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Conditioning/Burn-In Method

DISCLAIMER
Potentially controversial subject matter ahead. Thus post is recommended for mature audiences only. If you're in the school of thought that cables are voodoo, this post is not for you, please move among.

Now, to business.

I'm in the process of working in a set of Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR interconnects between my DAC, Preamp and Amplifier. So far, I probably have only 20 hours or so of play, and if memory serves, Frank recommends 60 hours or more. Given the difference in amplitude from DAC to Preamp, and from Preamp to Amplifier, do you guys think it might be worth swapping them out (rotating them) to help balance and perhaps accelerate the process?

Thanks in advance!

parabolic

Showing 3 responses by elizabeth

elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Yes, swap the cables around.
The DAC or CD player to preamp has the most signal.
So that is the place to burn in the cables.
I would suggest just one swap. As moving the cables around (IE bending them ) also takes away from break in some.
(The longer cables do not move the better off they are, but swapping them once might be worth it IMO)
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
No one has provided any proof of low or high signal strength is better. The 'more is always better' notion clearly would hand the win to more. But plenty of things only need a small amount to do well. Particularly boundary effects.
So I say no one knows, aside from hearsay whether a cable breaks in faster or slower depending on signal strength.
Since no one has proven WHAT changes in break in. (Plenty of theories.. no proof)

And in my experience just leaving the power on does have a positive effect on break in.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
I would say from my experience cables do lose some of the ’magic’ of being conditioned if they are not in use for a long time. And moving cables (IE bending them a lot) also reduces the effects of breaking in and they may need time to get fully broken in again.
So the ’break in' effect is not really fully permanent. But it certainly lasts if the cable is used on a regular basis.

(Personally I think the Cable Cooker ’recooking’ is a marketing ploy, that may also have a small measure of truth, but over stated.)
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