidelity.

The system has really nice cables throughout but I needed another set of RCA cables. I bit the bullet and bought what seems to be a good pair from World's Best Cables. I'm sure they're not the best you can get and don't look as beefy as the Transparent RCA cables that were also with this system. But, no sense bringing a nice system down to save $10 on a set of RCA cables, I guess.

Anyway, in a big white card on the front of the package there was this note: In big red letters "Attention!". Below that "Please Allow 175 hours of Burn-in Time for optimal performance."

I know I'm showing my ignorance but this struck me as funny. I could just see one audiophile showing off his new $15k system to another audiophile and saying "Well, I know it sounds like crap now but its just that my RCA cables aren't burned-in yet. Just come back in 7.29 days and it will sound awesome."
n80

Showing 2 responses by butch01

butch01
2 posts
 
Having been addicted to this wonderful hobby since 1965, I have heard all sorts of claims. Some are true, many are just a different  brand of snake oil. In my own experiences,component burn-in, warm up time, power supply and matching, all have a seat at the table. 

As one example, I auditioned a new pair of speaker cables a few years ago. They went through a partial burn-in by the manufacturer. Upon installation, I put a favorite CD on repeat, 24/7. For the next 90 days, I listened to at least 15 minutes of that CD and 45 minutes to 2hrs of others, every day. I kept a daily journal. The change was not to be denied!  I returned them, but that's another story. Some of us can hear the difference and some of us can't. My wife can't,  but I don't hold it against her. 
 
Happy listening
butch01
2 posts
 
Prof,
Of course, perception is a major component of our extremely subjective hobby. If we all heard the same thing, we would all have the same system. Yes, subtle changes could be attributed to daily nuances in our lives but dramatic changes can not be ignored! Believe what you want, but don't be so pompous as to tell me what I can or can't hear. This is about enjoying the music and sharing our experiences with others. It's not a contest. Happy listening.
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