Conditioning/Burn-In Method


DISCLAIMER
Potentially controversial subject matter ahead. Thus post is recommended for mature audiences only. If you're in the school of thought that cables are voodoo, this post is not for you, please move among.

Now, to business.

I'm in the process of working in a set of Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR interconnects between my DAC, Preamp and Amplifier. So far, I probably have only 20 hours or so of play, and if memory serves, Frank recommends 60 hours or more. Given the difference in amplitude from DAC to Preamp, and from Preamp to Amplifier, do you guys think it might be worth swapping them out (rotating them) to help balance and perhaps accelerate the process?

Thanks in advance!

parabolic

Showing 2 responses by celander

I had the impression that wire cables are conditioned only once (and permanently) when they undergo conventional break in with musical signals.

So exactly what does an Audiodharma Cable Cooker do to effect wire cable conditioning and “break in?” And is the effect permanent?

From info on their website, Audiodharma seems to suggest the conditioning effects are temporary in nature, like re-organizing a solid state lattice of conductive materials in an optimal configuration(s) that decay(s) eventually into non-optimal configuration(s) (or, in the case of so-called “over-cooking,” non-optimal configuration(s) relaxing into optimal configuration(s)).

This is why Audiodharma appears to justify its claim as being a long-term investment. One is always re-conditioning their wire cables on a periodic basis.

So I’m confused as to how this device works to condition wire conductors.
@elizabeth, how do you break in your cables? What would you consider a long non-use time (and circumstances, i.e., cables being unplugged from components or simply not sending an active signal through the cables?) and cable movement that brings about a need to recondition the cables?