Burn In... the Age Old Question, Cables, Components, and Speakers


First, if I choose to burn in my new speaker cables playing only Pink Floyd or something like a Windham Hill Electronic collection, both on CD, will eventually my cables be best suited for those two types of sound? Not that they would not be good for other music, but would they be BEST for the Pink Floyd or Windham Hill sound?

Second, do components need to burn in too, like a new CD player, or even (don't laugh) an Amazon Echo Link?

Third, I'm mostly sure that speakers NEED to burn in because the last time I bought new ones (Focal Arias) I got home, hooked them up and could not wait for the amazing sound that I knew would spring forth, but alas, they sounded like a pair of White Van Speakers and my heart sank into my stomach. Then as I was getting everything set to return them, (about 3 hours later) I returned to the music room and to my amazement I was listening to the best pair of floor standers I have ever heard. Then over a few days time, they were even better. So I kept them, and they are just great. 

So... any comments anyone?
jcolespeedway
You really need a separate system for each genre of music you listen to.  Burn-in within genre is OK.  Above all, beware Enya on endless repeat.
I agree with @roberjerman - speakers do need to break-in due to the mechanical operation of the drivers.  Electronics and wire, not so much except maybe a little time for capacitors.  Wire and other components should simply need to warm up to operating temperature.  This business of hearing momentous sonic changes for weeks on end as wire burns-in seems far-fetched to me. The thought that burning-in cables by playing a certain type of music will result in the cables being better suited to that type of music is beyond far-fetched.  But hey, give it a whirl and report back.

If you really want to burn-in your cables, get a Cable Cooker.  I own one and used it mostly when I constructed new cables.  I honestly cannot say I ever heard a difference but I purchased it because I didn't want the absence of burn-in to be a potential factor affecting my evaluation of  recently constructed cables when compared with my existing cables. 
So burn in doesn't matter with wire, there's no such thing, and so I bought a Cable Cooker.  

Yeah. I'd take his advice. 

Its nonsense like this that makes humor so darn hard around here. Try and crack an obvious joke, people take it seriously. Which is a real problem with humor, because you know when you have to explain the joke its just not funny any more. So sad. 

One of the many reasons burn-in is so misunderstood is there's so many crap products out there. Everyone who can be bothered to learn to listen (an admittedly minor number, but go with me here) knows if its good it will sound good right out of the box. If it doesn't, send it back. But all those same good listeners also know everything does indeed improve, and often times quite a lot, the first few hours and days. 

This means we have a situation where certain people can take advantage of you, if you are not a good listener, by telling you your turd is actually a diamond in the rough and just needs more time. So you wait and wait and people being what they are cognitive dissonance kicks in and you convince yourself its better. Hey. It happens. 

Fact of the matter is yes everything does burn in. Even no moving parts. Hardly matters if at all what is played through them. Just need to get some electrons and fields moving around. As for mechanical parts, takes less time to break in a speaker surround than the capacitors and wires in the box. 

Its sad we are even talking about this. Is this not the internet? Do we not have search bars? Do a search. Read. Figure it out. Learn. Get the joke next time. 
Oh, to be enlightened.....sorta glad I missed out.
As I said, give it a whirl and report back.