Arsonists - Please help me with cable burning


As an admitted novice who is getting in to higher-end audio, I respectfully seek learned responses to some very basic cable burning questions. Realizing that many of you have been all through this before, I promise that if you teach me, I will step in and do the same in the future for others so that you will not be similarly bothered! :-)

Based on the limited amount I have READ, I am in the camp that subscribes to the notion that cable burning DOES make a difference. PLEASE do not turn this thread into a debate of this issue. I WANT to try this and if I ultimately waste time and electricity - it is MY time and MY money. That being said, I have a lot more time than money, so buying a cable cooker is just not an option. So, unless there is a CHEAP way to speed up the process, I am willing to invest the time it takes otherwise. Also, I know my cables aren't "end-all" quality, but after they settle in I can later decide if I need a change or upgrade.

OK, then, I have two new Zu Oxyfuel interconnects (one between my CD player and preamp and one between my preamp and amp) and a pair of new 8' Cardas Cross speaker cables. In my zeal to burn these in and get to listening, please help me with these questions:

1.) For the interconnects, are there better options than simply running the cables between the CD/pre and pre/amp, putting in a CD on repeat mode and just letting it run throughout the day?

2.) Does it make sense to use my separate A/V receiver and run the two cables between, say, tape1 "out" and tape1 "in" and tape2 "out" and tape2 "in", as dummy loads? If so, does the receiver need to be in tape1 or tape2 mode for this to work for both cables at once?

3.) For the speaker cables, if a signal is being sent from the amp to the speakers, does the volume need to be at any certain level, or any level at all, for the burn in to work?

4.) In the case of any cable, does it matter what kind of music is "sent through" or is, for instance, white noise between FM stations the same in terms of HOW the cable burns in sonically? Someone told me that one should send something heavy in bass as a signal but it seems to me like this should make no difference.

5.) Finally (I know, thank God it is FINALLY), is there a cheap method (sans a cooker) for speeding up the process that can be accomplished with somewhat limited (obviously) electronic knowledge? I can follow mechanical direction, I just probably won't know WHY what I am doing is effective! :-)
Thanks to all who respond.
motdathird
I have had good results burning interconnects on the output of my Charlie tuner. It has a high output, and uses almost no AC power. Other end connected to preamp input, but the system was not on.
Good luck , happy listening
Rcrump - might I suggest a very crisp fume blanc as a basis for that etouffe?

Gee, the cable manufacturer suggested 100-150 hour breakin time using "normal" methods. Sounds like I won't really be able to really tell how things have "settled" much before the summer solstice! :-)
You can boil it in crawfish etouffee for a while or use some load resistors at levels that would set fire to your speakers for five days, but it will take 720 hours (30 days) for the wire to stop changing it's sound....Break-in takes a long time regardless how the wire is treated, but prestressing it makes the break-in easier on the ears.........
Bob - Tx for the clarification. A much cheaper way than any cooker but I guess my time lines were slightly off - obviously this is a slower process...
Well, pretty close.....Get two 225w 8 ohm load resistors from Allied for $25 and a 100wpc receiver from JR Music World for $135 or so, hook up the speaker wire, put on a rock & roll station turn it up and measure the voltage across the resistors until you measure about 4v AC average.....This will give you 2w average out through the load resistors 4vac squared divided by 8ohms = 2watts.....Leave this running 24/7 for a month.....
When it comes to speaker cables and if my memory serves me right, Bob Crump posted over at AA a few months back about acquiring an inexpensive receiver (cheap on-line or at a tag/garage sale) and some 25 watt (???) resistors. Hook the speaker cable up to the receiver and then the resistors and turn up the volume until you get 3-4 watts measured - don't ask me how to do this I've got 5 thumbs when it comes to this stuff. After 3 days or so you should be on your way. As for ics maybe a tuner signal for a few weeks????
Mot, go to rat shack and pick up the necessary parts to make "adapters" that you will need. Then hook up your interconnects as speaker cables in your secondary system. Pay attention to use the center pin for positive and outer clamp or "ring" for negative. Also pay attention to directionality with the amp being the "source" and the speakers being the load. Let the system play as often and as loud as possible with as much "high energy" ( read this as "rock" ) music as you can stand. If you hate rock, do this when you're not home and simply play the music of your choice when you are home. This will break the interconnects in MUCH faster and far more thoroughly than simply using them as you normally would.

As to speaker cables, that is another matter altogether and would require purchasing a high powered dummy load, etc... Sean
Sanctuary - I am much obliged with respect to your generous offer. You are right, though, it would be best "time-wise" for me to do my own cooking! :-)

I assume from your response that my notion of running the CD/pre and pre/amp cables continuously is best and that some sound ("whisper lever") should emit from the speakers to burn in the speaker cables.(?) I am patient enough to wait for this to work if I am on the right track in doing so.
Cables are normally compressed when new and will open up with hours played. I personally believe since you are a novice that experiencing the changes in your system over the weeks is a worthwhile experience without going out of your way to do anything special. If you are in a hurry to burn them in and since your seeked help you are welcome to send them to me and I will burn them in on my Nordost cooker. ( Please this offer is for this one situation only I cannot burn in all the cables for everyone reading this posts.) But let me explain that even after 4 days of cooking as Nordost suggests the cables will still take about a week to properly settle in your system. So if you take into consideration shipping time, money for shipping both ways, and then the time for the cables to settle in you are looking at a minimum of 2 weeks. In that time if you play your system 24 hours a day at a whisper, as not to bother anyone, that is over 300 hours and your cables should be on their way to being well burned in. Remember part of being an Audiophile is experiencing all the little subtle nuances and not so subtle. Good luck.