Cable Burn In

prof
1,139 posts                                                                   07-30-2018 12:10am

fleschler,

Right, so you listen to cables. Ok.

I don’t care that a machine will tell me that they all test the same other than for capacitance, inductance or resistance. The manufacturer tests for the basics. What we do is determine if sonically, we prefer the current version or the new version, usually its the current version.

So what puzzle me here is:

If the cables need burn in, how are the manufacturers determining what is causing this phenomenon? As we aren’t talking about magic, presumably manufacturers identify some "pre-burned in" state they can measure, vs post burn in, where the measurements change. Otherwise...how do they know what’s going on at all?

That’s what I’m not seeing yet in this thread, including in your post.

What exactly do you think is technically happening to cables when you "cook" them, and have you, or the manufacturers you work with, any actual data showing these differences?

What exactly do you think is technically happening to cables when you "cook" them, and have you, or the manufacturers you work with, any actual data showing these differences?

Why don’t you take the time and research what may be the reasons. Try looking beyond the wire itself and look at the dielectric used in the construction of the cable.
Could the answer to your questions be there?
How does a signal travel down a wire?

di·e·lec·tricˌdīəˈlektrik/Physicsadjectiveadjective: dielectric

1. 1. having the property of transmitting electric force without conduction; insulating.

nounnoun: dielectric; plural noun: dielectrics

1. 1. a medium or substance that transmits electric force without conduction; an insulator.

Originmid 19th century: from di-3 + electric, literally ‘across which electricity is transmitted (without conduction).’Translate dielectric toUse over time for: dielectric

Not everything can be or is measured using test equipment that exists today. The final test ARC uses for a new piece of equipment is the Warren Test. If it doesn’t pass the Warren Test it goes back out on the bench to find out why.

I would be willing to bet every High-End audio equipment manufacturer uses a Warren Test for the final test of a new piece of audio equipment. Only an idiot would rely on test equipment measurements. Will test equipment measure exactly how equipment will sound to the human ear? NO! Two different manufacturer amps may have the same specs but will they sound the same? NO? WHY NOT? According to the test equipment they should sound identical.

Equipment measurements should always tell us why. REALLY? BS! Can a tube tester tell us why an early 1960s Amperex white label PQ 6922 tube will sound better in a typical preamp that a later 1970s Amperex orange label PQ 6922 tube? The tube tester says both tubes measure the same. Therefore they MUST sound the same.

How about how different tube manufacturers 6922 used in the same preamp sound. If they all measure the same then they must all sound the same. Right? My ears tell me otherwise.

How about capacitors used in the signal path? If the capacitor manufactured by one manufacture is of the same value as another manufacturer’s and measures the same on test equipment then Both will sound exactly the same. Right? The test equipment can’t lie.

.

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.
.

" Believe what you want, but don't be so pompous as to tell me what I can or can't hear."

That cuts both ways, right? How is it that person  'A' can say "I hear a dramatic difference" and another person 'B' with equally good hearing and skills  say  "I don't hear a difference" and that makes person 'B' pompous but not person 'A'?

@n80,
Not trying to be disrespectful but this is all you need. Jmho, anything more than cheap RCA ics would be a waste of money for you. Spend your money elsewhere.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Steren-3-ft-2-RCA-Plug-to-2-RCA-Plug-Audio-Patch-Cord-ST-255-121/2053166...
These ICS use cheap PVC insulation. Burn in, settle in, break in, what ever you want to call it is not required. They will sound the same new right out of the package or hours later to your ears.

Best regards,
Jim

I'm wasn't implying that different cable may or may not sound better or different in a hi-rez system, although in a pure sense, properly designed and built for the application, they should do nothing at all to the sound except get it from A to B. If you can reliably and repeatedly hear a difference, better or worse, go with what sounds better to you in your system.

 As both an audiophile and a career tech I am sometimes at odds with myself over WHY this or that sounds better, worse or simply different, when technically I can't explain why there should be any difference.  Electrically and mechanically gear does "settle in" after use, that I buy, speaker cones, amps, what have you, but WIRE?? Maybe it does and I just can't hear it. I've never had the funds to buy multiple expensive cable sets  and play with them. 

As for high end MIL gear, if different wires made it "better", trust me, Uncle would be only too happy to buy it with your tax dollars. Much of the gear I worked on in my career costs more than my house and cars together. Purely from a technical standpoint, wire is wire as long as it's applicable to the intended use................Does one "sound" different than another, yes I've heard that myself. I simply can't fathom why a hundred hours of usage should change the way it behaves or sounds..........call me ignorant, I've been called worse :)
 
Our hobby is to a very large extent, subjective, and there in lies the source of many of these debates. In the end, buy what you like and can afford. If it sounds good or better to you, enjoy the music. Wasn't trying to "P" on anybodies corn flakes here, just expressing my personal opinions and professional experience.

If you REALLY want to improve the sound of your system for a fraction of its cost, address your room acoustics. Little room for debate on that one and the audible difference is obvious and significant.