Cable burn in


Hi all. I’m guessing that what I’m experiencing is pretty normal. But it can’t hurt to get some feedback. I purchased a DMS-650 from Cary Audio which is a DAC/Streamer. Since hifi folks have highly opinionated views on cables, nothing is included with the unit. So when I set it up, I had to scramble and I found the three conductor cable that came with a cheap Sony DVD player. Then I replaced that RCA interconnect with a much better quality Blue Jeans cable. Initially the increase in quality was apparent and obviously worth it. However the sound could be hasrsh on certain recordings. Various tracks had a harshness that wasn’t there before. I’ve been playing internet radio during the day for burn in. Now that harshness has vanished. Sitting down to listen last night, things were actually too warm. Some tracks sounded almost muddy. The sparkle was diminished in an obvious way. I am guessing that once burn is complete the sound will settle happily in the middle somewhere. Is that a reasonable assumption?  I’m also likely going to order power cables and an interconnect from Audio Envy or maybe some other companies to compare. The guy who sold me the Cary Audio gear is not a salesy guy, but he did pretty emphatically recommend some higher quality cables. 

chiadrum

You are going to hear people saying it’s all in your head and maybe it is, but I’ll give you my personal experience. Some equipment is not sensitive to cable changes and some stuff is very affected by changes. Some cables sound horrible out of the box, but get better. Some sound good at first and then vary up and down and some sound good and get better. I usually mark my calendar for a month and see where I’m at by then.

Only mechanical things need a bit of run-in - speakers and phono cartridges. The rest no! Certainly not wire! Wire is the biggest rip-off going - and makes the most profit. No wonder it is so highly touted by the various cable companies. They want the unwary consumer to believe that there is an ever-upward (and increasingly expensive) path towards cable nirvana! Nonsense! In a blind listening test a cheap interconnect/speaker wire/ power cord cannot be told apart. Those that claim to hear differences are affected by confirmation and sighted biases. So don't waste your money on boutique cables. Stick to Monoprice and you will be fine!

It would be a wonderful world if changing a piece of wire produced an improvement. Alas, that is not Reality!