Cable burn-in overview
The phenomenon of cable burn-in is well known, as cables sound better when used in a system for a period of time. This is due to changes which occur in the conductor and the insulation material. The VIDAR uses some well-known scientific properties to derive the best possible performance, both technically and sonically, from any cable.
Cables should be burned-in or conditioned on a regular basis for optimum performance. In normal use, there is a leakage current from electrical equipment which causes the cable to take on a charge; cable conditoning will neutralize this charge.
New cables often have very high levels of electrical charge caused by the production process. In addition, gases are often trapped between the insulation and the conductor during manufacture. This can often result in new cables sounding brittle, bright, and lacking in detail. These charges must be neutralized if a cable is to ever achieve its maximum performance.
How the VIDAR works
The VIDAR is a professional console with multiple top-mounted input and output connections which allow a variety of cables to be burned-in. It will burn-in loudspeaker cables, analog and digital interconnects, video cables and tone-arm cables. The unit has a timer function which allows cables to be burned-in for up to one week.
The VIDAR combines three different functions in one operation.
1) It neutralizes spurious charges that build up around the cables and the insulation.
2) It provides a very wide band and deep conditioning into the conductor core, which produces changes in the way signals pass through the metal.
3) It ultrasonically conditions the surface of the conductors.
According to Joe Reynolds, president of Nordost, This new VIDAR burn-in service will be available exclusively from authorized Nordost dealers. They will be able to offer their customers big improvements in the performance of their systems when they burn-in their cables. No matter how long one burns-in cables in a hi-fi system, they will never sound as good as cables burned-in on a VIDAR. This is due to the use of complex signal patterns which stress the cable in a particular way.
The VIDAR is constructed so that each conductor is fed by a bridge mode amplifier. The unit uses a total of 44 amplifiers in its circuitry. Each amplifier is held at a very precise voltage. The circuits are designed so that the voltage difference between the amplifiers is zero.
The VIDAR uses a proprietary combination of composite and complex signals to condition the cables. Parts of the signal oscillate at ultra-low frequencies and other parts of the signal are in ultra-high ranges which extend beyond the range of video frequencies. The signal bounces in a ping pong ball-like fashion from one end of the cable circuit to the other. During the burn-in process, ultra-low frequencies penetrate deep into the core of the cable. The ultra-high frequencies zip along the surface of the conductors. The method of signal transmission sets up beat harmonics, or heterodynes, between the two complex waveforms. In the digital domain this would be referred to as aliasing products. These beat frequencies penetrate all layers of the cable.
The design of the circuitry also has a unique feature which drives electrons above the conductor into the dielectric area, or insulation. The VIDAR not only sends ping pong signals along the cable, it also sends a similar signal from the center core to the outer shield in the case of interconnect cables. Without this function, it is impossible to neutralize these charges.The Nordost VIDAR is a professional tool designed to condition audio and video cables for optimum performance. The phenomenon of cable burn-in is well known, as cables sound better when used in a system for a period of time. This is due to changes which occur in the conductor and the insulation material. The VIDAR uses some well-known scientific principles to derive the best possible performance, both technically and sonically, from any cable.
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