Don't wind your cables up people!

While randomly browsing the internet as you do, I came across a message of great importance to us all.

Audio cables take a month or more to break in and sound their best, and winding them up can cause bad woo to undo all that good woo!

You have been warned!

http://www.mojo-audio.com...cables-and-components/ for the proof.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Does anyone actually believe this stuff still?

Kalle, you made me spit out my Cheerios.

 
 
"Check periodically to see if you’re overloading power cables and adapters by touching both the wire and plug areas to detect if there’s any heat."
 
Such advice was surely available pre-internet, but back then you'd be able to look the guy in the eye and know he was nuts.
 
"During the first 25 hours of break-in, it’s quite common to have significant improvements in performance. This is why many manufacturers “cook” their products for a short time to make them sound more impressive right out of the package."
 
This is why every copy of SONAR is run for at least 25 hours prior to shrinkwrapping, so that it sounds 20-40% better when you install it.

 
 
I get my good woo from my fuzz moo....
 

 
 
 
If I wanted some bad woo, I just use my Bad Horsie....
 

Hi,
 
Weird that the article did not state that you had to plug the cable up a personal location just to ensure it was lubed and ready to go!
 
Even in theater, with cables massively longer and thicker than what anyone uses on a stage for a concert, we would have known that was crap!  The bigger problem we had was always furniture, and this and that going over the cable and pointed high heels stabbing them, and the like which while not a major problem would leak a bit, but not enough to hurt the lights, but enough to prevent the cable from lasting longer. We were always taught to be on the lookout for cable damage, since a metal heel on just the right spot ... would be a serious problem/issue ... and teaching stage folks this bit and piece is often the hardest part, specially when so much of the work is done in the dark, although for theater, not as much!
 

bitflipper
"Check periodically to see if you’re overloading power cables and adapters by touching both the wire and plug areas to detect if there’s any heat."
 
Such advice was surely available pre-internet, but back then you'd be able to look the guy in the eye and know he was nuts

I hate to say this Bit, but........... Unlikely though it is to find good advice on any "audiophile" website that is good advice.

Overloaded power cables and plugs do get very hot and can catch fire. One of the main causes of house fires is overloaded ring mains or extension cables. Ditto AC extension cables while coiled - the coil makes them ian inductor which besides emitting RFI acts as a resistor (like a kettle element). A cable safe to 13A unwound (the UK domestic standard) might only be able to cope with 5A or less while coiled.

there is a method of 'properly' coiling cables,
if you do a lot of roadwork and travel,
you HAVE to learn to do it properly.
 

"You're gonna wind up working in gas station" ~F.Zappa
 

I never wind any of my cables up.  I roadie-wrap 'em!
 
(Go look it up.  There are even training videos out there.  Yes, it DOES work wonderfully - and on lots of other windable items like power cords.)

bitflipper
But read it in the original context. He's talking about a seriously NON-recommended procedure for "breaking in" power cables that most definitely should NOT be undertaken by anyone not conversant in G.S. Ohm's law. Rather than calculating a proper load beforehand, the author suggests checking your work by feeling for excessive heat.
 
That's the joke.

My apologies, you're right. I was so amazed by the rest of the nonsense I just skimmed that section.

this must explain why my gear sounds great... the cables are just one ungodly pile hidden behind the sofa (storage) or in use draped style-lessly from point A to point B.. 

The best bit decimator effect I've ever heard is the one you get when you use a digital out on your synth and then gradually squeeze the SPDIF coax cable to stop some of the bits getting through.
 
Also if you use the copper coax as opposed to the optical cable you get a much better sound for heavy metal.

I once used a Monster cable with the arrows pointing the wrong way and everything recorded backwards!

On analogue you get +1 octave transpose per knot.