Burn In = Voodoo?

There are quite a few things in audio that make a difference despite the fact that thay may not jibe scientific theory or cannot be quantified. Upsampling seems to be the hot new debate along these lines.

Burn in definitely falls into this category for me. As does spontaneous human combustion and the *higher power* of your choice.

Easier to try it and go with whatever seems to make a difference to my ears (and lots of stuff over the years -- Micromat Blue CD platter mat, CD Greenbacks, green ink, CD "rubber bands", glossing, etc.) -- have not made palpable changes. Burn in has been an easy one with several ss components.

Jim's post is FAR too sensible to be listed in this forum : ) Most of the stuff that he listed ( CD "stabilizing rings", markering the edges, etc...) all DETRACT from disc readability. The only thing that i've found to make a noticeable improvement to CD's is the Audio Desk Systeme "Disc Cutter". If i didn't hear the difference, i surely wouldn't have spent several hundred dollars on it. As to comments about "burn in" of electronics, that is measurable and called "settling" of the components. Capacitors need to "form" and this is a gradual process. If they are not used for a long time, the process starts all over. This "might" be true of wires and their dielectric materials also, but i don't know for sure. Most of what i've read about "wires" is that there is a crystal structure that is damaged or "stressed" when it is disturbed via movement or bending. Since i just picked up a "Mobie" cable burner ( already had a Duo-Tech ), i will be checking into this in the very near future. Several folks that i know and trust INSIST that using one of these does make a beneficial difference to the performance of cables. Either way, i'll soon find out if "I" notice the difference that it makes. Sean
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Jeeez guys, let's take it easy. A cable conducts suitably or does not. Period. According to the French power corp, differences in sound are due to losses along the length of the conductor. Losses ARE affected by micro-movement (=vibration), i.e., in audio, the losses appear on variable points across the spectrum. This includes components (that are also conductors, right?). Hence, spikes, et alia. But don't set yr house on fire trying to burn-in cables... just hook them up and wait a bit while the system gets rolling...

Sean, I like your post, simply because I can underwrite every point you make. Incidentally, I also have this nifty German machine, which indeed DOES nake a difference.(Careful though, because Jostler rightly pointed out my autosuggestibility (; Would not miss it anymore, inspite of all the messy plastic threads having to be gotten rid of. If anybody is interested in the US outlet for this thing, mail me.

Hi Sean & Detlof... would you please give us more info regarding "disc cutters". Thanks, Jim.