I would like to share an interesting result when comparing 2 speaker cables some 20 years ago. The 2 cables in question were Audioquest Midnight 3, and Transparent Music Wave. I noticed when reviewing the Audioquest that the bedroom window, which was a bit rattly, vibrated audibly. This did not occur with the Transparent cable, indicating that the Audioquest produced more low-frequency information. I repeated the test 3 times with consistent results. I then played the song desperado from Hell Freezes over. There is audible electrical noise which is part of the recording. With the Audioquest it was clearly audible but completely absent with the Transparent cable. I also repeated this 3 times with consistent results. This actually proved Transparentās claim that the network boxes attached to their speaker cables control high-frequency roll-off and attenuate radio frequency noise. In this case, however, it removed sounds that were part of the recording. This was a powerful result that proved that cables can make a difference. Needless to mention, I chose the Audioquest. I know this is not about power cables, just thought the community might find it interesting. Bruno this was not due to Pareidolia
You would expect that, however, I have yet to read anything meaningful from him
Speaker cables are a very different kettle of fish and Brunoās earlier posts discussed this. I wouldnāt attach any cable with a so-called network box to my speakers. You have no idea how theyāre going to interact with the complex impedance of the drive units and crossover network. They will behave differently with every speaker and the results will be unpredictably variable.
The only way you can control high frequency roll-off passively is by a high-pass filter, which by design reduces low frequency throughput. Thatās why the Transparent cable was producing less low-frequency output than the Audioquest.
Very interesting, thank you Graeme. I could not believe what I was hearing that day
See, there are some things we can agree on! 
of course 
But youād be much better off, same sound as all other audiophool speaker cables ever made, and lots of extra dollars in your pocket with some Home depot lamp wireā¦ probably measures great too.
I donāt think anyone of a scientific/engineering bent would advocate the use of 20 AWG lamp cord!
All of my speakers are cabled with doubled-up (not bi-wired, thatās another rabbit hole) 2.5mm2 silver-plated OFC, so 5mm2 in total (almost as much CSA as 10AWG). SPOFC for no other reason than I got a job lot of QED Silver Anniversary on ebay for a bargain price!
One wonders what is the actual material cost of exotic cables, considering a cable that use solid silver conductors, terminated with carbon fibre plugs, and several layers of intricate shielding, compared to a 20AWG cable with low-grade copper in a cheap plastic sheath. Whether that level of engineering is in fact nessasary is a different issue, but the material cost and labour of such a cable should be fairly high. Greame, you manufacture your own cables, what is the material cost of your cables?
Sure, if we actually literally change the subject!
Allow me to contribute as well: murder is wrong!
Actual material cost of exotic cables is relatively low compared to their final selling price, though obviously thereās a cost premium with silver!
The biggest cost is in the production, especially in the low volume demand of the high-end audio market. Initial set-up costs - product design, manufacturing tooling, even design of packaging and packaging materials are significant. When that cost is spread over a low number of units, the price has to go up substantially to make even small margins.
The same is true of any high-end audio product. You canāt offset the production costs against a high number of units (because you donāt sell enough of them) so the price has to go up often astronomically. Thatās why the mass-manufactured Chinese stuff is so cheap. Itās not because itās low quality (which is often the perception) - some of the stuff theyāre producing now is literally State of The Art and exceptionally well-built. Theyāre able to offset the development and manufacturing costs over a vastly greater number of units. Also, their labour costs are significantly lower.
I made my own power cables a few years back - still have lots of double copper braided screened mains cable with 2.5mm2 line and neutral conductors and a 4.0mm2 earth lying around. Cable was about Ā£1 per metre. Nothing fancy - standard ETP copper (OFC) minimum 99.9% purity. For connectors, I used Wattgate (~Ā£25 -Ā£30) - Theyāre substantial and can take hefty cable. Plugs were UK MK Toughplug, again they can take substantial cable. Braided sleeving from Hellerman Tyton - relatvely cheap by the box.
Adhesive lined heatshrink to hold it all together. Probably about Ā£40 total for each cable and about an hour to make one. If I had to make a living off manufacturing them, then Iād need to add at least Ā£50 to each for labour, the cost of running a soldering iron all day, every day, cost of consumables, wear and tear and repalcement of tools, packaging, shipping costs, the time it takes me to package and ship (which is time not spent making cables). Then thereās e-commerce costs, domain lease and webhosting costs, marketing and advertising costs - the list goes on. So at least >Ā£100 each cable, probably more. If I made a good living out of it, Iād have to VAT register, +20% on the selling price of everything to pay the UK government its share.
So realistically, ~ Ā£150 per cable as a price to the customer.
Itās really interesting when you start to look at where the costs go.
I honestly didnāt perceive any sonic benefit. They looked nice though!
I chuckled
Great breakdown. I think many people forget that the cost of things go way beyond just the mere materials (or even man hours). I make and sell fine art prints of my work for a living, most I do in-house myself, but the largest size, 44"X66," I need to have done, and the print itself can cost upwards of $600, which I then need to add on my fee on top of that (which is not necessarily set, but can vary depending on image, where in the edition, etc and/or make a deal with the client because zero sale is zero income but I also canāt give them away).
So sometimes Iāll post a pic online of one of these large prints at the printerās and I get a flood of requests (esp if itās Nirvana), but I know I wonāt hear back from most once they see the pricing, esp those asking how much the āpostersā are!
Douglas,
Thanks for your kind reply. I was trying to understand the concept of power cable burn-in, and tease out the various implications. As you say the phenomenon appears to be persistent, it would seem possible to sell pre-burned-in cables. And there would be no need to re-burn-in cables if they had been disconnected.
I am a little troubled by the implications of Jacquesās post:
Ideally, I think, I should hire an electrician to rip out all the existing wiring in the walls, or at least that leading to the power taps for my main listening stations, and replace it all with cable that has been pre-burned-in, so as not to obviate the advantages of burning in my power cables. However, that still leaves me with two additional problems.
The first is the power cabling inside the audio boxes. Sure, I can bring power over burned-in cables to the box itself, but then thereās a short run of power cable that goes to the fuses and the internal power regulator circuitry. Iām not sure that any of that is properly burned-in, but I guess if I just leave the unit turned on for a while, it will be. Still not sure about the fuse technology, though.
More troubling is the power circuitry that leads from the street, and indeed all the way back to my local substation. Now, we might reasonably conclude that this has been burned in properly as well, as residences draw power continuously over time, but I worry about interruptions of SQ caused by routine maintenance on the lines, which out here in California is a perpetual battle. It might be best to install a Tesla Powerwall, which could be done at the same time the in-wall wiring is replaced.
Now, as for āhorrible musicā: we all understand that music appreciation is highly individual. I have good friends who love to listen to stuff I find abhorrent, and no doubt vice versa, though we are all too polite to mention it. I did not consider that speculation outrageous, though I also did not consider it the most likely of occurrences. I simply mentioned it to be complete in the consideration of possible explanations, and certainly intended no reflection on anyoneās musical tastes.
No offence taken, Bill. Kind regards.
Great breakdown indeed. Puts it nicely into perspective
Now you made me want a Powerwall, I kind of knew they were (still are in Europe) in the post but now thereās a price. Nothing to do with SQ, I just want oneā¦
ā¦Is your work paint or photography based?
Once upon a time I used to do portrait and wedding work. Joe average has no idea how much it costs to produce a good quality wall print, (especially when you get up to the larger sizes) or whatās involved in producing a wedding albumā¦ They have no concept of colour spaces, colour calibration and the effort required (from the photographer and the print lab) to produce a print that looks exactly like the one on the computer screen!
I have a nice night-time panorama hanging in the house shot from the Helix Bridge in Singapore looking across the Marina Bay - I think it was about a 15-frame portrait orientation stitch. Itās 60" x 24" and even with the best lab discount I could wrangle, it still cost me >Ā£400.
Bruno, you are such a stand-up guyā¦Everyone can see that very cleary. Such a considered individual. 