Burn-in Telos Audio QBT Cable Run-in Machine V5.1

QBT Cable Run-in Machine V5.1 — five-channel burn-in device with Quantum Burning Technology

The Telos Audio QBT Cable Run-in Machine V5.1 is a dedicated device for running in audio cables, replacing dozens of hours of normal use with a controlled frequency cycle. At its core is a crystal oscillator paired with a 70 W amplifier module, which drives the load and then feeds into the proprietary Telos control system. This continuously adjusts the current according to the type of cable connected, preventing both under-burning and over-burning of the conductor. The manufacturer likens the process to loading software into a computer — a repeated frequency sweep maximises the cable's frequency response and suppresses its weak points.

The design is the result of long-term development. The 2008 prototype worked with a 30 Hz – 16 kHz band, the second generation extended the range to 20 Hz – 22 kHz and introduced a revised power supply with eight JENSEN 1 mF copper-foil capacitors supplemented by 0.1 mF, 0.01 mF and 0.0015 mF silver-foil capacitors to compensate for phase relationships. The current version uses higher-grade materials, a larger transformer for greater current stability and an amplifier module with a 24 V dynamic range and a frequency response of 0 Hz – 50 kHz, a bandwidth that also covers the SACD range.

New is Quantum Burning Technology, a power-cleaning system based on the principle of synchronous resonance. A similar frequency of opposite polarity is applied against the interfering signal, cancelling it out — analogous to the way active noise-cancelling headphones work. The QBT module generates eight discrete frequencies (120; 60; 30; 15; 7.5; 3.75; 1.875 and 0.9375 Hz). Resistors serve as the load along with chokes that create a magnetic field of 200 mg and act as shielding for the circuit against external electromagnetic interference.

The device offers five independent channels for speaker cables, power cables, digital cables, and RCA and XLR interconnects. The first two channels work with a 70 W / 24 V signal across the 0 Hz – 50 kHz band, while the remaining three use only 5 W given the smaller conductor cross-sections, retaining the 24 V voltage and the same bandwidth. The lower power for interconnects is intentional — too high a current can lead to over-burning and a deterioration in sound. Even so, 5 W is roughly a thousand times more power than during normal playback and, combined with a complete frequency sweep every 1.7 seconds, it stresses the cable far more intensively than listening at moderate volume.

Key features

• Five channels: Speaker, power, digital, RCA and XLR cables
• Quantum Burning Technology: Noise suppression via synchronous resonance
• Bandwidth: Frequency response 0 Hz – 50 kHz, dynamic range 24 V
• Power: 70 W for power and speaker cables, 5 W for interconnects
• Power supply section: JENSEN capacitors and an enlarged transformer