Anyone ever change their mind about a headphone overnight?

Are you experiencing burn-in?

Many others will attest to the same experience, on the surface it appears counter intuitive but it happens nonetheless:-

'Audio gear that does not blow you away in the first instance occasionally goes on to grow on you'

I had the same experience with the HD800 ~ thought it was silly for quite awhile, fast forward to about 25 hrs

or so of auditioning across a dozen or so occasions. I completely back-flipped ~ they remain the only

Sennheiser that I actually would spend my hard cash on.

Heya,

Every headphone I've listened to the first time, and years later, sounded the same as when I first heard it.

So I've never had my opinion magically change overnight.

By the way, if you sample a lot of headphones, it's funny, you don't get the burn in magic (at least I don't). Probably because it's psychological as you get used to a single headphone the more you use it, but if you change it up often, you re-experience the headphone without being used to it each time and... well, it doesn't magically change. Who would have thought!

Very best,

For me personally, not really. If there's something about a headphone I don't like it never changes....I either live with it or trade up so to speak.

As for burn in, personally I *do* believe in it....but in my brief experiment of it (same headphones mine well used my brother's not so much, same musical section repeated) the difference is so miniscule that it's not really worth mentioning - I'm talking maybe 5% difference in refinement but it's definitely there....

So those guys saying 'with burn in my headphones miraculously went from dud to awesome' I think other things may be at play. I also believe that what makes more of a difference to headphones sound than burn in are the source, dac and amp used. 

I know my Beyer sounds half a world different when I play music from my laptop compared to my PS3 and this is when amped up as well. It sounds much better going through my PS3. Talking night & day. Don't know why...just glad for it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpetrillo 

 

I have to respectfully disagree with you. I have experienced "burn-in" too many times on too many different components in my 30 something years buying high end audio to believe that. It has been very obvious many times with electronics, sources, tubes and even cables. The more resolving your system gets the more obvious burn-in can be. I will agree that not all components exhibit noticeable burn-in but many do and it is not psychological.
 

 

Prove it. Let's see some measured analysis of well broken in "burned" in headphones compared to their brand new version. Use the same headphone, from new-out-of-box measurement to 1000 hours later, well burned in, using the same headphone so no manufacturing difference is at play. Just the maturity of the phone itself. Let's see it. Any why has no business taken to the niche market of selling pre-burned-in headphones to ensure they sound their best the moment you put them on? You know, expensive ones, that only luxurious seeking audiophiles would pay for (a service, if you will). Where is all that? Why is it only mythos on the internet and at meets where people swap big-fish stories? Come on man.

And don't give me that "higher resolving system" junk either. It's the headphone, not the source.

Notice everyone also always equates burn in to be an improvement? If it's a true mechanical process, and happens, then why is there not a soul out there making threads about "My headphones burned in and changed, I don't like this new sound, what happened? Should I get a new one?" Come on man. Seriously. Come on. Hrm. This actually just gave me a great idea for a thread to make in April.

<- Obligatory, because it's the internet.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thommohawk 

 

 

I know my Beyer sounds half a world different when I play music from my laptop compared to my PS3 and this is when amped up as well. It sounds much better going through my PS3. Talking night & day. Don't know why...just glad for it!

The DAC inside your PS3 is much more competent than your laptop onboard sound chipset 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpetrillo 

 

I'm not asking you to believe me, only stating what "I" know to be true. You are free to believe what "you" know to be true. Have you personally proven that it doesn't exist?

See above post, it was edited for more information.

Also, I'm not dancing the "prove it exists" counter-argument; the floor was opened to you since you claimed it was true in your 30 years of experience, to educate us. What you hear can be explained 1,000 different ways until someone, in all the years of high end audio has existed, produces a measurable scientific means that is reproducible that shows that the magic of burn-in is a mechanical process of the headphone and not simply you or another factor.

Good day to you sir.

Very best,

Man... leave the guy alone. If people want to burn-in gears they own it doesn't hurt anybody and it doesn't cost any money, just minimal time spent setting up and cleaning up. Why ask people to spend money/time to gather data to prove themselves? It's not like you'll pay for the research...
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalVeauX 

 

<- Obligatory, because it's the internet.

 

Headphone burn-is one thing, amp particularly tube amping and DAC burn-in all create discussion.

However consider this

I once watched a chap pick up his new amplifier only to fret about the new power cord that came with it, he wanted a 'burned in' power cord.

Next thing I knew he was in the audition room busy pulling up plugs until he found one that matched his exactly ~ one that had racked up

countless hours of burn-in.

I thought that was a tad far gone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-13 

Why ask people to spend money/time to gather data to prove themselves? It's not like you'll pay for the research...
 

 

Because telling someone on these boards to buy a $1000 headphone and put it in a drawer playing pink sin waves for a month doesn't make sense.

Audio equipment enthusiast "rituals" are ridiculous.

You're right of course, I'm not willing to pay for it.

So my argument is invalid and I bow out of this thread politely to you gentlemen to discuss the wonders of burn-in magic.

Very best,