New cable burn in

[admin_exported]

I have some new interconnects and speaker cables and want to ask about burn in times.........

1. What is the general wisdom around cable burn in time? I have read 100 hours - is that right?

2. Are there different burn in times for interconnects and speaker cabes or are they the same?

3. During the burn in period does sound have to be coing through the speakers or does everthing just have to be powered up?

4. If the former - is it volume dependent?

5. I also have a new amp - is there a burn in period for that too? (It has a standby switch so is in warm up mode all the time)

Sorry for all the dumb questions but I am new here.

Thanks in advance

John

 

[toyota man]

I have some new interconnects and speaker cables and want to ask about burn in times.........

1. What is the general wisdom around cable burn in time? I have read 100 hours - is that right?

2. Are there different burn in times for interconnects and speaker cabes or are they the same?

3. During the burn in period does sound have to be coing through the speakers or does everthing just have to be powered up?

4. If the former - is it volume dependent?

5. I also have a new amp - is there a burn in period for that too? (It has a standby switch so is in warm up mode all the time)

Sorry for all the dumb questions but I am new here.

Thanks in advance

John

Hi John I dont think there is a burn in time for cables there is a time of adjustment for your ears to get used to any changes that you have made to your system your amp how ever may take a little longer I would suggest that you listen to your music and enjoy it thats what I do and you will notice little details which you hadn't before ejnoy :cheers: :cheers:

 

[Covenanter]

I have some new interconnects and speaker cables and want to ask about burn in times.........

1. What is the general wisdom around cable burn in time? I have read 100 hours - is that right?

2. Are there different burn in times for interconnects and speaker cabes or are they the same?

3. During the burn in period does sound have to be coing through the speakers or does everthing just have to be powered up?

4. If the former - is it volume dependent?

5. I also have a new amp - is there a burn in period for that too? (It has a standby switch so is in warm up mode all the time)

Sorry for all the dumb questions but I am new here.

Thanks in advance

John

Hi John I dont think there is a burn in time for cables there is a time of adjustment for your ears to get used to any changes that you have made to your system your amp how ever may take a little longer I would suggest that you listen to your music and enjoy it thats what I do and you will notice little details which you hadn't before ejnoy :cheers: :cheers:

I think that's a very wise answer. I think there might, repeat might, be a "burn in" for speakers and headphones as they have mechanical components which might loosen up or maybe even tighten up with use. I'd need a lot of convincing that cables or any solid state components change over time. Even if they do it would I suggest be very hard to distinguish them from the human factor that toyota man talks about.

Chris

 

[busb]

I have some new interconnects and speaker cables and want to ask about burn in times.........

1. What is the general wisdom around cable burn in time? I have read 100 hours - is that right?

2. Are there different burn in times for interconnects and speaker cabes or are they the same?

3. During the burn in period does sound have to be coing through the speakers or does everthing just have to be powered up?

4. If the former - is it volume dependent?

5. I also have a new amp - is there a burn in period for that too? (It has a standby switch so is in warm up mode all the time)

Sorry for all the dumb questions but I am new here.

Thanks in advance

John

Hi John I dont think there is a burn in time for cables there is a time of adjustment for your ears to get used to any changes that you have made to your system your amp how ever may take a little longer I would suggest that you listen to your music and enjoy it thats what I do and you will notice little details which you hadn't before ejnoy :cheers: :cheers:

I think that's a very wise answer. I think there might, repeat might, be a "burn in" for speakers and headphones as they have mechanical components which might loosen up or maybe even tighten up with use. I'd need a lot of convincing that cables or any solid state components change over time. Even if they do it would I suggest be very hard to distinguish them from the human factor that toyota man talks about.

Chris

My current speakers have a reputation of needing at lease a 100hrs before sounding their best - I bought them ex-demo so are more likely to be worn out rather than worn in

My M-DAC took a couple of weeks to sound at it's best. Many others have found the same such as the designer who puts it down to the organic capacitors settling in. I can certainly understand this with speakers & headphones where the compliance of the cone supporting material settles down but was surprised the sound of my DAC changed to the point of questioning my own observation.

 

[Covenanter]

Some capacitors do certainly age because they are "active" devices. Not sure it's because they are "organic" (whatever that means - no insecticides used in their production?) as all electrolytic style capacitors have this property.

Chris

 

[andyjm]

Some capacitors do certainly age because they are "active" devices. Not sure it's because they are "organic" (whatever that means - no insecticides used in their production?) as all electrolytic style capacitors have this property.

Chris

Capacitors are not active devices, they are passive.

While some electronic components do deteriorate over time (electrolytic capacitors are a case in point), I have yet to see a datasheet for a component that refers to a burn in time before the component meets spec.

'Burn in' refers to the technique of running a device at elevated temperature to weed out products that would fail early in life. Most often used for professional equipment to avoid warranty claims. Nothing to do with the device drifiting into spec with extended use.

Being mechanical, speakers may well 'run in' over time as the dynamics of the cone suspension alter with use, and sound quality may well improve over time.

As for cables running in, I am afraid that is nonsense.

 

[Anonymous]

As for cables running in, I am afraid that is nonsense.

Thank you - that answers my question.

I got a bit thrown by all the talk of capacitors and active devices etc............ all I asked was "Do cables need burning in?"

The cables I have are Chord. The packaging that came with them includes the following statement......."The performance of the cable will improve with use. Maximum performance will be obtained after approximately 100 hours use"

I therefore assume they are talking nonsense here? That's good - my cables are ready already after only 1 day

 

[CnoEvil]

As for cables running in, I am afraid that is nonsense.

Thank you - that answers my question....

.....or does it?

Nordost make a cable burn-in device: http://audiofederation.com/blog/archives/63

and http://www.nordost.com/default/pdf/HiFiPlus_issue47b.pdf.

Some feedback on the people who've used it:
http://www.lejonklou.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=322&sid=534663950c5ba15393b9c074a51a9426

Me, I'm staying out of this one! :shifty:

 

[sogophonio11]

all cables need a burn in time! You need to keep your amplification on all the time! But can turn down the volume so as not to annoy the neighbours. Some kind of signle needs to be passig down them!

There is a train of thought that dictates you should keep your amps etc on 24/7. But you would need to evaluate this for your self.

There is a scientific reason for all of this burning in etc! But you need to google so as to satisfy your self, as to why.

Asking here will not really help you mate!

Regards.

 

[sogophonio11]

Sorry for spelling mistakes guys! Like to think i am educated! Well with a degree in audio engineering you would hope so eh!

Just trying to hard to help on all these forums!!

Regards

 

[sogophonio11]

TOO Hard! See what i mean.

 

[andyjm]

Hmmn.

There a people who advocate making a hat out of tin foil to keep out alien radio waves. To save you the trouble of google:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_foil_hat

Just because it is on the web doesn't mean it isn't nonsense.

I notice that Chord and Nordost don't seem to link to any recognised scientific research on the cable burn in effect. Perhaps you could point me in the right direction?

 

[CnoEvil]

Perhaps you could point me in the right direction?

Nope!

 

[Native_bon]

Yes cables do need time to burn in. Even sometimes it could take as much as 2 to 3 months, Depends on how often the system is played. people who are really really into HIFI know this as a fact.

I for one know that are hearing abilities are not all the same. So it can be difficult to gauge this subject

 

[Overdose]

As for cables running in, I am afraid that is nonsense.

The cables I have are Chord. The packaging that came with them includes the following statement......."The performance of the cable will improve with use. Maximum performance will be obtained after approximately 100 hours use"

If a manufacturer recomends 'burn in' for the cables, I'd recomend another manufacturer. Differences in sound over time, regarding cables, are nothing more than your hearing adjusting to to new sound. Even if differences did exist (and they don't), human audio memory is so poor, that you would never be able to tell what the original sound was like anyway.

Don't worry about burn in or any other such nonsense and go and enjoy your music, as has already been suggested.

 

[Overdose]

Sorry for spelling mistakes guys! Like to think i am educated! Well with a degree in audio engineering you would hope so eh!

Just trying to hard to help on all these forums!!

Regards

Perhaps you could give us all the benefit of your higher education in the field of audio engineering and explain how and why 'burn in' works?

Telling people to 'google' for the answer isn't particularly helpful or convincing, is it? Particularly for someone as educated as your good self.

 

[Overdose]

Yes cables do need time to burn in. Even sometimes it could take as much as 2 to 3 months, Depends on how often the system is played. people who are really really into HIFI know this as a fact.

I for one know that are hearing abilities are not all the same. So it can be difficult to gauge this subject

I think you'll find that the flow of electricity in all manner of cables is rather easy to guage, using the simplist of test equipment.

As for the comment in bold, made by a true audiophile, clearly.

 

[Anonymous]

The more you pay, the longer it takes to burn in - for the effect of having spent so much on basically copper and a sheath to assure yourself you have made an upgrade. Basic multistrand copper speaker cable and reasonable interconnects will do just fine.

 

[Overdose]

And you'll probably find that the 'burn in' time takes you just past the 'no quibble return' window.

 

[Anonymous]

Exactly Overdose, like the BT Infinity 2 broadband contract they promised with speed double what I'm getting, but I'm stuck in the contract because they told me to wait for the "10 Day Training Period" for the line to "settle down" - pure ********, the village is wired with aluminium and not copper hence half the speed......

Oh, I'm not bitter, just livid!

 

[CnoEvil]

Now we've got that sorted, can we change the subject to something more interesting........anyone noticed how many wasps there are this year?

 

[Covenanter]

Some capacitors do certainly age because they are "active" devices. Not sure it's because they are "organic" (whatever that means - no insecticides used in their production?) as all electrolytic style capacitors have this property.

Chris

Capacitors are not active devices, they are passive.

While some electronic components do deteriorate over time (electrolytic capacitors are a case in point), I have yet to see a datasheet for a component that refers to a burn in time before the component meets spec.

'Burn in' refers to the technique of running a device at elevated temperature to weed out products that would fail early in life. Most often used for professional equipment to avoid warranty claims. Nothing to do with the device drifiting into spec with extended use.

Being mechanical, speakers may well 'run in' over time as the dynamics of the cone suspension alter with use, and sound quality may well improve over time.

As for cables running in, I am afraid that is nonsense.

Electolytic devices are active devices. They have no capacitance until a voltage is applied across them. Active devices are defined as those whose properties change when used. QED

i largely agree about cables not burning in.

Chris

 

[BenLaw]

people who are really really into HIFI know this as a fact.

So if I didn't agree with that, or even if I believed it but wasn't sure of it, I wouldn't be 'reall really into HIFI'? Silly post :doh:

 

[Thompsonuxb]

I love this topic..... cables, the dark art.

I think it works the other way around though, the longer you leave your system on is the worse the cables will start to sound (they'll generate low hiss), unlike the components like the amp, source and speakers. WHFsv touched on it the other month in thier greatest amps ever piece.

its to do with the flow of electrons - memory distortion where electrons passing through a medium leave a path which is then followed by other electrons which in turn could affect the final signal - frequencies are lost, decided on this while considering the affects of the "magnetic tone" which supposidly disrupts these paths.

but I've always thought its the small variations in hifi that make the biggest differences.

So your kit may take time to burn in but your cables will need a little di-magnatising every now and then though. this can also be achieved by turning them around.......

 

[steve_1979]

Do cables need burning in?

No.