Silver cable break in

[Geoffkait]

@GroovySauce

@Geoffkait thanks for reminding me about the XLO CD. Also when you say not enough oomph what is “enough”? Is it voltage, current, frequency or a combination? What is a good voltage or current level?“

The XLO track is a complex waveform with time varying frequencies. Played at moderate levels through speakers, so everything in signal path gets the treatment.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I think he "gets it".

I don't care what he posts once I hit ignore. Not that I cared before really

 

[Rekmeyata]

Oh my. Thought you said you were done in Post 46. Hope you feel vindicated. You are funny treitz3. I don't think he gets it.

I'm vindicated because the truth made you angry.

 

[Amir]

Break the cables in in a ‘natural’ way, that is by just playing music. Do not use cable cookers.

this is 100% true.

 

[Audiocrack]

this is 100% true.

Thanks Amir. However, I also experienced that for some cables - in my case the various Tripoint Audio grounding cables I am using - to perform at their best you do need a cable cooker. The current going through grounding cables is so small/weak that you do not (really) break in these cables by just using them in your audio set up.

 

[Geoffkait]

Anti Tweakers 0 Tweakers 2

Ya can’t debunk something that’s not bunk.

 

[Amir]

Thanks Amir. However, I also experienced that for some cables - in my case the various Tripoint Audio grounding cables I am using - to perform at their best you do need a cable cooker. The current going through grounding cables is so small/weak that you do not (really) break in these cables by just using them in your audio set up.

I think music signal is better than pink noise or any other form of high bandwidth signals like square wave or ...

My feeling is high bandwidth signals (applying by both cable cooker or Purist Break-in CD) will magnetize the system.

I prefer to play music for break-in.

If you use cable cooker it is not bad idea if you play de-Magnetizing signal in Ayre CD (track 7):

 

[Geoffkait]

This is weird, Dr. Keith Johnson co-inventor of HDCD and Roger Skoff of XLO Cable Company assign Demagnetizing the system to Track 7 on their XLO Test CD, yet the Burn in Track is No. 8. According to the idea that a Burn in Track magnetizes the system. Wouldn’t that kind of negate the demag track?

“If it doesn’t make sense it’s not true.“ - Judge Judy

 

[Amir]

I have listened to my system after using Purist audio Break-in CD and my feeling was not good. It seems those signals does not have good effect on my system.

this is my subjective experience.

I regard Spectral Audio so if you talked to Mr. Johnson about this CD please let me know.

 

[Geoffkait]

I have no experience with the Purist Audio CD so can’t comment. I have oodles of experience with XLO Test CD. BTW the Speaker set-up track is to die for.

 

[Geoffkait]

Have we forgotten anything? We forgot cryogenic treatment! Cryogenic treatment of cables reduces noise and distortion. This is especially true for silver cables, which we know can oft sound thin and bland before cryo and break in. That’s why most high end cable companies employ cryo as part of the process.

 

[dinov]

That’s their M.O. so to speak. Silver can be shrill, but keep playing through them because thats the best way to break them in. The benefits are detail and smoothness which can be very rewarding. Good luck.

 

[Geoffkait]

That’s their M.O. so to speak. Silver can be shrill, but keep playing through them because thats the best way to break them in. The benefits are detail and smoothness which can be very rewarding. Good luck.

Please note I said cryo AND break in. No matter how much you have in the end you would have had even more if you had started out with more. As Bob Dylan says at the end of his records, good luck to everybody.

 

[curbfeeler]

In my experience treating cabling with the Nordost VIDAR conditioner has always made for a significant improvement in sound quality. Especially interesting is the difference it makes in tonearm wiring. My interconnects are all Nordost silver-coated. Nordost advises that initial duration of burn in required might be as long as 120-144 hours. So, yes, silver plated cables seem to take a long time to condition.

 

[Geoffkait]

In my experience treating cabling with the Nordost VIDAR conditioner has always made for a significant improvement in sound quality. Especially interesting is the difference it makes in tonearm wiring. My interconnects are all Nordost silver-coated. Nordost advises that initial duration of burn in required might be as long as 120-144 hours. So, yes, silver plated cables seem to take a long time to condition.

That‘s weird, Nordost is one of the few high end cables that doesn’t cryo their cables during manufacture. Say, weren’t they one of the directionality deniers?

 

[curbfeeler]

That‘s weird, Nordost is one of the few high end cables that doesn’t cryo their cables during manufacture. Say, weren’t they one of the directionality deniers?

The Nordost cables are marked with arrows on one end, so directionality must be of some import at the company.

 

[Geoffkait]

That’s true, but they put arrows on cables only for the “directionality“ of the shield, not for “directionality” of the wire; both types of “directionality” should be controlled, ideally.

 

[Holmz]

What is the hypothesis of what is getting “burned in?”

The conductor?
the insulation?
or something else?

…
My feeling is high bandwidth signals (applying by both cable cooker or Purist Break-in CD) will magnetize the system.

What is getting magnetised?
(I thought Silver in particular was not very magnetic)

 

[Geoffkait]

What is the hypothesis of what is getting “burned in?”

The conductor?
the insulation?
or something else?



What is getting magnetised?
(I thought Silver in particular was not very magnetic)

Most metal layers of CDs are aluminum but can also be gold, silver or silver alloy, none of which are magnetizable. And the metal layer is only a few molecules thick, anyway.in order to produce a significant magnetic field I suspect a lot more actual metal would be needed. Heck, the Earth’s natural magnetic field would undoubtedly be stronger.

The hypothesis that makes the most sense is that the polycarbonate layer acquires an electric static charge when the CD spins at high speed in air. I.e., friction of air molecules on plastic produces a persistent electric static charge. Moving a magnet across the surface of the CD produces an electric field that neutralizes the static electric charge on the CD. However, the electric static charge builds back up by playing the CD. That’s why it’s suggested a CD should be treated with a demagnetizer before every play.

 

[Holmz]

Most metal layers of CDs are aluminum but can also be gold, silver or silver alloy, none of which are magnetizable. And the metal layer is only a few molecules thick, anyway.in order to produce a significant magnetic field I suspect a lot more actual metal would be needed. Heck, the Earth’s natural magnetic field would undoubtedly be stronger.

What do CDs have to do with silver cables breaking in?

The hypothesis that makes the most sense is that the polycarbonate layer acquires an electric static charge when the CD spins at high speed in air. I.e., friction of air molecules on plastic produces a persistent electric static charge. Moving a magnet across the surface of the CD produces an electric field that neutralizes the static electric charge on the CD. However, the electric static charge builds back up by playing the CD. That’s why it’s suggested a CD should be treated with a demagnetizer before every play.

I suppose one would see bit errors then, with CDs?

And CDs used to hold data, would need magnets in their readers to prevent data corruption?

I am not even sure how, or if, a magnet would affect a static charge.