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Hey Stu-
Hope this finds you well.
What's the break-in time you find for new Kimber SF-23 based interconnects (one wire per signal/ground) when used from a source (i.e., a Sony XA-5400ES CD player) to a tubed preamp? I am using large-scale orchestral classical music played on repeat for break-in.
(I used Eichmann pure silver bullet plug RCAs for terminations and thin cotton sleeving for vibration damping of the lightly twisted Kimber conductors, BTW.)
Directionality is not an issue (pre-determined for the SF-23 wire roll, observed meticulously during construction.)
Thanks!
WS
Follow Ups:
A Teflon dielectric tends to take far longer to burn-in than other polymers, so expect many hours to pass before the SF-23 shows profound improvements via burn-in. As unclestu said, a burn-in CD or burn-in track played as a loop via computer is a more efficient method than music tracks. Music tracks, both dynamic types and sweeping types are a good second phase method after an initial intensive burn-in process is accomplished. YMMV
"A Teflon dielectric tends to take far longer to burn-in than other polymers"
Hmmm, you might try warming the cable during break-in, nothing huge maybe to 50C or so. I suspect that would cut down the time required to about an 1/8 as much.
Rick
Your experience and mine mesh 100% on the teflon break-in front. Cruelly long, but ultimately, worth the wait.
Thus, my surprise at Uncle Stu's post. Hey, it is worth a try, that's for sure. I also have a crap-load of other break-in discs I could try as well (Sheffield-XLO; Cardas-Ayre; MFSL; HiFi News; Chesky; Stereophile; etc.), but tend to usually use cut #20 on the Stereophile Test Disc 3 (or sometimes track #4 on the Ayre-Cardas.) That's what I'm using currently with my ICs, the Stereophile cut (wide ranging instruments plus LF sweeps), and it seemed to be slow going. Maybe Jim Aud's (rather bizarre sounding) CD-R effort can speed things up a tad. Cannot hurt to try.
But if not, well, I guess I better just bite the audio bullet and get ready for a long slog, break-in wise. It's worth it, though, ultimately. :-)
Again, thanks for the fine post, Duster.
Oh, and a quick Q: how much better do you think the newer Eichmann pure silver RCAs are over the old, original ETI ones? I have two sets (well, one now) of the older Eichmann pure silver RCAs that I got off Percy for a nice price ($75 a set!), so that's what I'm using presently, but when they are gone, Eichmann's newest offerings are something I would strongly consider. Your opinion would be welcome. TIA, of course.
Dunno, sorry. I use the PAD ([Purist Audio Break in Disc) and run it the recommended 6 times (7 hours total) plus 15 more minutes of regular music to tone the upper end edginess the PAD imposes.
My guess is about 10 hours to completely break in, but I am merely guessing. Usually top end is very good right off the start and the bottom end kicks in with break in.
Sorry
As I think you know, I have that same Purist Audio disc and can employ it over night, as you suggested. But my past experience with teflon dielectrics is very similar to Duster's (see his post for details), in that long long hours of break-in are required before the cable is really broken-in.
Thus, I was figuring you (i.e., Uncle Stu) might say, oh, around 240-360 hours or so (10-15 days), which is what I was dreading, but resigned to. Your post gives me hope for a quicker result, which I am all for. :-)
So, I'll definitely give the Purist disc a whirl on repeat for 6 plays or so, then it's classical large orchestral for music break-in for the next 6 hours or so, and then I'll take a good, long listen and see where things stand.
It would be a very nice change to get the break-in period over quickly, than to have to go through the two weeks (or more!) of constant play, with all that wear and tear on my modified Sony-Unbalancer CD source and its four 6922-type tubes.
Thanks!
Cheers,
WS
PAD disc according Aud consists of 125 programs developed by NASA engineers for their space projects. It has worked consistently better than any other break in disc I have tried,
Of course YMMV and FWIW
...I have actually listened to the PAD disc all the way through a few times, when I first got it. Very interesting. Lots of wild stuff going on. Lots of curious patterns, tones and pulses. But I only did this a few times when I was breaking in something and needed to do work in the Music Room at the same time, so it was more like background sounds that would frequently grab my undivided attention.
However, just a couple of times through the PAD disc (on 'repeat') while working on a long project really starts to delineate and familiarize one with some of the more memorable (and startling) techniques employed. But that was all a good while ago, and I have no further need for listening to it again. Ever. ;-)
Winston,
I hope you will let me interject my thoughts and observations. Breaking in cables- systems will be incomplete without using a cable conditioner such as the Audiodharma Cable Conditioner. I just reconditioned my entire loom of speaker cables, power cables, and interconnects and the positive improvement was dramatic. I also use a system conditioner disc weekly and yet the cable conditioner added so much moore to the system.
I hope all serious cable audiophiles such as yourself will consider this approach.
David Pritchard
So...does the Audioharma unit require 'break-in'?
...."eet eez verry queeeck".
Like any other product, the new wiring and connectors (on the Cooker) certainly get conditioned along with the cables installed, but because of the (greatly) enhanced and powerful signal, it's short work.
NO amount of regular use, even with burn-in discs [yes, the PAD is among the best of the bunch] suffices.
Regular use = you, the dog Fido, and me pissing on the lawn, and then declaring CA's drought over.
True burn-in = a device such as ones from audiodharma, Hagerman, and Nordost. Those are like getting three years of above-average rainfall, to break CA's drought.
My audio friends and I have cables which have been used for over 2 decades. You'd think they were "burned-in." Au contraire. Stick these 20-year-old cables on the Cable Cooker, and come back to us. Then you'll see what true burn-in is.
The Audiophiles' DJ,
-Lummy The Loch Monster
..... that Uncle Stu sells, if I recall correctly. But he cannot mention that, for obvious reasons, or he probably would have (as I know he really thinks highly of Hagerman's designs.)
And I have an old Duotech model, an original in mint condition.
And so we have outboard burn-in device options, including the AudioDharma unit you mentioned, too.
Yes, some things to consider...... :-)
Thanks for your input.
Haven't tried Audio Dharma, but have tried many, many others, and The PAD still reigns supreme in my book
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