Burn-in time Vs. Getting used to a sound

"Burn-in" is probably a myth devised by either manufacturers or, more likely, salesmen, to discourage customers from returning products. "The reason you don't like it now is that you haven't given it enough time to burn in. It usually takes X weeks." X, of course, being a few more weeks than the store's liberal return policy lasts. This line is not as bad as it appears, because in those X weeks you probably will get used to the sound, so you wind up a happy customer.

Again, I firmly believe that ther is electrical change that occurs in new electronics, but there are psychological principles that occur, whether or not you want them to, that can affect perception.

Sorry Jostler, What you describe has of course happened on occasion, but I assure you that burn in is not a myth. Some cables require more time than others, and that leads to many chances for dissatisfaction until things are really settled. My Harmonic Technology cables took a long time to break in, and had me worried for a while, but the change was so drastic that it could not possibly be "getting used to it". Many of the members at Audiogon are very experienced listeners and can give you the science behind both opinions, but I believe 99% will confirm burn in as a fact. Scepticism can be good, but cynicism doesn't get you very far.

Burn-in is no myth.

I would say that of the two, burn-in would have the least impact....the character of any component/device will not change "night and day" over time, although with your "golden ears" you may claim it so. To make a point, what if you were to exchange a pair of Martin Logans that you have lived with for some time for some Vandersteens....break-in would be IRRELEVANT!!!!! You would solely be getting "used to the sound" of a totally different speaker. Break-in is the cop-out often used as a way of justifying one's opinions on the sound/quality of a component/device when someone else disagrees with that opinion.....well Jagoff didn't allow proper break-in so obviously that's why Jagoff didn't like my brand of speaker cable!