Cable burn in

All general audio posts go here.
NSNO2021
Posts: 1007
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 1:06 pm
Location: Industrial waste lands of the north west
Has thanked: 559 times
Been thanked: 487 times
Great Britain

Cable burn in

Unread post by NSNO2021 »

First the disclaimer 😉 I know this topic like so many is subjective, however there seems to be a degree of acceptance that the performance of cables improves with use (burn in).
For a cable to burn in does it need to be in use and passing a signal or will connected with the power on (and selected in the case of interconnects) suffice. Thanks Paul
Modified Airlink BPS 3110S with LDA DC filter
TTs, Kenwood KD 8030 with AT OC9XSH, Opera Consonance Wax Engine mk2 with modified Apheta 2 MC cart, PT TOO awaiting restoration.
LDA MCJ3 phono,Schiit Freya plus pre amp, NAD M23, Audiolab 9000 CD transport, Denafrips Pontus 2 DAC, Mano Ultra2 streamer, Cisco switch, Audio Technica ATH 70 cans, Serhan Swift Mu2 mk2 speakers & NSNO W48.5 speaker cables

User avatar
TheMadMick
Posts: 437
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 9:50 am
Location: SOUTHPORT, UK
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 141 times
ST_PATRICK'S_SALTIRE

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by TheMadMick »

In my experience, cables only burn in properly when carrying a current. However, whether there is a physical change in the cable or simply our ears getting used to the cable is an open question.

There have been some expensive cables that never seemed to run in for me (Mainly those coming from Cumbria) and others that seemed to like running for a while then being left in circuit.

Let your ears judge. Your perception is your reality. No-one can argue with it although many skeptics try.
Blusound Vault 2, P50SA, A80's, BMU, TIS, LS7, MA PL200, Meridian 506 (18 bit).

User avatar
CN211276
Posts: 6522
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:29 am
Location: Cardiff
Has thanked: 1401 times
Been thanked: 976 times
EUROPEAN_UNION

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by CN211276 »

This thread had me going back to my review of TSCS in the review thread on page 22. They do require burn in with music playing to these ears.
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ

Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Colbat

RIP Doc

User avatar
savvypaul
Posts: 8635
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:14 pm
Location: Durham
Has thanked: 1657 times
Been thanked: 2978 times
Contact:
Great Britain

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by savvypaul »

When you change cables, follow the NVA User Instructions so that you don't need to turn off your power amps. Some of the 'burn in' that some people hear may simply be the amps settling back in if you turned them off to change cables.

What you hear is what you hear, and not up for debate. What caused you to hear what you hear...is a different matter.

I'd have thought that to achieve burn-in you would have to have a signal passing through. Easy enough with an interconnect from source to preamp - run the source 24/7 but turn the volume off at the preamp.
I am in the hi-fi trade
Status: Manufacturer
Company Name: NVA Hi-Fi
https://nvahifi.co.uk/

keepitsimplestupid
Posts: 297
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 2:18 pm
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by keepitsimplestupid »

No denying that people believe they hear cables burn in. But given that no science supports this, we really should look to equipment warm up and acclimatisaion as more likely causes.

NSNO2021
Posts: 1007
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 1:06 pm
Location: Industrial waste lands of the north west
Has thanked: 559 times
Been thanked: 487 times
Great Britain

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by NSNO2021 »

Future shop who I rate offer a free burn in service for cables purchased from them using a purpose built machine "Nordost Vidar" and MCRU offer this burn in service for £55 per pair, money back in you don't hear an improvement. From a stone cold logic point of view it does not make sense but hey, a little bit of mystery is no bad thing
Modified Airlink BPS 3110S with LDA DC filter
TTs, Kenwood KD 8030 with AT OC9XSH, Opera Consonance Wax Engine mk2 with modified Apheta 2 MC cart, PT TOO awaiting restoration.
LDA MCJ3 phono,Schiit Freya plus pre amp, NAD M23, Audiolab 9000 CD transport, Denafrips Pontus 2 DAC, Mano Ultra2 streamer, Cisco switch, Audio Technica ATH 70 cans, Serhan Swift Mu2 mk2 speakers & NSNO W48.5 speaker cables

User avatar
Lindsayt
Posts: 4213
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:06 pm
Has thanked: 1079 times
Been thanked: 692 times
Nauru

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by Lindsayt »

When I've baked off interconnects I've struggled to hear differences between them. I'd send myself potty trying to discern if a cable sounded different from brand new to a few hours or many hours of usage old.

User avatar
karatestu
Posts: 5945
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:40 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Has thanked: 1865 times
Been thanked: 1378 times
Great Britain

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by karatestu »

We should let anyone who is a cable burn in believer carry on doing so. It makes them happy and the world a slightly happier place.

The ones that were hiding in a box that i threw on a bonfire were definitely well burned in .
DIY FREE ZONE

User avatar
Lindsayt
Posts: 4213
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:06 pm
Has thanked: 1079 times
Been thanked: 692 times
Nauru

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by Lindsayt »

karatestu wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:50 am We should let anyone who is a cable burn in believer carry on doing so. It makes them happy and the world a slightly happier place.

The ones that were hiding in a box that i threw on a bonfire were definitely well burned in .
Yeah that's fine. Other people basing their decisions on their tests and bake-offs.

All I can do is report the results of my listening tests.

I can hear differences between speakers easily enough.
The same with amplifiers, although the differences between well executed amplifiers does start to get quite subtle to my ears.
CD players - of the very limited ones I've baked off so far - start to get even more subtle to the point of me seeing choice of CD player as not a big deal.
Interconnects - I've really struggled to tell them apart. And that includes a brand new £1.49 ebayed one vs a somewhat used, highly rated by others £120 one.

Speaker cables (again a very small number actually baked off) - I could hear a detectable difference at the frequency extremes in terms of tonal balance, but no difference in clarity, focus, low level detail and dynamics.

User avatar
karatestu
Posts: 5945
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:40 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Has thanked: 1865 times
Been thanked: 1378 times
Great Britain

Re: Cable burn in

Unread post by karatestu »

My post wasn't directed at you Lindsay. I just meant in general. The internet would be a better place without the endless squabbles about cables. Mind you, some people may enjoy watching the squabbles. :roll:
DIY FREE ZONE

Post Reply