Equipment Break-in: Fact or Fiction

Now you've ticked me off, Redkiwi. How can you say it's insulting to call someone a freak? I'm still a freak and proud of it.

I found your observation about those who believe speakers make the most difference also being people who disbelieve in the burn in phenomonenon interesting. Probably accurate. I certainly think speakers make the most difference, and I have never noticed any change over time in any electronic component. Tubes, phono cartridges, speakers, sure.

In reply to Bundy's original question above, I agree. I've always thought the retailer's advice that a customer has to give a new component a chance to burn in is the best evidence that electronic things sound different from each other. Otherwise, there would be no reason to have the customer get used to the new sound.

Nice to see you back Red.

Thanks Paul - I was definitely reaching with that 'freak' comment, I forgot there were so many of you good guy freaks out there, till I came back to Audiogon, even if you cannot hear the sound change with new components. I secretly envy you - I hate the burn in period.

REDKIWI,

This is what i missinterpreted(see paragraph below)

The alternative explanation is that some people have brains that immediately decode the distortions in a new system and others are handicapped in this ability and take 300 hours. Being biased I don't like the thought of being handicapped in the brain department, so you can guess which one I prefer.
- The 300 hours burn in is the most persuasive point for me. How come the burn in appears to occur whether we listen to it while it is burning in or not. The alternative explanation is... we are deluded by our prevailing belief in burn in, or I guess we are just lying to prove our point. I can imagine how you could make that assumption. But you can imagine why I don't.

/

As far as i know i am the only retarded idiot (on this thread) that claimed to have heard differences till 300hrs. And was lying to make his case.
I APOLOGIZE...I misread that 100%... I read that as coming
right at me.

I certainly dont mean to crash the party. I am here because i love music/equipment not TDR'S or scopes. I had no idea you guys are so biased against Engineers. Just remember we are the ones who design this overpriced gear. Your welcome.

Again I apologize.

I am gonna switch to de-caff tommorow...

That's totally cool Spluta, and pleased to make your acquaintance. There is no bias against engineers that I can see, just a bias against those with closed minds that always assume posts here that don't match their knowledge must be the ravings of deluded fools.

I am surrounded by hundreds of engineers at work and I can see why the issues arise. While there are fantastically clever and interesting engineers in the team, most are worker-bees by comparison (not their fault, just dipped out in the gene pool) who are trained to work within engineering rules that have been established by others - nothing wrong with this, just good practise. But the years of not questioning their boundaries seem to me to take them far from being experimental scientists and they get evry rigid in their thinking. Now I am not saying you are like this. When I read your posts I can that is unlikely. But we do get one or two here who like to pounce on someone who is honestly expressing their experiences and beliefs and demand scientific proof or a retraction and a thousand hail Marys.

That's totally cool Spluta, and pleased to make your acquaintance. There is no bias against engineers that I can see, just a bias against those with closed minds that always assume posts here that don't match their knowledge must be the ravings of deluded fools.

I am surrounded by hundreds of engineers at work and I can see why the issues arise. While there are fantastically clever and interesting engineers in the team, most are worker-bees by comparison (not their fault, just dipped out in the gene pool) who are trained to work within engineering rules that have been established by others - nothing wrong with this, just good practise. But the years of not questioning their boundaries seem to me to take some of them them far from being experimental scientists and they get very rigid in their thinking - only some.

Now I am not saying you are like this. When I read your posts I can see that is not so. But we do get one or two here who like to pounce on someone who is honestly expressing their experiences and beliefs and demand scientific proof or a retraction and a thousand hail Marys. Their justification for taking a 'holier than thou' attitude is often a statement about how they are engineers and our poor dumb fools should just listen up - hence the occasional cringe factor.

Now being mainly an economist, I can understand the sentiment. Boy do you hear some really dumb theories from 'bush' economists. But it is simply rude, arrogant and self-defeating to say - your opinion does not count, because I am the economist and you are not, and I say you are wrong.