....there is the skool of distraught that the most involving way to break cables is to have a willing assistant (clad in revealing vinyl of a known dielectric value; leather does not work...) that's 'into punishment' submit the new wires to some real break-ins'......

Be nice, tape the connects into a handle.... ;b

M&M's.....how quaint....*L*

Just off the phone with CJ and the preamp does need to be on for current to flow and cable break in. (Streamer playing and that input selected of course as well.) Ozzy, Audphile1, JEA and whoever also said that are spot on and thank you.

Bug Red - interesting thought altho wouldn’t massive current damage the wire? If some voltage level could do that quickly without damage to make break-in very fast perhaps Cable manufacturers would be doing it?

ASV Jerry - thanks? Maybe what’s best is advice from Quicksilver Messenger Service: Have another hit...of fresh air.

Happy listening +1

I have been looking at different IC’s recently.  The first thing I do is plug them in and listen for maybe fifteen minutes,  write a few notes and then remove them from my main system and put them in another system (in the basement) and let them run in 24/7 for a week. Then I reinstall them in my main system and listen and write some notes. Then I compare the notes. I’ve done this with Power, IC, Digital and speaker cables and speakers (if I can muscle downstairs 😁).

Can’t say I’ve always heard a difference, but more often than not I do.

@curiousjim imagine cable production / assembly line with last step check before selling to buyers, assuming all cables are different, even the same brand! 

@stager Generally, I agree a cable will reveal its true nature almost immediately. I have had quite a few cables through here in 5 years and some of the designs do sound much better after "burning in"

@ddrave44 I don't believe the companies like SR and Shunyata apply current as much as they do voltage. Quantum tunneling is what SR calls it and I believe others do this 

Quantum Tunneling

SRX XL High Voltage Conditioning

The new SRX XL High Voltage Conditioning is our most advanced process for treating cables with 1,000,000 volts of electricity at specific frequencies and pulse modulations for long durations, creating a canal in the conductor material and contact points at the molecular level that allows electrons to flow more freely. This new process improves upon the SRX High Voltage Conditioning process by employing new extended duration sweeping frequency plots and advancements to our Tesla Coil, resulting in SRX XL cables to sound even more open and accurate than the cables before them.