Do Audio USB cables require burn in time?

[visionary]

Indeed, but the thread had moved on to a wider discussion of the fact that all digital cables are the same...

doesn't it always?

How about a "sticky" that says "The answer to all cable questions is that the only answer is the one you supply yourself"

or "The only agreement about cables is that we don't" and then ban the topic not the posters

 

[Gerrardasnails]

To return to the two questions in the original post, I'd go with "No" and "Yes" in that order!

So they don't require a burn in period... however, I am still jumping ot conclusions too quickly?

I'm confused ha!

No, they don't require a burn-in period. Yes, you were jumping to conclusions that they would in the first place. It's a data carrier from the computer and if the signal from the computer's duff, nothing'll get through.

 

[Anonymous]

There is no scientific proof that cable burn in exists affecting sound quality and if it did the the shear fact that signals down a copper cable are A.C and randomised would reverse the burn in effect over time which makes this a riduculous theory. Show me a pear reviewed article with appropriate sicentific measurements to back up the claim.

 

[idc]

I owe the objectivist's cliche tin a fortune. But, the difference in sound is in the OPs head, not the cable. There is not one shred of evidence that the cable itself can affect sound. There is a lot of evidence (damned to that cliche tin) as to why the difference is in the OPs head.

 

[Bodfish]

Show me a pear reviewed article with appropriate sicentific measurements to back up the claim.

I'll happily add 50p to the pedantry tin and say I'd love to see a pear reviewed paper

And as far as the 'your imagining things' goes, I can kind of understand that when the person hears improvements (you've spent money, you've read reviews etc etc) but I can't work out how that applies when you experience degredation?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Ah well, apparently that's because naive, suggestible fools believe that because they've spent a lot of money on something, of course it's going to sound worse. Oh, hang on, no, I mean it should – oh anyway, they're fooling themselves because it just can't sound different because... Well, well, just because.

(Exit, pursued by a pear)

 

[Anonymous]

Yes I know a typo Pear instead of Peer, you said it, suggestible fools. A course in electrical engineering may help convince some although even then you still wouldnt beleive the science.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Yes I know a typo Pear instead of Peer, you said it, suggestible fools. A course in electrical engineering may help convince some although even then you still wouldnt beleive the science.

Thank you for clarifying your view of your fellow forum members.

 

[Bodfish]

Yes I know a typo Pear instead of Peer, you said it, suggestible fools. A course in electrical engineering may help convince some although even then you still wouldnt beleive the science.

Yes, I understand your viewpoint (though I don't fully agree with it) but can you please explain the 'suggestible fool' hearing degradation?

 

[idc]

The expectation is that there will be a difference. The hope is that it will a difference for the better. That is in the mind, which is not foolish as the mind is far far more influencial than the structure of a cable on sound quality.

This matter can be easily solved with an ABX test with the two USB cables.

 

[The_Lhc]

Yes I know a typo Pear instead of Peer,

And the rest...

you said it, suggestible fools. A course in electrical engineering may help convince some although even then you still wouldnt beleive the science.

I imagine Ken Ishiwata's* done such a course...

*Or whatever his name is, I can't be bothered to look it up, the KI of Marantz KI fame...

 

[datay]

"Exit, pursued by a pear" is the funniest thing I have ever read on this forum. Andrew, you deserve a holiday on the seacoast of Bohemia.

 

[professorhat]

The expectation is that there will be a difference. The hope is that it will a difference for the better.

So for the OP, his mind has rejected his own hope and forced him to instead hear a difference for the worse? Seems harsh - hope my brain doesn't start this trick on me. But then, my mind might reject this hope as well, forcing me to want to start hearing things worse... and then... and then...

 

[CnoEvil]

The expectation is that there will be a difference. The hope is that it will a difference for the better.

So for the OP, his mind has rejected his own hope and forced him to instead hear a difference for the worse? Seems harsh - hope my brain doesn't start this trick on me. But then, my mind might reject this hope as well, forcing me to want to start hearing things worse... and then... and then...

My thoughts exactly......no wonder my brain hurts. :~

 

[Anonymous]

There is simply no way that a digital cable can effect the tonality of an audio signal. This is due to the fact (in the case of USB) that digital data is sent asynchronously in packets down the said cable. Only the devices in between have the ability to impart any kind of manipulation to the audio waveform.

As for USB cables having a 'burn-in' period, that is simply ridiculous...

 

[Anonymous]

The more man clings to religion, the more he believes. The more he believes, the less he knows. The less he knows, the more stupid he is. The more stupid, the easier he can be governed! The easier to govern, the better he may be exploited. The more exploited, the poorer he gets. The poorer he gets, the richer and mightier the domineering classes get, the more riches and power they amass, the heavier their yoke upon the neck of the people.

 

[CnoEvil]

The more man clings to religion, the more he believes. The more he believes, the less he knows. The less he knows, the more stupid he is. The more stupid, the easier he can be governed! The easier to govern, the better he may be exploited. The more exploited, the poorer he gets. The poorer he gets, the richer and mightier the domineering classes get, the more riches and power they amass, the heavier their yoke upon the neck of the people.

Good grief!!

I think you've been well enough "burned in" for one night. J)

 

[Anonymous]

I was trying hard to hear a differnece. I later realized that if I have to try to hear the difference, and try pretty hard at that, might as well save me the money and get the cheaper thing: or, the money might be better spent on something else. Like on music.

 

[The_Lhc]

There is simply no way that a digital cable can effect the tonality of an audio signal. This is due to the fact (in the case of USB) that digital data is sent asynchronously in packets down the said cable.

I might be wrong but I didn't think all dac usb connections were asynchronous. I know the rdac's is but wasn't sure that was the case for every dac?

 

[the record spot]

The more man clings to religion, the more he believes. The more he believes, the less he knows. The less he knows, the more stupid he is. The more stupid, the easier he can be governed! The easier to govern, the better he may be exploited. The more exploited, the poorer he gets. The poorer he gets, the richer and mightier the domineering classes get, the more riches and power they amass, the heavier their yoke upon the neck of the people.

You're not going to start going down the conspiracy theorist route that's recently been popular in the "Off Topic" section are you? Or at least, can you remove some of the window dressing from the above paragraph? It's riddled with inaccuracies and assumptions ("...the less he knows, the more stupid he is..." - hello?).

 

[Anonymous]

I dont think so beacuse if the device fails to receive the data packet then evenually after many retries the device will produce a cyclic redundancy error and the transfer will be halted.

 

[Anonymous]

There is simply no way that a digital cable can effect the tonality of an audio signal. This is due to the fact (in the case of USB) that digital data is sent asynchronously in packets down the said cable. Only the devices in between have the ability to impart any kind of manipulation to the audio waveform.

As for USB cables having a 'burn-in' period, that is simply ridiculous...

I absolutely agree, you are one of only a few logical and sensible unfortunately

 

[Anonymous]

The more man clings to religion, the more he believes. The more he believes, the less he knows. The less he knows, the more stupid he is. The more stupid, the easier he can be governed! The easier to govern, the better he may be exploited. The more exploited, the poorer he gets. The poorer he gets, the richer and mightier the domineering classes get, the more riches and power they amass, the heavier their yoke upon the neck of the people.

I like this, very appropriate, excellent quote

 

[visionary]

The more man clings to religion, the more he believes. The more he believes, the less he knows. The less he knows, the more stupid he is. The more stupid, the easier he can be governed! The easier to govern, the better he may be exploited. The more exploited, the poorer he gets. The poorer he gets, the richer and mightier the domineering classes get, the more riches and power they amass, the heavier their yoke upon the neck of the people.

I like this, very appropriate, excellent quote

I seem to remember a variation which then refers to the poorer folk then having fewer clothes to wear and being labelled the "less-ons" and the governing richer/mightier having an increased clothing budget and being labelled the "more-ons"

 

[davemartin01]

I wonder how many people such as the OP who have spent a fortune on boutique USB cables for HI-FI will not think twice about using a stock cheapo USB to transfer exactly and perfectly many GB's of data for back up to an external HDD or perhaps won't even consider when using a stock cheapo mini USB for perfect digital data transfer of RAW images from cameras etc etc but when it comes to hi fi it suddenly becomes an issue and suddenly the laws change because it is hi fi and magazine reviews push expensive cables and people get insecure and restless.