Another Cable Burn-in Question

Yes, except I have no other components besides another decent CD player that has balanced outs other wise I'd obviously use a less expensive source. But you reply confirms that there is no consensus of opinion as to whether the pre needs to be powered up (see my original post).

The preamp DOES NOT have to be powered up. The voltage swings in a musical signal are generated solely by the source, and nothing is added (or sent back to the source) by the pre. AS long as the interconnect is hooked up to the load component, and music with heavy bass content(or a burn in disc) being played: the burn-in will be successful.

As Rodman states, the preamp doesn't need to be on, I've burned in tons of cables, capacitors this way. Get a real cheapo cd player for the burn in, $100 or less, good investment for further burns.

Thank you!

I must be missing sojmething or electron flow theory has significantly changed in the recent past somehow.

Just how is the current/voltage being allowed to return to the source component if the downstream preamp is not powered up?

I am thinking the circuit would be open in that event and no signal, voltage, or current will be conducted in an open circuit. Neither would one be passed in a shorted ckt which could also be the deal without power to the secondary component, again, allowing the signal to return to the source.

???