Interconnects can be burned in quietly. Don't turn on the amp, but turn on the CD player, and the wire from the CD to the preamp will burn in. |
if there is only 1 pair of ICs, then drive the interconnects by Squeezebox or any other source you don't feel bad about running 24/7. Assuming that the ICs are connected to a preamp or an integrated, you don't have to have the pre or integrated on to break in the ICs.
To break in speaker cables, you will need to play music and have the cables connected to a speaker or a dummy load, as Dpac996 suggested. Do not run your amp with the speaker cables not connected at the speaker end.
You may cook the amp doing that.
Just play music in the background if you can and enjoy. Cables will break in naturally. Don't get too hung up on it. |
Dpac996 - thanks for the info - any suggestions for the interconnects - what type of load device would I need.
Shadorne - thought is to use my squeezebox with a mix of all music I listen to on random - I can adjust "volume" at different times of day/night
Sugarbrie - I figured they would -but time is limited in which I can listen and want to make the most of it when I can - (read I am inpatient and want the best out of my system now)
Johngp, Ozzy, Jtwrace - thank you all for the offers - I may take you up on it, although I want to give the self break in a try - in hopes of learning as much for the fun of it
Timrhu - cables are not super nice (read not super expensive) sorry
All others - thanks for the advice and passing along of knowledge - LOVE the music - starting to get the technical side- |
I will butn in on my FryKleaner (Hagerman Tech) unit for free as well. |
If they're super nice (expensive) cables send them to me. I'll hook them to my system and send them back when I'm satisfied they're sufficiently cooked.
I'll split shipping cost! |
Me too. Just reimburse the shipping costs.
I also own a Audiodharma Cable Cooker. We need to help each other out. |
I will burn them in for you on MY Audiodharma Cable Cooker PRO 2.5 for you for.............FREE. Of course you would have to pay shipping but otherwise I wouldn't charge my fellow audio buddies for something like that. Let me know if your interested.
Regards,
John |
Yes indeed, you need a load connected and music playing.
For the life of me, I cannot understand this break-in thing. Not because I am a EE and should refute such "nonsense" but because I am an objectivist who has experienced break-in several times! It is the craziest thing. At this point, I am pretty much certain it is the cable changing in some manner. I have developed a bunch of techincal theories about what might be happening to try to rationalize it. It all makes sense but not in the audible frequency domain, and yet...
Of course, it takes a high level of system resolution to really notice. I couldn't really tell until my system had improved sufficiently - so your mileage may vary.
Arthur |
I agree with Sugarbrie - just use them and over the next few weeks, they will burn in/settle in your system. Whether or not you will notice a difference depends on your system - and ears.
Soren |
Indeed...the load will have impact on the volatge and current levels in the cable - so it is not just the music (signal) that is critical but also the load.
You need to consider
Source Signal ( type music, frequency content, in some cases test signals may provide the most balanced break-in)
Load ( active, passive or a combination )
Volume setting ( determines Volatge and current level in concert with load )
Time ( length of time used to burn in and possibly the times of day used to burn - obviously no point burning in during the morning if you listen at night, as everyone knows that the grid power varies throughout the day)
Furthermore, since amps, tubes, capacitors, speakers and sources all break-in then you need to add break-in times together, otherwise your cable will only be broken in for how your tube amp or speaker sounded 300 hours ago ...in essence it needs to break-in synergistically once ALL components are broken-in)
...this is if you believe. |
Since these threads go off course, the important question to be answered, Yes you absolutley need a Load at the other end of speaker cables or interconnects, if in fact "burn in " whether you believe in it or not is to work
The signal from the positive cable seeking the negative cable to flow back to ground, otherwise there is no signal traveling thru because the circuit is not complete. People don't realize the center pin of an interconnect is the only one providing the signal in the first place, and the ground ring is getting it back to activate the circuit allowing signal flow in the first place otherwise power is not going anywhere, and the cable is doing nothing until that positive tap sees the ground tap.
Speakers are doing the same thing, the positive signal flows into the speaker, goes thru the crossover, and drivers and exits thru the negative speaker tap applying the signal to your negative speaker cable or ground and the ground cable is actually flowing the opposite direction
So think about it and obviously the positive sitting on the floor next to the negative cable would obviously not transmit the signal from one to the other unless you have a magic carpet :-) Kinda interesting since speaker cables and interconnects are sometimes marked directional, but this direction is pointing to show you the signal carrying cable into the load (positive + Red whatever), cause the arrow for your negative or ground signal would be going the opposite direction. So your cable is a Series connection and to get power it must flow in and out of a load. So whether this process is necessary, well fact is cables are electrical carrying and in opposing direction components of your system, can't hurt to try and "Cook" them. But I will not debate whether it works for the better or not.
So regardless if it is a viable action or not, YOU MUST have a load to make it do anything! |
Just use them.
They will break in on their own. |
keep in mind that I am somewhat technically challenged. From a technical perspective, cable burn in is totally unnecessary. I have never seen an engineering text book or scientifically peer reviewed paper that claims that burn in is required for an audio cable. From a subjective perspective....there are all kinds of anecdotal evidence about burn in. Just when and why burn in stops after a few days, months or up to a year is still unclear. If burn-in is real then the type of music, voltage and current levels used to burn in ought to be extremely important... |
"Any suggestions would be much appreciated - keep in mind that I am somewhat technically challenged."
Careful with that assertion at any audio dealer.
FWIW, usually you would want some "load" present at the other end of the cable under test...
if you want to get fanatical about it you can go to partsexpress and buy 8 or 4 ohm 100 watt dummy loads, for the speaker cable load. Then you can blast the cables with musical signals or whatever 24/7 with zero sound (assuming you also did not connect the speakers)...
be careful not to cook your driving amp/load.
Have a blast with the dielectric thing. |
I will burn them in a my Audioharma cable cooker for $35.00. If you live on the east coast shipping would be cheap. Zip code 32541 Destin FL. |
