2. cables
  3. 188381-41

Cable Break In for the Naysayers

I still cannot believe that in this stage of Audio history there are still many who claim cable break in is imagined. They even go so far as claim it is our ears that break in to the new sound. Providing many studies in the way of scientific testing. Sigh...

I noticed such a recent discussion on the What’s Best Forum. So here is my response.

______________________________________________________________________________________________ I just experienced cable break in again firsthand. 10 Days ago, I bought a new set of the AudioQuest Thunderbird XLR 2M interconnects.

First impression, they sounded good, but then after about 30 hours of usage the music started sounding very closed in and with limited high frequencies. This continued until about 130 hours of music play time.

Then at this time, the cables started to open up and began to sound better and better each passing hour. I knew at the beginning they would come around because they sounded ok at first until the break in process started. But now they have way surpassed that original sound.

Now the soundstage has become huge with fantastic frequency extensions. Very pleased with the results. Scientifically I guess we can’t prove cable break in is real, but with good equipment, good ears, it is clearly a real event.

ozzy

ozzy

Showing 1 response by decooney

decooney
2,358 posts
 

@ozzy But if your system, and ears are not up to it, you might let this pass you by.

Exactly.  Enjoy reading George’s history and mastery of cabling, and his associated explanations. For those who can’t hear a difference, buy cheap cables, save your $ and enjoy listening whatever you’ve got.  Non-believers will likely never hear a difference, and whatever the case - only those who explore more will actually know and/or hear the difference. Some systems are not up to the task though... 

Starts here: https://www.cardas.com/deep-dive

With that, here’s what’s going on during cable break-in:

There are many factors that make cable break-in necessary and many reasons why the results vary. If you measure a new cable with a voltmeter you will see a standing voltage because good dielectrics make poor conductors. They hold a charge much like a rubbed cat’s fur on a dry day. It takes a while for this charge to equalize in the cable. Better cables often take longer to break-in. The best "air dielectric" techniques, such as PFA tube construction, have large non-conductive surfaces to hold charge, much like the cat on a dry day. ... 

 

More to discover