Does this apply to COAX as Well?

[DMOD]

Make sure you break in your cables before applying much power:

http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-blogs/other/4204772/Audio-cable-break-in--analog-vs--digital-nonsense

Phil- AC0OB

[K3ZS]

A good reason to buy used coax.

[K9PNP]

No wonder snake oil sold so good.  All of my coax is OK; broken in long time ago.

[The Slab Bacon]

It was most notably said best by P.T.Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute"
I couldnt find a better way to put it myself!!

It is a crime that so many people, ignorant of engineering principles and practice are so easily misled by superstition. And some will even swear to their graves that it is true instead of doing a little research to find out if it is true or not!

Oh well, a fool and his money are soon (and easily) parted   


Meanwhile, I'll have a large order of oxygen free copper salad with a side order of audio grade fries!!  

                                                                 The Slab Bacon

[WBear2GCR]

It makes a difference.

It is an unimportant difference for 99% of audio users. Two reasons, either, and/or: 1) they are physically unable to discern any difference, 2) they are able to hear a difference but the gear they are using will not reproduce this reasonably small difference.

The mechanism at play may be related to the equivalent to "forming a capacitor", or it may have a metallurgical basis, or both.

There are cables that have a charge on the conductor, or a separate conductor  the charge is supplied by a DC power supply - the principle involved revolves around the idea that in a normal situation the AC signal will cause the charge in the dielectric to have to swing from (+) to (-) through zero, a non-instantaneous event. However, if the dielectric is charged to what would be a Class A or higher bias level WRT to the AC signal, then the dielectric will never swing through zero! 

Regardless, it won't hurt anything.

For most people and audio systems it is unimportant and a waste of time and energy.
It is true that some of these purveyors of products to do this job are taking advantage of consumers who do not need this to be done, or they may be selling useless products.

You have to separate the snake oil sellers from the underlying realities. The guy in EE times and Bob Pease may be competent EEs but they have no clue what goes on in audio. None, zero, zip.

(in case anyone doubts that there are very well trained EEs who recognize that there is a range of "uncertainty" in audio and perception please read some of the "Blowtorch" thread at http://www.diyaudio.com - there are some very smart, top people, participating there...)

Be careful how broad a brush you use to characterize or "paint" these things.

                         

                    _-_-bear

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

How would this charge exist if the cable is shorted at DC by the speaker coil?

There are cables that have a charge on the conductor, or a separate conductor  the charge is supplied by a DC power supply - the principle involved revolves around the idea that in a normal situation the AC signal will cause the charge in the dielectric to have to swing from (+) to (-) through zero, a non-instantaneous event. However, if the dielectric is charged to what would be a Class A or higher bias level WRT to the AC signal, then the dielectric will never swing through zero! 

[Ed/KB1HYS]

I don't know, but from an engineering point of view, if some effect is to small to be measured (or even barely measureable), it usually can be ignored.  Dropping a tooth pick on an I-beam has a definite calculatable effect. Probably couldn't be measured by mere mortals. But it's so small who cares. Hearing is a biological process, and sound quality measurements based on "golden ears" are highly subjective, and therefore prone to be wildly  inaccurate - my opinion for what it's worth.

Audio-phool types only bug me when the drive the prices of otherwise usefull hardware through the roof because they "think" it has "magical" properties of sound reproduction (a lot of new-old-stock triodes come to mind).  Otherwise it's their money to spend as they see fit. If they want to have bragging rights for having an audio system that can reprodcue DC-daylight with 24k gold wiring etc etc etc have at it.   

[k4kyv]

I don't know, but from an engineering point of view, if some effect is to small to be measured (or even barely measureable), it usually can be ignored.  Dropping a tooth pick on an I-beam has a definite calculatable effect. Probably couldn't be measured by mere mortals. But it's so small who cares. Hearing is a biological process, and sound quality measurements based on "golden ears" are highly subjective, and therefore prone to be wildly  inaccurate - my opinion for what it's worth.

Even if the charge could be maintained (perhaps it could be common-mode because the amp is poorly grounded), the discharge current would be infinitesimal. That means the impedance of any physical phenomenon caused by the discharge would be tens if not hundreds of megohms, but we are working into speakers with an impedance on the order of 8 ohms, which would act as a dead short to any hi-Z discharge phenomenon.  Nowhere close to the effect of a toothpick on an I-beam; about equivalent to pissing spitting into the Pacific Ocean.

Dropping a fork on the floor at dinnertime raises the entropy of the universe, too.

Audio-phool types only bug me when they drive the prices of otherwise usefull hardware through the roof because they "think" it has "magical" properties of sound reproduction (a lot of new-old-stock triodes come to mind).  Otherwise it's their money to spend as they see fit. If they want to have bragging rights for having an audio system that can reprodcue DC-daylight with 24k gold wiring etc etc etc have at it.   

My sentiments exactly.

[W1RKW]

there are new cables not 'broken-in'.  Then there are 'broken-in' cables. What about worn-out cables from excessive use though look new?

[The Slab Bacon]

there are new cables not 'broken-in'.  Then there are 'broken-in' cables. What about worn-out cables from excessive use though look new?

Ketchup, mustard and/or hot sauce will fix anything  

[flintstone mop]

Rf cables do not need go through this process. It causes high permanent SWR.
Fred

[Jim KF2SY]

That ee times article also mentions the digital audio aspect.  Of course I don't buy the cable break-in nonsense but when digital audio 1st came out, some of the mainstream mags such as Stereo Review pretty much said everthing sounds the the same, great, etc.  I stopped getting the mag because now wit digital audio , whats the point? ----But wow from the playback media aspect, those first generation audio CD's did in fact to my ears sound horrible, nice and noise and pop free, but pretty horrible.  

[flintstone mop]

That ee times article also mentions the digital audio aspect.  Of course I don't buy the cable break-in nonsense but when digital audio 1st came out, some of the mainstream mags such as Stereo Review pretty much said everthing sounds the the same, great, etc.  I stopped getting the mag because now wit digital audio , whats the point? ----But wow from the playback media aspect, those first generation audio CD's did in fact to my ears sound horrible, nice and noise and pop free, but pretty horrible.  

The digital whirl has come a long way. On the first DDD discs they even added hiss to give you the feel of analog. At first we were listening to AAD or ADD conversions.
Fred

[K3ZS]

Sort of like a new regulation proposed for electric cars,  adding speakers on the outside of them to play car noise so pedestrians can hear them coming.