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Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: kevin p on January 15, 2004, 12:33:38 AM
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There's a post on Oades about this. I am learning new stuff all the time and never heard of "breaking in" (burning in) a set of cables. I got some new Zaollas XLR>XLR, XLR>RCA in Dec. and wonder how I could break them in without having to actually use them at a show. Can anyone help me out? I'd appreciate any help!
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hook em up, let them run for a few hours. normal burn in time is 24 hrs, but i feel like you could get away with a lot less. its really not crucial, but there is some difference. if you arent listening on a killer home system i highly doubt you will hear it, but by seeing your killer rig, you might :-)
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hook your gear up in front of your stereo, like you would actually set up at a show and let it run
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you dont even have to hook it up in front of your stereo, throw the gain on your pre way up and just let it record ambient sounds. doesnt really matter, you just wanna get some electricity passing through there.
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There's a post on Oades about this. I am learning new stuff all the time and never heard of "breaking in" (burning in) a set of cables. I got some new Zaollas XLR>XLR, XLR>RCA in Dec. and wonder how I could break them in without having to actually use them at a show. Can anyone help me out? I'd appreciate any help!
yes, wait until saturn and venus are in line with the sun, that'll help too.
Break In” is not a proven audible or measurable phenomenon. The perception of changes in sound quality with time is likely attributable to the classical placebo effect, i.e., a listener anticipating a possible audible difference is predisposed to hear one whether or not it exists. Note that Audioquest isn't the only exotic cable vendor that claims cables “Break In”. This is actually quite a popular myth touted by many other exotic cable vendors and cable forum cult hobbyists alike.
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/interconnects/Cable-Breakin.html
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Mike, I've read all the things that say its a myth and all the things that say its not, however here's the thing that article doesn't account for. by exposing the cables initially to current flow you basically begin the possability for good oxidation (note some cables oxidize better than others). Listen, it's not gonna affect the sound THAT much, but oxidation does help or impede current flow based upon the material oxidizing.
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Mike, I've read all the things that say its a myth and all the things that say its not, however here's the thing that article doesn't account for. by exposing the cables initially to current flow you basically begin the possability for good oxidation (note some cables oxidize better than others). Listen, it's not gonna affect the sound THAT much, but oxidation does help or impede current flow based upon the material oxidizing.
"burning in silver cables" the entire point of silver cables is that silver is less prone to oxidation, also that silver has less resistance, higher impedence/better current flow. introducing current into the conductor will have no given effect on oxidation.
i may not know how to drive a stick shift, but i've been a phone man for years, i do know how conductors work.
2 factors *IF ANYTHING* that would have any effect is the difference in temperature. as the conductor temperature rises resistance drops, meaning more flow. a good example that uses this is a thermocouple in a furnace. the pilot goes out, the tc no longer is heated from a flame, the resistance rises, triggering the furnace to cut off the flow of gas.
lets say the manufacturer of the conducter introduces an oil or something else the the exterior of the conductor to inhibit oxidation during transit it is possible but not likely that it would impede contact until the conducters were heated, in a way "burning" or evaporating the oil or whatever coating off. as far as i know this is not done , even if so the plausability of such a coating impeding conductivity is not likely.
i can see it now:
"come on brah, we're gonna get in late"
"no man, my cables were in my cold trunk all day i gotta get em warmed up first" ;)
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hahaha good info mike. yah i was thinking more along the lines of when copper cable oxidizes it actually becomes a better conductor over time, but we are takling silver cable here so render my point null and void :-)
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^ Do people still burn in new silver cables?
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^ Do people still burn in new silver cables?
I let brand-spanking new headphones play for 10 hrs out of superstition (and speakers if I ever had got any new ones). Everything else gets hooked up to be tested but I don't let it sit and run just cause I can. :-\
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this sounds like the time a guy told me that you had to "break in" a baseball bat with at least 1000 swings.
i don't buy it.
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I burn my cables by sitting on them and farting.. I find that the low end is much better but the sound stage suffers.. I also use the booster cable jumper method.. I make some adapters that are XLR to Giant clamps and boost a few cars with the cables, then they are well broken in. I find the sound stage is much better then my fart method. I would caution it does take hours of driving around looking to find stranded motorists that need a boost. But its well worth the extra effort. The great Kazoo taught me that method.
Chris
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That explains the funky odor on all your US shipments. Your "secret weapon" as it were. You silly Americans-I fart in your general direction.
;D
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That explains the funky odor on all your US shipments. Your "secret weapon" as it were. You silly Americans-I fart in your general direction.
;D
I don't break in my cables to customers.. I let them do that :) I think some people appreciate the "fresh" cables I send them :)
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Indeed! Keep up the great work! :)
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I burn my cables by sitting on them and farting..
Always wondered how "Oxygen Free" cable was made, and now I know - by suffocation!! :yack: :yack: :yack:
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I burn my cables by sitting on them and farting..
Your giving away trade secrets :P
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The notion of "burning in" cables is pure nonsense. The small current levels in audio cables are insufficient to raise the temperature of the conductors. And the stuff about metal oxides improving performance is nonsense as well. Rust on iron is iron oxide. Nobody in their right mind would think that a chunk of rust conducts better or more efficiently than a piece of clean steel or iron. Sorry, don't mean to be argumentive at all, but my BS alarm was in the red here.
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The notion of "burning in" cables is pure nonsense.
Last night I had a dream that a new cable was burning me in!
Don't all cables have capacitance due to the dielectric properties of the insulation material and construction? And if there is a capacitance, would there be a difference once that dielectric is charged vs. discharged?
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Dialectric materials do not store a charge. The conductors separated by the dialectric are capable of storing a charge. The instant there is voltage potential across 2 conductors separated by a dialectric material, there is a charge present. The charge depends on the capacitance value between the conductors. When the voltge potential is removed, the charge dissipates based on the resistance across the capacitor.
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http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-blogs/other/4204772/Audio-cable-break-in--analog-vs--digital-nonsense
You mean you just buy these cables, hook them up and that's it? I want something to do! I've heard of people building machinery with knobs that don't do anything, just so people can have something to tweak.
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Good article.
Special Free Offer kids! If you must have your cables burned in, send them to me and for absolutely FREE!! I'll short them into a wall outlet and return them to you a smoking, smouldering mess!
/not really serious
If only I was a believer... there are business opportunities galore.
e.g. here, capitalism at it's finest (and knobs to twiddle):
http://www.haglabs.com/frydaddy.html
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I like this one, guys...
http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina31.htm
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I like this one, guys...
http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina31.htm
They're shittin' me, right? ::)
"The original glass bottles [for Brilliant Pebbles] have been replaced by clear zip lock bags, which have a more linear response than glass. We employ a number of highly-specialized, proprietary techniques in the preparation/assembly [of Brilliant Pebbles] to enhance the crystals' inherent characteristics. The fundamental operating principle [of Brilliant Pebbles] involves a number of atomic mechanisms in the crystals.