Can an unused cable break in?

rvpiano OP1,748 posts06-12-2021 12:17amJea48,

There is definitely an on/off push switch on the front panel of the
CD t accessible by the remote control
It could be that I have an older model.

@ rvpiano


What does the switch control? AC Mains power? Or maybe electronics power?

Age of unit?

I have an old ARCAM ALPHA 9 CDP made in the late 1990s. It has a push button on the front panel too. It doesn’t control the AC mains power to the power transformer of the CDP or possibly the DC power supply.

The ARCAM has an oversized power transformer located at the rear right hand side of the unit. The top metal cover above the transformer runs warm to the touch whether the push button is in the on or off position. There is no doubt the power transformer is energized when the power cord is plugged into the wall outlet.
.

Think about the mechanics of a Connector - i.e. ANY connector

• there are pins and there is some sort of "gripping mechanism" (normally spring loaded in some manner) to hold onto those pins once inserted
• simply inserting a plug into a socket creates an initial connection
• over time, the gripping mechanism creates a better connection

I have auditioned many cables, but I allow at least 24 hours for things to "settle", even with cables that are "broken-in"

Regards - Steve

@jasonbourne

The capacity of Humans for self-deception is apparently unlimited - Mr.Spock the Vulcan
Imagination is a wonderful thing!

Quoting a fictional character from Star Trek is, er, an imaginative move. And are you really "Jason Bourne" the action hero or is that just more of your imagination?

But I digress. These and other playground-style putdowns are not the best argument or even arguments at all. Snarky disputation doesn’t cut it on a forum where people are giving and asking for reasons.

Besides the experienced members here on Audiogon, let’s take as Exhibit B the hifi podcast from Darren Myers and Duncan from The Music Room. There, they discuss burn in, settling in, etc, in multiple episodes. These guys have been in audio their whole lives. They work with equipment every day, of many kinds, they tweak and listen to their systems constantly. They have the time, energy, acuity, and resources to keep variables stable and to compare their findings with other listeners.

On the one hand, we have two guys with experience, critical listening and skepticism as part of their job, along with engineering chops, and they hear effects such as burn in, break in, settling, isolation, etc.

On the other hand, there are snarky put downs. Um, who wins that "debate"? That’s pretty easy.

Not only do I take them at their word, for all the reasons above, I take the members here at their word about their critical experiences. The alternative would be that everyone is deluded, everyone is beholden to a kind of audio gambler’s fantasy. That, instead, is the delusion -- that everyone else is deluded.

One of the things that is different about power cords vs ICs and speaker cables is there is always voltage present as long as power is supplied whether or not the device is turned on. If the dielectric is the primary thing that burns in, it seems to me it is the capacitive property of the cable that is affected and current shouldn't matter. What say ye?

 

It is considered that some of the long time period it takes for some particular cables to burn in is the 'burn in' of Teflon dielectrics. 

Some cables might be 100 hrs and some might be 500 hrs. the 500hr burn in ones , when looked at closely, tend to show up as having Teflon dielectrics involved in their construction.

This is where cable heaters will generally try to deconstruct or shut down any potential avenue for this to be assessed, or discussed at all.. via trying to find a single cable that calls for a long 'burn in period' where that single example has no Teflon (from their reading) involved... and then bring that up as some sort of black & white simple man's, blinkered in origin - occam's dragon slayer. Please. Stop. Just stop. 

There are some good discussions about Teflon dielectrics in these cable scenarios, but one will have to search around for it.

It is considered that some of the long time period it takes for some particular cables to burn in is the 'burn in' of Teflon dielectrics.

Some cables might be 100 hrs and some might be 500 hrs. the 500hr burn in ones , when looked at closely, tend to show up as having Teflon dielectrics involved in their construction.

@ teo_audio

And why is that?

Because the signal energy actually travels down the conductors in the spaces between the wires through the dielectric.
.