1. Home
  2. cables
  3. 188381-41

Cable Break In for the Naysayers

I still cannot believe that in this stage of Audio history there are still many who claim cable break in is imagined. They even go so far as claim it is our ears that break in to the new sound. Providing many studies in the way of scientific testing. Sigh...

I noticed such a recent discussion on the What’s Best Forum. So here is my response.

______________________________________________________________________________________________ I just experienced cable break in again firsthand. 10 Days ago, I bought a new set of the AudioQuest Thunderbird XLR 2M interconnects.

First impression, they sounded good, but then after about 30 hours of usage the music started sounding very closed in and with limited high frequencies. This continued until about 130 hours of music play time.

Then at this time, the cables started to open up and began to sound better and better each passing hour. I knew at the beginning they would come around because they sounded ok at first until the break in process started. But now they have way surpassed that original sound.

Now the soundstage has become huge with fantastic frequency extensions. Very pleased with the results. Scientifically I guess we can’t prove cable break in is real, but with good equipment, good ears, it is clearly a real event.

ozzy

ozzy
kevemaher's avatar
kevemaher
381 posts
 

@knownothing I am not questioning what you hear and what your perceptions are. That is your personal experience. I cannot refute that. I have spent the last few posts explaining what the worldview of physics says about this subject. I was careful to indicate that human perception is a far less understood field of study.

I adhere to worldview created by the study of physical phenomena from a scientific viewpoint. Others adhere to different worldviews. I understand that.

By all means please enjoy your choice in cables.

 

kevemaher's avatar
kevemaher
381 posts
 

@bigtwin At that time it was. At other times it may not. As you've indicated, one's state of mind is a continually variable filter. That's human.

ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
7,781 posts
 

Thank you all for the continuing interesting discussion.

I am of the simple mindset that our audio systems are only as good as the weakest link. That is why I continue to upgrade my system, via through new speakers, equipment etc.

And... no way can any cable/wire produce sound that is better than the components are capable of producing, but it can reduce the sonic quality that is available.

ozzy

willyht
83 posts
 

I've made many changes with speaker cables/interconnects over the years. The only changes to the sound I can be sure of are a lowering of the noise floor. 

asctim
536 posts
 

If you really want to test it, get two pairs of the same speaker cables. Test them at the beginning, make sure they sound the same. Then break in one pair and don't break in the other. After the broke in pair are really starting to shine, plug in the ones that aren't broke in. 

I've done this with amplifiers. To my astonishment, the amp that wasn't used had also broke in somehow. So in that case, it was me that broke in. I'm not saying that's always the case, but I also can't overstate how astonished I was. 

One issue is that some claim that every time you disconnect the cables you have to start the break in process all over. Some claim that even moving the cables will ruin the break in process, so you have to start over. This claim pretty much makes it impossible to do direct comparisons. You just have to trust your long term memory, or have two identical systems in two identical rooms.

I'd say just enjoy. Whether it was your ears that broke in, or the cables, or some combination of each, what's important is that you are enjoying the sound.

More to discover