Do Audio USB cables require burn in time?

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Potts

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Hey all
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I'm a bit of a newbie to posting but have trawled and trawled this forum for many hours in the past!

Anyway... I'm totally satisfied with the sound of my system (within constraints of budget!), but when looking to find the weakest part that could do with improvement, I felt I may benefit from a 'better' USB cable. So I decided to buy a Wireworld Ultraviolet USB for my DAC.

I just wondered, do these cables require a burn in period as with most hi-fi cables?

It's just that out of the box, this thing sounds awful! The top end sounds very closed in, and the bass very boomy. It doesn't sound anymore detailed than my stock either. I can't put my finger on what it is, but it isn't in the pleasant to listen to at all. Swapping back and forth with the stock cable that I got with my Fubar II, I prefer the stock by far.

I've had to be patient with other kit, so am I jumping to conclusions too quickly with this one?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Anonymous

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there's no such thing as "burn in" in the context of any form of digital data transport.
 

Potts

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maxflinn said:
there's no such thing as "burn in" in the context of any form of digital data transport.

Well I was tempted to give it 100 hours, but maybe I would just be wastig my time on that one
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FennerMachine

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I have experienced differences with USB cables with computer peripherals.

Usually one working intermittently, thus resulting in me destroying it and getting a new one from the wall behind me (at work).

Very rarely have I had a cable work for one device perfectly but not for another device, needing a 'USB 2.0' rated cable to make it work.

I suppose if there are differences between how computers and Hi-Fi work with error correction, a poorly made or faulty cable might not work at all for a computer but deliver a poor sound for audio equipment.
 
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the record spot

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

Potts

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the record spot said:
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!
 
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Anonymous

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In my opinion - ditch the fancy Wireworld (sell on ebay?) and use the better sounding budget USB, No point in flogging a dead horse.
 

Potts

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Clearwater said:
In my opinion - ditch the fancy Wireworld (sell on ebay?) and use the better sounding budget USB, No point in flogging a dead horse.

There's a 10 day 'hear no improvement and get your money back' guarentee on it... which is what tempted me to try it.

I was open minded to the USB debate, but thought at worst it would probably just sound the same. Never thought it would go the opposite way!
 
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the record spot

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Potts said:
the record spot said:
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.
 
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Anonymous

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Data down USB cable is very similar to the way data is trasmitted down HDMI cable except data down USB from a PC to a device say is bidirectional, data is sent to the device and if it is not received intact the device tells the host to resend the data. HDMI digital picture and sound data is not transmitter using bidirecitonal comms but it does include powerfull redundancy error correction bits so that if bits are corrupted the data can be reconstructed which is why when a HDMI cables fails it fails catastrophically with a terrible picture or no picture at all. HDMI cables that give deeper blacks, and natural colour balance, with detailed images is just nonsense.
 

FennerMachine

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hifiscore, that makes sense. Is that similar to why analogue TV worked even with a bad signal with 'snow' but a bad digital signal results in a useless unwatchable picture with pips and squeaks for sound? I know that you have to have the total packet for a complete digital picture,but could that explain a difference between two different USB cables if the error correction can't keep up with the speed/time required? Data transfer with PC's speeds up/slows down as require by the type & size of data. Maybe DACs have to work with what they have
 
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Andrew Everard said:
Good to see all the usual absolutes, but aren't you overlooking the fact that the OP is actually hearing differences between two USB cables? ;)
Yes, and the "audiophile" one is no good, but his question was about burning in, not hearing differences between 2 cables.

Personally I think burning in makes a huge difference. Thoses bits an bytes need to get used to the transport layer, just as we have to get used to new shoes. Only when they are comfortable can the music shine.
 

Andrew Everard

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proffski said:
A good regular application of "Snake Oil" adds oodles of detail

50p in the objectivist cliche tin, please.

proffski said:
Should that be 'imagining hearing a difference' in order to justify the kings new clothes?

Yes, because he imagines the expensive one sounds worse – perfect logic. And that's another 50p please...
 

hammill

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Andrew Everard said:
proffski said:
A good regular application of "Snake Oil" adds oodles of detail

50p in the objectivist cliche tin, please.
I like the idea of an objectivist cliche tin. Presumably, those who are certain that burning in applies to cables would keep their 50ps in a Ming vase...
 
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