How do I test new cables for faults before connecting them

Thanks for the info!  It passed the continuity and voltage tests.

geoffkait -- I'm not familiar with a test for directionality -- is that for cables that are supposed to prefer current in one direction over another?  These are XLRs where the direction is fixed (different gender plugs on each end).  Still I'm curious of there's something else here worth testing for.

If you have a good volt ohm meter you can test for directionality whilst you’re at it.

If I’m not mistaken Mapleshade was using dielectric biasing more than twenty years ago. I was in the show in Vegas with them in ‘97.

These are basically Audioquests knockoff attempt at Synergistic Research Active Shielding. Oh well at least they are used, probably won't take that big a hit when you go to sell them. Anyway, simple question, you test for continuity. 

Whatever cable you have, does not matter, you should get continuity testing the same strand each end, no continuity testing across any other combination. Then if you are still worried about the knockoff you could switch the thing over to voltage and see if you get any voltage from any pin to the ground pin at either end. Because, see, the thing works by putting a small voltage on an extra wire in order to keep the dielectric (fancy word for insulator) charged on the theory it works better that way. Which I don't know about the knockoff but it definitely does in the Synergistic Research Active Shielding cables.

"Dialectric bias". "Bias system." Gotta love it. Ted been doing this going on 20 years now. How long it take Audioquest?