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Equipment Break-in: Fact or Fiction

Is it just me, or does anyone else believe that all of the manufacturers' and users' claims of break-in times is just an excuse to buy time for a new users' ears to "adjust" to the sound of the new piece. Not the sound of the piece actually changing. These claims of 300+ hours of break-in for something like a CD player or cable seem outrageous.

This also leaves grey area when demo-ing a new piece as to what it will eventually sound like. By the time the break-in period is over, your stuck with it.

I could see allowing electronics to warm up a few minutes when they have been off but I find these seemingly longer and longer required break-in claims ridiculous.
bundy
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
Redkiwi .. here here! Some think burn-in is in one's head. Others think it's in the equipment. Neither side appears to have presented conclusive evidence (electrical measurements, or psychoacoustical studies), so lets all be happy to differ. So long as we're all pleased with the end result.
spluta
58 posts
 
I found some pretty good info on net:

It really isnt that complicated once you understand
there are SO MANY variables. I will post more info
as i find...

http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/des_s99/electronic_
electrical/
bundy OP
127 posts
 
You ever notice that everything always sounds better after its broken in? How could this always be the case?
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drubin
3,275 posts
 
Actually, I sometimes prefer the sound of a component when I first put it in the system to after it's been in for a while. (This my be related to "change" and not to break in per se.) With cables, for example, I have had the experience of making a change and feeling it was revolutionary ("Now I see what I've been missing all this time!!!" blah blah), only to wake up the next morning to a system that sounds rather unremarkable. I think there is a huge amount of psychology going on with much of what we hear in our audiophile adventures.
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
Drubin .. sometimes changing cables can improve the connection. A connection left in place for a long time can be prone to oxidation and dirt. I have had this experience once or twice when my system has had to be moved after several years of no changes. Also cleaning terminals with contact cleaner and replacing cables can have a profound effect.
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