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Cable Burn-In....what physically changes in the cable?

post #1 of 85
8/28/09 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, after seeing a few people speak of cable burn-in I have to ask, what is it supposed to be after using it for a few days, or a few weeks, or a few months? What physically changes in the cable? What it is that supposedly changes so much in that strand of wire that it can impact the signal dramatically enough to change what we hear? Whenever I see cable burn-in claimed I ask this question but it never gets answered. Someone provide some common-sense physics behind this effect please.

Note: this isn't a question about sound differences between different brands of cables, please don't bring that up because there are about 50 different discussions on that topic floating around.
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post #2 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:02pm
Good luck.

I've not seen any explanation that holds any water.

It's pretty much a "faith based initiative."

k
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post #3 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:03pm
Quote:
Cable Burn-In....what changes in the cable?
Nothing but something changes in the space between the L and R.
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post #4 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadcykler View Post
Nothing but something changes in the space between the L and R.
Eh?

k
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post #5 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:29pm
You could try picking up one of these: Hagerman Audio Labs: FryBaby Personal Audio Burn-In and Cable Break-In Device and seeing if it'll do anything.

Assuming that there is no way to test a cable, measure it or quantify changes, I find it amazing that this product was able to be developed in the first place.
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post #6 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
Assuming that there is no way to test a cable, measure it or quantify changes, I find it amazing that this product was able to be developed in the first place.
Like I said, it's a "faith based initiative." And of course products can be developed based purely on assumptions which may or may not hold true.

k
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post #7 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi View Post
Eh?

k
Think about what goes between the L and the R on a pair of headphones? That's the only place that changes happen.
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post #8 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:51pm
We can't provide an explanation to something that doesn't actually happen in the first place.
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post #9 of 85
8/28/09 at 7:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi View Post
It's pretty much a "faith based initiative."
Not really. People who claim that cables burn in usually base this assertion on what they hear, or at least think they hear. They may be wrong, but it is not entirely accurate to say it is "faith based." Maybe I'm quibbling, but people often refer to the "subjectivist" point of view on certain issues as being based on pure "faith," and that is not really accurate or fair (even though a particular subjectivist point of view may not be correct).
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post #10 of 85
8/28/09 at 8:00pm
I have noticed some smoothing of an initial harshness during the first ~120 hours with both the Zu Mobius and the Silver Dragon headphone cable.

No idea what goes on inside the cable, though. And don't expect any conclusive explanations – cable sound itself can't be explained neither by measurements nor by clear electroacoustic theories so far.

Well, some people are able to explain it – the simple way.
.
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post #11 of 85
8/28/09 at 8:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
You could try picking up one of these: Hagerman Audio Labs: FryBaby Personal Audio Burn-In and Cable Break-In Device and seeing if it'll do anything.

Assuming that there is no way to test a cable, measure it or quantify changes, I find it amazing that this product was able to be developed in the first place.
Awesome device!

Here is another interesting tweak for the cable freak.
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post #12 of 85
8/28/09 at 8:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
You could try picking up one of these: Hagerman Audio Labs: FryBaby Personal Audio Burn-In and Cable Break-In Device and seeing if it'll do anything.

Assuming that there is no way to test a cable, measure it or quantify changes, I find it amazing that this product was able to be developed in the first place.
So, if you use this device to burn in your cables and power it via a battery, will your cables have a lower noise floor or blacker blacks than if you use the wall wart?
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post #13 of 85
8/28/09 at 8:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speederlander View Post
Someone provide some common-sense physics behind this effect
I can't wait to see how people try to answer this hehe
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post #14 of 85
8/28/09 at 9:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilS View Post
Not really. People who claim that cables burn in usually base this assertion on what they hear, or at least think they hear. They may be wrong, but it is not entirely accurate to say it is "faith based."
The way I see it, if you can't show that anything's going on with the cable, or even present any plausible explanation as to what may be going on in the cable, it's "faith based."

Quote:
Maybe I'm quibbling...
You're quibbling. Stop it.

Quote:
...but people often refer to the "subjectivist" point of view on certain issues as being based on pure "faith," and that is not really accurate or fair (even though a particular subjectivist point of view may not be correct).
I can't say that I've ever come across many true subjectivists. Most of those who call themselves subjectivists are what I would call pseudo objectivists. These are people who aren't content being true subjectivists and instead ultimately try and pass themselves off as objectivists, asserting their subjective experiences as accurate reflections of objective reality.

k
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post #15 of 85
8/28/09 at 9:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi View Post
The way I see it, if you can't show that anything's going on with the cable, or even present any plausible explanation as to what may be going on in the cable, it's "faith based."

I can't say that I've ever come across many true subjectivists. Most of those who call themselves subjectivists are what I would call pseudo objectivists. These are people who aren't content being true subjectivists and instead ultimately try and pass themselves off as objectivists, asserting their subjective experiences as accurate reflections of objective reality.
It seems you like to argue by pigeon-holing other people, or their viewpoints. I don't find it particularly illuminating. But then, it seems to be standard practice on this forum.
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