Burn in question and evaluation before burn in

Generally for me they sound bright first,but some electronics I remember my Thor Audio Electronics had actually 3 different phases of burn in ...From bright to dark and then to perfect.......I would assume it could go either way..

We all experienced sound transformation before and after a new equipment or cable is burned in

Your question is excellent - I see absolutely no reason to assume that gear should be better with burn in. Why can't it get worse too? How do you know when it should finally sound good or correct?

I tend to avoid the type of gear that changes audibly. Manufacturers can design gear to be dramatically less affected by burn-in by simply designing it in such a way that it less sensitive to the things that do drift with use (capacitors, driver compliance for example).

I am wondering if there is a general rule as to which direction any burn in would be heading

Seems to me to be pretty logical that the answer would be no. Obviously it would be dependent on the type of component (amp, cd player, preamp, speaker, interconnect cable, speaker cable, etc. etc.); and on the technology used (tube, solid state, dynamic speaker, electrostatic speaker, cone driver, dome driver, ribbon driver, electrostatic membrane, etc. etc.); the specific design of the particular example of the component type and technology, etc., etc.

I agree with Shadorne's comments as well.

Regards,
-- Al

I tend to avoid the type of gear that changes audibly. Manufacturers can design gear to be dramatically less affected by burn-in by simply designing it in such a way that it less sensitive to the things that do drift with use (capacitors, driver compliance for example).

Why don't you contact me via Audiogon. I see your comments here frequently and you seem to think caps and break in are a bad thing.

I can give you the name of the designer/ manufacturer that builds ALL the current hot caps that are on the market, sold under a dozen different names.

He will tell you break in is not only real but important. YES, it effects the sound greatly and if you think you can design around this, you are missing most of the great equipment on the market today.

Right on the money Albert! And any good designer will voice his equipment with the presentation of the components AFTER stabilization in mind. Hopefully- transparency will be their goal.