OK...here's another tweak that really works

Interesting!  Burn-in with noise is better than with music.  Why?  Is there scientific proof? It is like breaking in a brand-new vehicle with harsh rather than gental driving behavior.

@lanx0003 

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I have both the IBE CD and the Cardas LP and yes, they make an audible difference (actually I like the effect after a few plays of music).

The most profound effect was from the Gryphon Exorcist but it was way too pricey for me.

No one seems to know how it works… go figure.

"The human brain is an incredible pattern matching machine" - Jeff Bezos

That is the problem. Cable break in does not exist.  Audio is AC, so degaussing residual DC in a dielectric would be nullified in a couple of milliseconds of play.

However if you stop flexing your cables and just leave them alone the micro-fractures from handling the face centered cubic copper wire structure might join back somewhat.  However I doubt the difference is noticeable.

Most likely, running a signal for a while might also strengthen  a tentatively poor connection. Since the change you noticed should not happen if your cables were OK in the first place, you should really get some measuring equipment for a small fraction of your investment.  Meanwhile use some antioxidating connectivity fluid.  It is a good practice to do that anyway. 

There are those who can not accept a product unless it makes perfect technical sense. I respect that, but experientially if it works, then why not enjoy the ride instead letting the lack of logic be a barrier. I personally like to know how a thing works. I also like to make improvements in my systems where I can hear things that I did not before, see a more defined image, feel more connected to the sights and sounds, etc. To me the experience trumps the logic. 

There are those who can not accept a product unless it makes perfect technical sense. I respect that, but experientially if it works, then why not enjoy the ride instead letting the lack of logic be a barrier. I personally like to know how a thing works.

It is better if it can be shown to work either with measurements, or * blind listening tests. Then one can know that it works, even if there is no logical hypothesis to explain it.

I also like to make improvements in my systems where I can hear things that I did not before, see a more defined image, feel more connected to the sights and sounds, etc. To me the experience trumps the logic.

Once we “see” a device, we then also expect a difference.
That creates a bias of expectation.

We logically believe that it is (or should be) different, and we then experience it as different, even if it is not different.