phono stage break in?

I have the Purist disc also, but for phono preamps (and stages) I think the disc made by Granite audio specifically for that purpose is better. It contains the RIAA frequency pre-emphasis that is applied to records and then de-emphasized in the phonostage.

No CD can work on circuitry it doesn't send signal thru. Even the Granite requires that you hook the output of your CD player (with its own volume control) to the inputs of your phono preamp/stage.

Personally I think using the sweep tracks on a record like the Cardas regularly keeps everything (including the cartridge!) in shape.

Larry, Granite makes a number of special purpose CDs, so make sure the one you have is either CD-101 or CD 101.1, which are the phono burn-in CDs.

I like the Cardas best, but I sure wish someone would make an LP that had a frequency sweep track(s) that filled the entire side so treating one's system every few weeks wouldn't be so labor intensive ;--) Anybody know of such a product?
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Noams, it's not about just leaving the equipment on, it's about running a signal thru it (and the interconnects too).

Phono preamps/stages include a Recording Institute of America (RIAA) de-emphasis section (a little like Dolby noise reduction.) So any "break-in" signal has to be "pre-emphasized" just like the signal on an LP. That's the reason for the "special" phono break-in CD, or the Hagermann device with the "reverse" RIAA circuit.

Hdm, yeah, a little sketchy. Anyway, you can do many things w/ the Cardas record. Two of them are:

1.) Cartridge break in -- to "ease up" a new suspension. You use track 2,3,4 on side 2. They are continuous grooves, so the stylus will stay in the groove until you lift it out. (Read the "Note" section for Side two just before the Track 2 description.) You could literally leave the TT running 24/7 with the cartridge in the groove until you have accumulated the required break-in time, usually at least 100 hours. I also run in new cartridges a couple tenths of a gram over their max. recommended VTF to speed up the break-in process -- then you back it off. Cartridge suspensions are a bit like the springs on a car -- a little stiff at first, and until they loosen up, the coils will not, at the recommended VTF, be properly positioned in the magnetic force field. Use all three bands (2,3,4) since they modulate (wiggle) the suspension in different directions.

2.) Another thing you can do with the Cardas record is degauss (de-magnetize) a cartridge as part of regular maintenance. This is just as effective as, and IMO much safer than, using a cartridge demagnetizer -- which I stopped using after reading A. J. van den Hul's explanation of the damage that can be done to the magnets and pole pieces in the cartridge. For this procedure, you need to use the full frequency sweep tracks 2a,b,c on Side one. Let your cartridge play all three tracs in succession and repeat two more times. Every 20 hours of playing time should be more than enough even if you're extremely anal. There's no need to turn up the volume control as this is mostly for the cartridge, however, if you're working ouside, or in the garage, crank it up a little, as it's good for the whole system.
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Onhwy61 -- I realize this answer isn't very scientific, but since all phono preamps (or stages) have built-in RIAA de-emphasis circuitry, it stands to (my) reason that they should be "conditioned" by feeding them the frequency/amplitude distribution curve for which they are designed.

As a matter of fact, the supposed advantage of using the Granite Audio CD or the Hagermann unit (instead of the Cardas record,) would be that you could run a higher level signal through the phonostage than it would normally "see" from a (weak) cartridge signal -- sort of like cable cooking.
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Noams, to be perfectly frank, I'm not sure I agree with any of this, as I already said:

"Personally I think using the sweep tracks on a record like the Cardas regularly keeps everything (including the cartridge!) in shape."

HOWEVER, one does need to run a signal thru the equipment and cables to "break them in" if indeed "break-in" is even a real world phenomenon. That's because at "idle" (no signal) there is no current through most parts of the circuits, so all the little internal components and wiring are under zero stress.

I have kept an eye (ear?) out for "break in" changes in all parts of my systems for over 40 years, and have used all manner of break in accessories and devices (except for an AudioDharma Cable Cooker.) Personally, the only "break in" changes I've experienced over all that time fall into a few specific categories:

1.) Cartridges: ALL new cartridges ALWAYS go through a break-in period. Well Duh! If you flex a new piece of rubber long enough, it's going to relax a little bit! And of course there's those tiny little coil wires with their enameled insulation that will be altered at a molecular level after carrying all that electromagnetically induced current ;--)

2.) Cables: Well, first of all, the last time I bought any kind of new cable was around 1990 when I was rich and bought some Straightwire Maestro spkr and IC, and 3 pair of Magnan Type Vi. Some stock PCs had IEC connectors back then, but nobody made aftermarket PCs, so that issue was moot. A set of vdHul tonearm cables came w/ my SME V and I used those until three years ago (for 13 years!) until someone at Sumiko (SME US rep) told me in language I won't repeat here, that they sucked and I should consider Cardas Golden Reference; right after that I fell into a pair of Purist Venustas which blew my mind -- but I digress....... Back then, the only "break in" anybody discussed was their automobile engines and their shoes! Since then, I've bought almost all my cables used, so when "break in" became a hot topic, I had no way to tell if my cables were changing or not because all mine were presumably already broken in!

3.) Equipment/components: What I said about cables somewhat applies here also in my case (used purchases) however, SS equipment has not appeared to change much from its out-of-the-box sound. Tube equipment does change -- a lot! But that's due to the tubes having to burn in, not the equipment itself. And once burned in, tubes, like cartridges remain the same until shortly before death!

4.) Speakers: a qualified "always" as in: "it's ALWAYS something!" But is it the crossover and wiring, the electrostatic membrane, the woofer surround, the voice coil? All of the above? Probably, but will you hear changes? That would be a definite "maybe" depending on the individual product. Stats definitely smooth out, but is it the membrane or the electronics? And do speakers benefit from occasional conditioning with frequency sweep CDs? And if I could hear a difference, how would I know if it was the speaker that had improved, or something else further upstream -- after all, the CD affects everything from the transport on out.

Bottom line? Well two things:

The biggest break-in changes I've heard over and over again are with cartridges and tubes.

The biggest maintenance improvements I've heard over and over again are, first and foremost, cleaning plugs and connectors. And a less obvious second, using the Cardas record (for cartridge de-gaussing) or the Purist CD (for system conditioning.)
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Another advantage of the Cardas record (over, for instance, the Purist CD) is you don't have to get out of the house when playing it!

What's a "POS" adapter?

Okey Dokey ;--)

Just FYI: The PAD CD is $150 list but only $99 at Music Direct. It is burned in real time, not stamped. It is a full 72 min of computer generated sequences (not exactly "tracks") which "target" different types of electronic "parts" in the system (resistors, capacitors, IC chips, voice coils, etc.) -- at least that's the description ;--)

You are supposed to (initially) run it continuously through five cycles, and then after that two cycles for maintenance.

I does make a difference, but I have to leave while it's playing. Even at what would be "normal" listening levels, it makes me nuts. It would make a great weapon, or maybe to clear out a bar at closing time ;--)
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