I think the big miss on the whole snake oil thing is it's very obviously certain that better cable, esp in the extremes (lamp cord for speaker cable like I used when I was a super poor kid). And there's a large range of improvement. The only question is how much is worth it. To me it's simply the law of diminishing returns. And the good ole subjective, if it works for you then it works. I think there are many things in our lives where we put some "faith" in things that aren't so tangible but it still makes us feel better and at least have the perception, real or not, that it's better. More yawn...I know. lol
The molecular level explanation of "cable burn-in"
According to one cable seller
"The insulation (or dielectric) will absorb energy from the conductor when a current is flowing (i.e. when music is playing). This energy-absorption causes the dielectric's molecules to re-arrange themselves from a random order into a uniform order. When the molecules have been rearranged, the dielectric will absorb less energy & consequently cause less distortion."
So it’s the plastic polymer (as dielectric insulation) to undergo some sort of molecular rearrangements to minimize the distortion. Probably one of the greatest scientific discoveries ever!
“Many premium AC cords constrict or compress the audio transient as their characteristic impedance restricts the transient current.”
We all know impedance restricts current but how possibly “many” premium AC cords constrict/compress the audio transient (when not carrying audio signal)? Then again is it achieved by this molecular rearrangements of the cable insulation?
Unfortunately there are no measurement data or mathematical formulas to be found to back up this amazing scientific discovery. Simply “it happens”. So I came up with a formula for them.
∆E = P - SoT
∆E: energy absorbed by dielectric
P: energy (power) drawn from wall outlet
So : Smake Oile
T: Dielectric Transition Temperature