{Poll) A consensus on Head-Fi: Does headphone break-in exist?

I'd say that it exists, but not on the scale that you hear about when most people talk about it.

I think it exists on some level. I've only bought two headphones, but both exhibited random popping and scratching noises during the first few hours of playback while later on it would never happen.

Voted yes, but it's exaggerated, hugely exaggerated.

I’ve never experienced any changes beyond the first 24 hours of run time if that and with the vast majority of phones nothing changes from the first point you plug them in onwards.

The most severe burn-in experience I ever had was with the TMA-1 that sounded completely different from first fire up and an hour later, although I suspect something more physical could have been the cause, like maybe a bit of something stuck to the driver that dislodged.

Many people confuse the process of getting used to a sound signature with burn in and post these huge detailed burn-in sagas which really just chronicle their subjective experience of finding a new sound strange through to normalising and then enjoying it.

There is also the fact that if you beleive in burn in, you will experience it. The mind works that way and is perfectly cabale of making something sound better over time if you expect it to.

There are also other factors like reduction in clamp and compressing ear pads which would make it seem like the drivers were changing over a longer period of time when the changes are actually acoustic.

One thing that is pure snake oil though is when solid state amp manufacturers tell their customers their amp needs 100 hours burn in to sound right, ensuring they either get used to its defects or expire the returns period. Anyone telling you a solid state amp needs burning in should not be trusted further than they can be thrown.

yep, no doubt about it, and eddieE is right. I don't believe anyone talking about burn in significantly changing the sound. I don't think anyone will deny that if it does exist, it will be a very small change, but for some reason people blow it way out of proportion. although I've only noticed a sound "break-in" in one headphone, it was so dramatic that I'm confident headphones can have subtle sound alterations in their drivers with use. and I don't think the existence of physical burn-in (ie depressing pads) or psychological burn in can be contested.

I'd say it most definitely exists, it is the same for the cheapest phones to high end. Different levels though. I would also say that "mental break in" is more prominant a factor, as you get used to the sound of a new pair of phones. Things to Analise straight off are things such as; how tight is the bass?, seperation with instruments? and then ask the same after burn in... A difference should be easily determined with a favorite piece of music.

I agree with LugBug1 that they exist, all just in different levels. The only reason why I'm saying this is because my Panasonic HJE900 which was absolutely awful out of the box with extreme amount of sibilance settled down after about 50 hours of use. The change was drastic. I don't think any amount of "mental burn-in" would allow me to get used to something that sounded so awful. Fortunately, the HJE900 is now one of my favourite IEMs. That's my story anyway. I've never experienced a significant amount of change with all my other IEMs, if there was any. Some people will come across it, others won't. That may be why there's a division here but I may be wrong.

I think yes, but not to a massive degree.  With my dynamic GR07 IEMs, there was some harshness that died down just a little after breaking it in for awhile...and this was breaking in overnight, without me using it, so it wasn't due to my mind getting used to it.  But it was extremely subtle, nothing massive - nothing like the "bass opening up" or the "instrument separation improving" or anything like that.  Just cuts down on the higher end harshness a little.  I can still get the same effect I had before the break-in if I turn the volume up a little too loud though.

But again, it's rather subtle.  For all I know, it really is in my mind.  But even the manufacturer of these recommends break-in for at least 100 hours.  Of course, they could be BSing as much as the next guy, but who knows.

i have witnessed no evidence that burn in exists. my shure srh840 sounds the same as it did the day i got it.

I think Tyll actually measured a Q701 and found that the sound changed after a while. Not a huge change, but still a change.

i believe in burn in, the k702's are to blame :D

I think it quite reasonable to expect that the amount of "flex" (for lack of a better way of putting it) in a driver will change with use, and that the sonic signature of a headphone can in fact change because of it.

I know some will argue that this is merely becoming accustomed to a "new" signature, but on the other hand this would imply that one simply becomes accustomed to ones new cans and loses an old baseline by which they made their initial evaluation.  Maybe...but for those of us who keep our old cans (and baseline), this doesn't fully explain it. 

the Beyer t50p is the only headphone i feel broke in that i tried. it was horrible out of the box.   everything else, its pretty obvious, my ears are adjusting. (given i dont have a ton of experience)

It's funny that the T50p comes up...I was thinking of that VERY headphone.  I'm listening to it right now, and it sounds MUCH different than it did coming out of the box.  No doubt some of that is getting used to it, finding proper placement on my head, etc..., but it absolutely sounds dramatically different now.