"Burn in" Are you serious?

Bravo, Redkiwi. Jostler, If a stereo system sounds fuller (more bass) after breaking in a cable you say I have no way of knowing if there truly is more bass or if I am imagining it, I don't think so. I will not debate the obvious. If my toe hurts more today than yesterday, I know I am not imagining it, and if my stereo system has a different sound with the same source at the same volume, I am not imagining that either. I am not talking about subleties that only a seasoned pro can discern, I am talking about obvious differences that can be percieved by almost any person.

Redkiwi, I feel your pain, and hope I have not contributed to it. As to the relative nature of my perceptions of my equipment when new as compared to a period following electron streaming, I can forcefully and authoritatively enjoin the "burn in" camp, I think. Of course, since the entire universe is simply a concept within the confines of my own consciousness, and you all are but figments of my imagination, I can only say "bravo" to myself for creating such interesting characters to entertain and cajole. Hurry, before I wake up, and send me to Circuit City.

Craig, et al.: Anyone who's convinced that he has developed his hearing beyond that of mere mortals is not going to be convinced by an appeal to scientific evidence. But anyone who maintains an open mind on the subject should get himself down to his local college library, find an introductory text in psychoacoustics, and start reading. You'll soon understand why some of us treat claims of burn-in with such skepticism.

Jostler3, I think many of these posters do not need to read about psychacoustics, they know what they are hearing. I like to think that my mind is open and what I hear is what I hear. I sometimes wish this was not true as burn-in would not be so painful. In many of the manuals of my equipment, the manufacturer will mention the burn-in process. How do you explain the post that Perfectimage left. Was he hearing things. I think it is simple to find out for yourself, Quit reading and start listening. I can't believe anyone who has been doing audio has not experienced burn-in. I hate to think that I have been fooling myself for all these years.

Brulee: There is no physical explanation for why most categories of audio equipment would behave in the manner you and others describe. (Though there is a lot of pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo about "protons and electrons aligning" and such.) But there is a very simple psychological explanation for why you might think burn-in was happening even if it weren't. It's called "expectation bias." Now, that explanation might not be correct, but at least I have an explanation. You don't.