Audioquest countered that such a test would not reveal anything since the purpose of the battery's electric field is to keep the dialectic formed, and once formed it takes days or weeks to unform.
"Dielectric forming" is nonsense. At least in this context.
I think it got started when someone heard about dielectric forming with regard to aluminum electrolytic caps and didn't quite understand what that was about and so came to believe that all dielectrics somehow need "forming."
With aluminum electrolytic capacitors, the dielectric is the layer of aluminum oxide on the aluminum foil used for the plates of the capacitor.
When these caps are new, the manufacturer applies a voltage to them which causes a current to flow through the cap (not the same thing as current flow during the charging of a cap). Basically they're anodizing the foil. As the aluminum oxide layer builds up, the current diminishes.
So you're literally "forming" the dielectric of the capacitor.
However none of this applies to other dielectrics such as plastics.
Interesting thing though about polarizing a dielectric that's situated between two conductors...
It's the same principle used to make condenser microphones.
*picking up cable* Check one two... Check one two... Can you hear me back there? *THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!*
;)
