Your Thoughts on Burn-In...

Early B.

Like many other topics, the concept of burn-in often ignites controversy in the audio world. Some people believe the only way to evaluate a change in your system is to allow it plenty of time to burn in. Others do not believe burn-in exists. So, once again, it really boils down to a matter of one's personal opinion. So here's my opinion on it --

I recognize the value of burn-in and have heard it many times with changes in my system. So there's no argument from me about whether it exists. However, there are two aspects of burn-in that I have noticed:

1. For me, burn-in does not require 100 or 200 hours. I generally notice burn-in occurring in the first 10 - 20 hours on virtually every system change, but have never attributed a change in sound due to burn-in beyond about 20 hours. Maybe these changes are occurring, but I don't recognize them.

2. Every time I add a component and like how it sounds upon the initial install, I keep it. In other words, I don't wait until a system change burns in to determine whether or not I'm going to like it. Of course, most hard core audiophiles would frown at this practice. But what I have found is that burn-in, although it sounds different over time, usually keeps the same characteristics as when the change was initially made.

For instance, if an interconnect makes the system very bright, after burn-in it may end up being a little less bright, but it's not gonna go from very bright to dark sounding. Likewise, a change that immediately results in more detail is probably not gonna give you less detail over time.

Here's an example -- when I changed out my power tubes, I immediately liked what I heard and knew it would only get better, so I keep them. End of story. If I make a change and it doesn't immediately sound as good as what I had before, then IMO, since burn-in is usually subtle, it is not going to make it sound better than my previous set up.

So when I evaluate changes in my system, I don't wait 100 hours of playing time to determine if the change is a good one. Hell, if I waited that long, I'd lose my frame of reference and would end up doing a bunch of A/B tests. It ain't worth the effort.

What's your opinion and practice on burn-in?

PolkThug

Early B. wrote:

What's your opinion and practice on burn-in?

Its been awhile since you started a 'great debate' thread.

If you think a widget makes a difference for the better, enjoy it.

Ricardo

Agree on burn in for almost every component; they do change.
I've had though a couple of experiences where there was a HUGE difference between new and 15-20 hrs; a pair of Siemens 12AT7 tubes and the crossover upgrade for the 1.2 TL's. The tubes sounded worst than the original chinese I had (to me), but with some hours they magically started shining. For the crossover, not sure if it was resistors or capacitors, but the improvement in detail and BASS was just incredible, and I'm sure they kept improving up to 50 hours or so.

Early B.

Just a thought --

I don't know if this happens, but I've always wondered whether or not part of the lengthy burn-in process is simply our getting accustomed to the "new" sound, and over time we eventually come to believe it sounds better than what we had before.

ND13

Early B. wrote:

Just a thought --

I don't know if this happens, but I've always wondered whether or not part of the lengthy burn-in process is simply our getting accustomed to the "new" sound, and over time we eventually come to believe it sounds better than what we had before.

Blasphemer!!!;)

unc2701

Everytime I move into a new house, I run my stereo for about 100 hours to burn in the new room. It aligns all the nails & drywall to the new sound and it shifts the dynamics considerably.

Seriously, I've heard "burn in" on speakers and tubes. That's it. Awhile back, I blew a driver in my rt1000i's and could tell them apart for awhile, but eventually they sounded the same. The tubes came as a result of boredom and swapping around some tubes from the same lot.

As for SS amps, I had two channels on my bryston 9b that'd never been used, so just out of curiousity, I did some A/B on them with the channels that had been run for months and couldn't find any difference. Granted, Byrston runs its amps full-tilt with square waves for 72 hours before it ships them, so maybe it was already broken in, but I'm not convinced.


edit: on the rti1000's, I should mention that I could notice a difference with the _new_ driver after I replaced it...

madmax

There is no opinion required here, burn in exists. Certainly my MIT cables developed greatly after several hours and then again after a few days. At around 100 hours I happened to catch my LSi's changing. In just a few minutes they went from small and closed in to large and open. Heck, my preamp doesn't even sound like the same one once its been powered up for 3 days which isn't burn in but the time we are talking about here is less time than that.
madmax

cfrizz

I have heard burn in changes to my back speakers. When I first got them I could hardly hear them. Once they broke in fully they really became noticible!

As for SS equipment, as far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as burn in.

wingnut4772

Early B. wrote:

Just a thought --

I don't know if this happens, but I've always wondered whether or not part of the lengthy burn-in process is simply our getting accustomed to the "new" sound, and over time we eventually come to believe it sounds better than what we had before.

Bingo. (with the exception of speakers, I believe).

Skynut

unc2701 wrote:

Everytime I move into a new house, I run my stereo for about 100 hours to burn in the new room. It aligns all the nails & drywall to the new sound and it shifts the dynamics considerably.

I noticed that with my system the nails began moving toward the center of the room.
I think they want to be in the sweet spot.

But really I do notice that my system sounds different after burn in time. I am not really in tune enough to know it is better but it is different.

I also notice that the system needs to warm up each time I fire up a movie so I usually listen to the XM for a while prior to loading a movie.

I think that the warm up and burn in are similar.

Early B.

Skynut wrote:

I also notice that the system needs to warm up each time I fire up a movie so I usually listen to the XM for a while prior to loading a movie.

That's interesting. Lots of folks talk about the value of warm up, but I've never noticed it, not even with tubes.


This is a strange hobby. Just curious -- does stamp collecting have more objectivity than audio?

scottnbnj

madmax wrote:

At around 100 hours I happened to catch my LSi's changing. In just a few minutes they went from small and closed in to large and open.

yup,yup,.. a few times it was almost like they would shudder, then wake up and narrow band of image height would spring up or tumble and crash into itself or something. those were strange days, indeed.

)

Lsi9

I agree if burn-in does exist I think it is shorter than most say
I can understand burn in with speakers but with amps?
I know there is a warm up period but I think it ends there.