Cable Break In for the Naysayers

Its hard to believe that I'll have an original contribution to such a long-raging controversy, but here goes. A factor that the 'burn-in makes a difference' (bimad) supporters seem to overlook is that the same music from the same source presented by exactly the same equipment can be different each time you hear it. Let me offer 2 hypotheses to explain the difference that is heard: 

1. This delta is due to subtle realignment of impurity atoms (or similar physical change) in a wire somewhere in your hifi system.  

2. The listeners state of mind was different during the 2 listening experiences. This difference could be the result of expectation, attention level, increase or decrease in enthusiasm, etc. that subtly alters perception of very subjective sound details.

I favor the second explanation. A simple test you can try is to play the same piece of music 3 times in a row, and compare what is heard each time. I can almost guarantee that the 3rd cycle will not 'sound' identical to the first.

balrog, there are many important variables are involved, on top of aging every minute listener (LOL). to name a few: 1) temperature and moisture in the room (increased humidity lowers mass of air, thus makes sound “thin”). 2) Furniture, pillows, resonances of pictures / etc hanging on the walls, floor cover, people location in the room impact acoustics. 3) Incoming AC power noise, harmonics, amplitude, IR drop, which changes every time new load connected to shared power grid etc. 4) wireless devices usage and proximity to the sensitive gears..

Cables and equipment break-in is real. It’s just that the electronics—especially the capacitor components—take much longer (three to four times longer) than cables.

Here’s an interesting point that often goes unnoticed, i.e., interrupting the break-in process for cables can slow it down. The reason is that cable “break-in” mainly involves the settling of the dielectric and conductor interfaces, and sometimes a slight redistribution of charges in the insulation. If you stop using the cables or unplug the system for long periods, this process can partially “pause,” meaning it will take longer for the cable to fully settle into its optimal performance.  This is stated in Cardas cable website too.

The effect is usually less dramatic than with electronics, where capacitors and other components can take days or weeks of continuous operation to stabilize. With cables, repeated use and continuous signal flow tend to speed up the process, but occasional interruptions won’t reverse the progress.  They just extend the overall time needed.

I've NEVER been a believer of break-in with the exception of a very few items. My belief is peoples hearing is changing and adjusting to the new sounds and differences. I have personally seen examples of this happening over the years. I have no doubt people are hearing differences over time but I just don't believe it has anything to do with equipment break-in!