Can an unused cable break in?


I bought a new $300 Audioquest cable about a month ago, hoping to improve the sound of my Cyrus CD transport.  It didn't improve the SQ even after a little  break-in period.   I compared it to another transport system I had and it was quite inferior. So I stopped using the Cyrus but left it plugged in the wall for the month.
Lo and behold, I compared the two transports today and there was virtually no difference in sound between the two of them.
I’m listening to the Cyrus right now and am thrilled with it.
Either it’s my imagination, or the cable broke in while unused!  The difference isn’t subtle.
Is such a thing possible?


rvpiano
@jea48 -   "You don’t need a closed circuit to have a difference of potential, voltage.
If you connect a pair of wires to a source at the end or anywhere along the pair of wires the difference of potential exists."                                                                                                                         Isn't that why these work?       https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/basic-testers/fluke-2ac 
No, that isn't why it works. And it doesn't measure voltage, but merely detects it. No offense but mainly what I detect is word games. Someone says something and whether totally correct or incorrect means nothing but an opportunity to interject.   

Nothing burns in without current. End of story.
rodman999995,038 posts

06-13-2021
10:25am

@jea48
- "You don’t need a closed circuit to have a difference of potential, voltage.
If you connect a pair of wires to a source at the end or anywhere along the pair of wires the difference of potential exists."
Isn’t that why these work? https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/basic-testers/fluke-2ac

Yes. Though the no contact voltage tester actually is measuring the electric field around the Hot Ungrounded conductor. The tester works on capacitance. When you hold the tester in your hand your body is ground. You can be totally insulated from an EGC, (Equipment Grounded), object and the tester will still work.


https://voltstick.com/how-to-av/videos-and-blogs/how-does-voltstick-work
.

"When you hold the tester in your hand your body is ground."                                               Been using those for decades and always believed that was the case.       Thanks for the confirmation/insight/link (filling in the blanks)!
Yay! So there is a circuit. Like I said. Only for some reason me saying it triggers terminal butt-hurt, the cry-bully has the post removed. I try to not get in his head, but somehow keep getting sucked in. Must be the vacuum?