component break in

I did an informal comparison between some new components and broken in ones to see if there was any difference. You can read about it in my article at Dagogo.com entitled, "Doug Schroeder's Audiophile Law #6: Do Not Overemphasize Burn In"

To find it you need to go to the main page, select "The Columns", and "Commentaries" from the drop down menu. I have several Audiophile Law articles there.

(I would put a link to the article here but often when I have the post has disappeared)

If the component utilizes capacitors in it's circuitry; the better the dielectric material(ie: Teflon/polypropylene/polystyrene), the longer the piece will take to, "break-in." Cables also act, to a degree, as capacitors, with regards to the dielectric/"break-in" ratio. This isn't the only dynamic at work, but has a lot to do with the sound of components changing, over time.

I agree with Buconero. You can run pink noise through the speakers for 24 hours, but if it takes more time than that, let the dealer do the work. Tell them you need a little break in time before spending your money. There's no guarantee you'll like the sound even after (getting used to it) break in time. By then, it may be too late to return them.

it depends upon the manufacturer of the product.

i have been told by two manufacturers that there is no need to break-in a component.

if it has tubes, one hour is sufficient.

there is no definitive answer.

there is an easy way to determine when a component has broken in.

listen to your stereo system. if you hear changes, break-in has not yet completed. after a while, you will notice that your stereo system sounds pretty much the same from day to day. of course there are normal variations from day to day, as a consequence of several factors.

before placing the "new" component into your stereo system, listen to your stereo system for several days in a row, to appreciate the subtle variation in sound, if there is any. then introduce the new component.

my experience is that one week of a signal is the minimum break-in period, but sometimes it is longer than that.

i was reviewing the cable and i thought it broken in. one day i was listening and i realized that i was wrong. the cable was continuing to break in and its sound changed after i had submitted the review. i believe the cable had 300 hours of a signal passing through it before i evaluated the cable.