Whats the best way to burn in a power cord?
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Do you think it makes any difference to "burn in" the cable as you call it when you still have maybe 100' of "crap" cable from the fusebox to the power chord?
Tor Arne
Tor Arne
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548 Posts
Turn your component on for a few days and let it break in.
Alan Maher
http://community-2.webtv.net/audionutak
Alan Maher
http://community-2.webtv.net/audionutak
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17 Posts
"Does anyone make a Generator specifically designed to burn in your Power Cords?"
Yes......the audiodharma Cable Cooker (tm).
http://www.audioexcellenceaz.com/aud...ablecooker.htm
For proper disclosure, I am the manufacturer of this product.
Yes......the audiodharma Cable Cooker (tm).
http://www.audioexcellenceaz.com/aud...ablecooker.htm
For proper disclosure, I am the manufacturer of this product.
I've never heard of this before. Is there really a noticeable improvement? If you take a burned-in power, interconnect, or speaker cable and swap in a brand new one, can you tell the difference?
What is it about the structure of the conductor that's different in a burned in cable?
What is it about the structure of the conductor that's different in a burned in cable?
Try renting an Audio dharma cable cooker. I rented it from someone in Audiogon. I forgot the name of the person. May be you could post a wanted ad in Audiogon and see if anyone will reply to it.
I did 5 of Alan Maher DIY braided power cord design, and I burned that in using an audiodharma cable cooker. Cable cooker will save you time in burning in the cable.... But I don't think buying it will be worth it.
If not then you could buy a burn in CD, and turn your system on for 2-3 days...
Hope that helps
mario
I did 5 of Alan Maher DIY braided power cord design, and I burned that in using an audiodharma cable cooker. Cable cooker will save you time in burning in the cable.... But I don't think buying it will be worth it.
If not then you could buy a burn in CD, and turn your system on for 2-3 days...
Hope that helps
mario
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1,101 Posts
Burn in? Try a space heater / or one of those 500 watt work lights.
Those whom don't believe shouldn't read any further.--I bought a used K. Cobra. I plugged it in. On a used cable that was shipped cross country it took about 30 minutes for the "magic" to happen. So, YES if your ears and system are both up to it. Geo
Those whom don't believe shouldn't read any further.--I bought a used K. Cobra. I plugged it in. On a used cable that was shipped cross country it took about 30 minutes for the "magic" to happen. So, YES if your ears and system are both up to it. Geo
Oh jesus. Just buy a Panamax and a 10ga powercord and get it over with. I swear to god ... 
While you're at it, if at all possible, place high current devices on their own circuit. That way you'll at least avoid ground loops and voltage draw. Anything else is subjective and a waste of money.
While you're at it, if at all possible, place high current devices on their own circuit. That way you'll at least avoid ground loops and voltage draw. Anything else is subjective and a waste of money.
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276 Posts
Quote:
Ahh, Rohan, that'd be subjective too. . .
| . . . and a waste of money. |
Not really.
Dedicated circuit:
No other devices draw current except the amplifier.
Ground loops are almost non-existant
Panamax:
Triple filtering (yes, over-kill) to get rid of ground loops
Surge protection that actually works
10ga powercord:
Is capable of drawing enough current and not overheating.
Sounds pretty objective and straight forward.
Dedicated circuit:
No other devices draw current except the amplifier.
Ground loops are almost non-existant
Panamax:
Triple filtering (yes, over-kill) to get rid of ground loops
Surge protection that actually works
10ga powercord:
Is capable of drawing enough current and not overheating.
Sounds pretty objective and straight forward.
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22,573 Posts
Power cord burn-in??? Come on, how could that be??? If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't believe it!!!
Don of Granite Audio has his own proprietary burn-in device for his power cords. When I upgraded my system to his power cords during the first quarter 2001 (full review then here at this forum), he told me that he burned them in nine days before customers would get them, because his own listening in his Granite Audio system subjectively confirmed to him that this burn-in was necessary or the power corded system wouldn't sound like it should. And as Granite Audio had and has a thirty day return policy,
Don didn't want customers to get a cord in their system, not like the sound, and return it.
I had already put in about 6 or 7 of Don's already burned in power cords in my system. I ordered I think about another 10 cords, but I was in a hurry. I told Don, "its ok, you've only burned them in 2-3 days, let me do the rest in my system, I just want to get them in, and I'm sure it will sound ok and better within the week." So Don did what he never does, he let me have the cords early, including the long power cord from my PS Audio P600 to my Dwin CRT projector. I put all the new cords in. And my system looked and sounded worse so that within the next day, I put the old cords back in, brought the 10 cords back to Don, he burnt them in for 10 days solid, and then I put them back in and my system never sounded or looked better!!!
That's my true SUBJECTIVE story. And not only re audio, but video - cause the non-burnt-in power cords clouded and darkened my picture a bit, rather than improving and brightening up the picture as we had seen with the demo cords that had already been fully burnt-in. I'm a believer re power cord burn-in at least in my own case with the Granite Audio cords.
Don of Granite Audio has his own proprietary burn-in device for his power cords. When I upgraded my system to his power cords during the first quarter 2001 (full review then here at this forum), he told me that he burned them in nine days before customers would get them, because his own listening in his Granite Audio system subjectively confirmed to him that this burn-in was necessary or the power corded system wouldn't sound like it should. And as Granite Audio had and has a thirty day return policy,
Don didn't want customers to get a cord in their system, not like the sound, and return it.
I had already put in about 6 or 7 of Don's already burned in power cords in my system. I ordered I think about another 10 cords, but I was in a hurry. I told Don, "its ok, you've only burned them in 2-3 days, let me do the rest in my system, I just want to get them in, and I'm sure it will sound ok and better within the week." So Don did what he never does, he let me have the cords early, including the long power cord from my PS Audio P600 to my Dwin CRT projector. I put all the new cords in. And my system looked and sounded worse so that within the next day, I put the old cords back in, brought the 10 cords back to Don, he burnt them in for 10 days solid, and then I put them back in and my system never sounded or looked better!!!
That's my true SUBJECTIVE story. And not only re audio, but video - cause the non-burnt-in power cords clouded and darkened my picture a bit, rather than improving and brightening up the picture as we had seen with the demo cords that had already been fully burnt-in. I'm a believer re power cord burn-in at least in my own case with the Granite Audio cords.
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Caution: Ability to discern audio and video differences depend on system resolution, subjective training and ability, and of course degree to which subjective tester has true ability to discern re clouded placebos with poor judgement. Can you tell the difference in quality between different pianos and different notes on different pianos? I can't. But some folks can. That doesn't mean that all pianos sound the same, does it?
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Quote:
I totally agree with that.
Still, it's not my experience (having also used Don's Granite Audio cords).
| Sounds pretty objective and straight forward. |
Still, it's not my experience (having also used Don's Granite Audio cords).
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I've not done that myself, that's true. In past talks with Don, however, I believe he indicated this was actually a part of his process in designing cables. (I hope I'm not putting words in his mouth--maybe he was just humoring me? )
Quote:
Rohan, we definitely have different opinions here. Perhaps I have/had power problems. Perhaps the cords filtered some type of noise that had been in my system. But the difference between the std. cord on my Krell amp and a Granite Audio 560 was very clear, very distinct. Not something marginal--"a little more air", "the mid-range was less bloated". Instant, obvious differences in bass reproduction and imaging. Putting the old cord back, got the old sound. Put the GA cord back, got the new (and better) sound. It wasn't double-blind. But it was more obvious than going between SACD and CD.
Don's PCs use some sort of torroidal element at each end which may clean/filter the power in some fashion--but that's the limit of my ability to justify to myself HOW the cords could make a difference in my system. I didn't think they would. I was wrong.
| Hook them up to an oscilloscope and tell me there's a difference. |
)Quote:
| That 'magic' everyone refers to when it 'just sounds better' is your brain talking. |
Don's PCs use some sort of torroidal element at each end which may clean/filter the power in some fashion--but that's the limit of my ability to justify to myself HOW the cords could make a difference in my system. I didn't think they would. I was wrong.
You must have some -massive- interference in/around your component area that is causing -extreme- interference.
(you'll get the same results running a cat5 across a NM-B electrical cable)
I just don't understand what most people think when they buy a > $50 power cable. If you have very poor power conditions, e.g. distortion and interference patterns, how do you think a high gauge over-insulated power cord will help? All it will do is conduct the garbage better than the 100s of feet of NM-B electrical cable you have in the house already.
Conditioning the power makes sense; remove the interference from the wave so it has a nice, to spec, amplitude.
Buying a $100 hosiptal outlet doesn't help either. All you get is a cool green light when in use. Oh yeah, they don't corrode and have a high fatique strength (they get used a lot).
Hey, you should check out the Bedini CD conditioner.
(you'll get the same results running a cat5 across a NM-B electrical cable)
I just don't understand what most people think when they buy a > $50 power cable. If you have very poor power conditions, e.g. distortion and interference patterns, how do you think a high gauge over-insulated power cord will help? All it will do is conduct the garbage better than the 100s of feet of NM-B electrical cable you have in the house already.
Conditioning the power makes sense; remove the interference from the wave so it has a nice, to spec, amplitude.
Buying a $100 hosiptal outlet doesn't help either. All you get is a cool green light when in use. Oh yeah, they don't corrode and have a high fatique strength (they get used a lot).
Hey, you should check out the Bedini CD conditioner.
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276 Posts
Rohan,
Know where I could buy one of those hospital outlets with the cool green light?
Regards. . .
Know where I could buy one of those hospital outlets with the cool green light?
Regards. . .
http://www.aedwis.com/hammondpower.html
I was serious though. You have to have some serious interference around your component rack. You have all the power cords all prettied up and tied close together or anything?
I was serious though. You have to have some serious interference around your component rack. You have all the power cords all prettied up and tied close together or anything?
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Rohan, I have nineteen dedicated 20 amp circuits, 10 guage wire, all to their own 8 foot copper ground rod grounded panel box (which then ties into the house ground). So when you talk about "massive interference",
how would you know? Have you ever used any equipment to measure
"massive interference" in your or anyone else's audio or home theater system. You jump to an awful lot of conclusions when you haven't demod or tested anything in my system or Mike's.
Don of Granite Audio does test his power cords for high frequency noise, or better to say the lack thereof. In comparison to the stock power cords that you and many others use.
As for what I'm led to believe and what I'm told, who says I'd be any better off if I "listened" to you??? I know my system and I'm confident in my abilities to perceive improvements in audio and video, not necessarily to the one hundredth degree, but sufficiently for my purposes. Your "placebo" argument is a placebo itself - for you are convinced of the "truth" of certain matters without ever experimenting yourself.
And that's ok. But to tell someone that they're being fooled because they
san subjectively use their senses to perceive one wine tastes better than another, or that one picture looks better than another, or that one tweak sounds different, or maybe even better, than another - how would you know, because you're not even willing to try.
Rohan, you agree that power conditioning can make a difference. Do I take it that you would agree that the PS Audio Power Plants, generating a clean 60 Hz sinewave, can improve audio and video??? Then take it a step further, to which both Don Hoglund and I were surprised fifteen months ago when we demod Don's power cords from the Power Plants to my front end components - we saw and heard sonic and video improvements. Frankly, we weren't expecting much in this regard, as the Power Plants put out such clean power. Our theory, from our practical subjective experience, is that components backwash dirt/grime/high frequency noise back down the power cords; and maybe some of that noise is radiated through the air as well; and that therefore the toroids at each end of the Granite cords practically ensured that the clean 60 Hz sinewave from the Power Plants was maintained.
how would you know? Have you ever used any equipment to measure
"massive interference" in your or anyone else's audio or home theater system. You jump to an awful lot of conclusions when you haven't demod or tested anything in my system or Mike's.
Don of Granite Audio does test his power cords for high frequency noise, or better to say the lack thereof. In comparison to the stock power cords that you and many others use.
As for what I'm led to believe and what I'm told, who says I'd be any better off if I "listened" to you??? I know my system and I'm confident in my abilities to perceive improvements in audio and video, not necessarily to the one hundredth degree, but sufficiently for my purposes. Your "placebo" argument is a placebo itself - for you are convinced of the "truth" of certain matters without ever experimenting yourself.
And that's ok. But to tell someone that they're being fooled because they
san subjectively use their senses to perceive one wine tastes better than another, or that one picture looks better than another, or that one tweak sounds different, or maybe even better, than another - how would you know, because you're not even willing to try.
Rohan, you agree that power conditioning can make a difference. Do I take it that you would agree that the PS Audio Power Plants, generating a clean 60 Hz sinewave, can improve audio and video??? Then take it a step further, to which both Don Hoglund and I were surprised fifteen months ago when we demod Don's power cords from the Power Plants to my front end components - we saw and heard sonic and video improvements. Frankly, we weren't expecting much in this regard, as the Power Plants put out such clean power. Our theory, from our practical subjective experience, is that components backwash dirt/grime/high frequency noise back down the power cords; and maybe some of that noise is radiated through the air as well; and that therefore the toroids at each end of the Granite cords practically ensured that the clean 60 Hz sinewave from the Power Plants was maintained.
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