A question about cable break-in

Bomarc, I don't think that you should be insulted. I am not for that. God knows I get it enough.

But the psychological thing goes 2 ways. It can just as easily be said the ones who do not hear a difference are psychologically influencing their perceptions, because they don't want to hear something. That is equally as valid as saying that we do hear something because we want to hear it.

So I accept your position and opinion, and you are entitled to it. However, I just wish to point out that it may not be the burn-in proponents who are being psychologically influenced in our hearing. It may just as easily be the non-burn-in proponents. Because the psychological thing cuts both ways. Sorry for the redundancies.

Ok Bormarc, I appologize. The first one I just thought was sort of funny and ironic and I am sure you didn't. I am a bit touchy about the EE textbook stuff. I spent years arguing with EE guys in Audio retail way back. It was then not about burn in, but that cables contributed their own sound to a system(do you think all cables sound the same?). How many times can you hear "wire is wire" and find any credability in anything they have to say about sound after a while. (not all EE guys are lead eared book worms,my brother happens to be an EE and is into tubes and is very open minded about things that we don't know how to measure)I just don't understand how you are helping to answer the question of HiFimatt, who let you know that he is in a different camp from the start? You feel some need to convert him to your side? You are entilted to your opinion but you are the one who goes against the grain in this thread and open yourself up to a few jabs. No harm meant.

To all those asking why I don't just listen to them, well, I will at times, but my wife is now home all the time with our newborn and I don't think she wants to hear it all day long while I break it in. Some interesting comments here, as always, thanks for your input.

How 'bout a testimonial

I sold a pair of NBS Monitor 1 speaker cables to an individual who didn't believe in cable burn-in. He emailed me telling me the cables sucked and that his former Monster Cables were superior. I told him to give the cables a good week or so for them to burn-in, even though they were already used. After a few more "angry" emails from him, I got a strongly worded apology. He claimed all of a sudden the cables began to open up and pull in more detail in the upper ranges, increased resolution, darker background, lower noise floor, etc. He said couldn't believe his ears and his friends couldn't believe their ears either.

He's now a believer!

Dave 1117, I have this question in many different ways in these pages, flippantly, seriously, tongue-in-cheek, etc.. Never got an answer. I think that this may be a reductio ad absurdum, but I think this line of reasoning is a valid way of showing that burnin, while maybe a valid concern on a theoritical level, (more so probably when dealing with transducers since they have a whole mechanical side to them), is, for all practical purposes, a non-issue best left in the hands of the insecure. From the margins of audiophilia, good day.