I hope break in is true

Capt: It's not that the disc is "too powerful" for any specific speaker or system, it's that it contains a high quantity of both very high and very low frequency information. So long as you keep the volume down, you shouldn't have any problems. Just don't forget about the first 5 seconds of silence on the disc before it starts with a 5 Hz tone. Cranking up the volume because you're a couple of seconds into the disc and don't hear anything can be fatal to a vented woofer. Sealed designs have built in protection when it comes to this as they have "built in" damping, which reduces the potential for over-excursion to take place.

If the woofer starts flapping like mad, which it will at very low frequencies, simply back the volume down. Having said that, the whole idea is to exercise the suspension of the drivers, so the more movement that you can get them to make in a safe manner, the quicker the break-in will be. Sean
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Disregard my last post. On reflection, I realized all you have to do is keep the volume at an appropriately lower volume. Sheesh!

I`ll now go bang my head against a wall. I`ll relate to all how many head bangs it takes for brain break-in. :)

Sean...we must have posted at the same time. Yup, got it. Thanks for your input.

In fact, I`ve learned a few things from your posts the past few months.

My system had sounded great, then my DAC had to be repaired. It was also upgraded and cryoed, and when it was first played last night after being gone for a while, there was just a hint of harshness which I hadn't heard before. You know, that "just out of the box" sound. I got the Purist disc and ran it at a relatively high volume on repeat for several hours while away. Well, you guys are dead spot on. The magic has returned, and it may be even better than ever, but I'll reserve judgement on that last point. As Sean said,

"Everything simply sounds more relaxed, more natural and less "forced". That is, the system, and the presentation, sound more at ease making music."

In addition to the warmth and musicality, I think there also may be better detail and soundstaging. Midbass punch seems to have returned in spades as well.

Thanks again for the information and help. Very effective.

Md: While i'm not familiar with the Purist, i have to believe that it is quite suitable for what you're doing. As such, i would recommend letting that disc play on repeat for as long as possible, even if you have very little to no volume going through the speakers. Doing this when you go to bed, leave for work, which allows you to listen to music when you are home, are easy alternatives.

In my experience, some units sound quite good after 3 days of continuous use whereas others take 2 weeks or more. If you like what you're hearing now, it should only sound "better" with more extended use. Obviously, playing music also gets the job done, but due to the reduced bandwidth and lack of intensity of signal, it can be a much slower and more gradual process. This assumes that the Purist disc is similar in content to the Ayre, which is what i'm basing my comments on. Sean
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PS... If you're worried about wear and tear on your transport, hook up an old cd or dvd player to your DAC and use that for a while. Leave your transport fired up though, as this will maintain thermal integrity until you begin to use it again. Otherwise, it may take another day or two of normal use for your original transport to settle back in. This not only continues to give your system a work-out without tearing up the electro-mechanical aspects of your favourite transport, but also provides you with a chance to compare the audible differences between the two transports.