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Cardas headphone cable break-in

post #1 of 12
11/27/03 at 11:10am
Thread Starter 
Hi y'all,

I just received my new cardas headphone cable to go with my HD580 ( soon to be HD650 ) and I was wondering what is the recommended break-in time?

Thanks!
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post #2 of 12
11/27/03 at 11:37am

Re: Cardas headphone cable break-in

It would be good to clean and condition all your cable mechanical contacts with CAIG ProGold while you are changing the stock cable out. I noticed the sonic improvements immediately, but playing for some time at slightly elevated volumes, especially with an audio break in track will speed the process.
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post #3 of 12
11/27/03 at 12:52pm
BTW does anyone know if Kontakt Chemie: GOLD 2000 and Kontakt Chemie: KONTAKT 60 are just as good products to treat and maintain contacts? Only ProGold here in Finland seems to be dog food...

Oh yes I too have a new Cardas.. One of the connectors didn't want to go in. I tried for two hours and got a blister on my thumb.. Had to resort to a flat-head screw driver to press the connector in.. Just wondering if it is the right way? At least it was equally difficult either way...

What comes to breakin I think I probably won't be able to distinguis the difference.. The new cable does sound better as is, but we'll see..
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post #4 of 12
11/27/03 at 1:56pm
Quote:
Originally posted by NetRunner
Oh yes I too have a new Cardas.. One of the connectors didn't want to go in. I tried for two hours and got a blister on my thumb.. Had to resort to a flat-head screw driver to press the connector in.. Just wondering if it is the right way? At least it was equally difficult either way...
I'm sure you noticed the two pins at each earphone are of different size to maintain polarity. Toberoller noted in his review of several aftermarket cables for the HD600 that he had considerable (ie. scarey) difficulty hooking up at least one and had to resort to a tool.

I'm not familiar with the contact cleaners you mentioned, but the main idea is to get very clean and corrosion free surfaces with a secondary benefit in some "conditioning" of the surfaces and sealing out air.
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post #5 of 12
11/27/03 at 2:24pm
I'm sure I have the left and right right.. (eh.. but wonder if there is a possibility to accidentally get the polarity switched. Test cd with phase (polarity?) check sounds OK though..
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post #6 of 12
11/27/03 at 3:13pm
My opinion on this probably isn't universal, but let me explain: I believe that burn-in is near neglible on a headphone cable. Here's why:

The cause of cable-burn in is typically attributed to the dialect slowly becoming positively charged. Some manufactuers have found ways around this (The audioquest jaguars come to mind)

Now, it's generally believed that moving or twisting the cable drains this dialect to an extent and it takes time to recharge itself. Given that, i have trouble beliving that burn-in on a headphone cables is significant.
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post #7 of 12
11/27/03 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 
After listening to the cardas for an hour or so ( after 10 hours of burn-in ) I am truly amazed by the H U G E difference in sound it produces compared to the stock cable.
The soundstage is deeper, both bass and treble extend to levels I have never heard, detail has greatly improved - this is like rediscovering your stereo-headphones system !!!

WOW

and Tuberoller suggest there are better aftermarket cables than the cardas - there goes my spare change ...
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post #8 of 12
11/27/03 at 7:51pm
I though was thinking about coughing up some cash to buy a better amp..
You seem to have a nice source. I bet you could spend more on a new amp too, than mere cables..
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post #9 of 12
11/27/03 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by NetRunner
I though was thinking about coughing up some cash to buy a better amp..
You seem to have a nice source. I bet you could spend more on a new amp too, than mere cables..
Sorry to disappoint you NetRunner but the meier HA-1 MKII is already on the way
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post #10 of 12
11/27/03 at 8:11pm
Eh.. I'm in the process of ponying cash for the Prehead.

Edit: *Damn minor perfectionist in me..*
BTW tell me what you like it when you get it, please!
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post #11 of 12
11/28/03 at 12:13am

burn in burnt out

I have noticed a monstrumental difference in the Cardas cable, or any interconnect or speaker cable, aftre a couple of hundred hours of burn in. There is no guessing or placebo effect...the difference is there and if you don't hear it, then expensive headphones won't matter to you over average ones. IMHO.

I fix copiers for a living, and when the customer tells me the copier is running slower that usual (which is not physically possible or the registration would be off), I tell them that I will cut the tywraps off the ac cord, which will allow more electrons to flow through the cable, and then they swear the machine is running back to speed again.
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post #12 of 12
11/28/03 at 11:23am

Re: burn in burnt out

Quote:
Originally posted by immtbiker
I fix copiers for a living, and when the customer tells me the copier is running slower that usual (which is not physically possible or the registration would be off), I tell them that I will cut the tywraps off the ac cord, which will allow more electrons to flow through the cable, and then they swear the machine is running back to speed again.
Good one!
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