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k701 sound wierd at 100hr mark

post #1 of 52
1/10/12 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 

i burned my k701 for about a week already.
i dont do 24/7 burn in. i spent the first 30hrs with various types of music mostly bassy ones on listening volume.
and 70hrs with pink noise at below listening volume. 20min pink noise with 4 min silence on continuous.
my listening volume is at 60 with source(pc) and amp volume knob between 10 and 11 o clock position(m stage).
my pink noise burning session volume is at 44 on source and knob is unchanged.
during the burning process i check on my k701 every now and then. i notice strange changes during the process.
-bass dissapeared. treble became more piercing than my ad700.
-treble dissapeared and bass appeared.
-treble came back smoother along with bass.
-sound became dull.
-sound reverted back to normal with more detail and sound stage. smooth treble and tight and deep bass.
-treble dissapeared again and bass got a little weaker.
-at 100hr mark. bass returned to normal, even more detailed and soundstage. more distant sounding. instrumental separation increased. some female vocals are piercing. a bit of sibilance came back.
 cant even be called bright anymore. sounded a bit dull.

during the burn in period, is it normal for certain sonic characteristics to come and go?
is the sound at the 100hr mark its permanent sound or will it change again?
can someone with a fully burned in k701 describe me its characteristics?

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

AKG K 701 White
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
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post #2 of 52
1/11/12 at 4:04am
Thread Starter 

bump

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post #3 of 52
1/12/12 at 5:24pm

I have the K702 which is the same as K701 minus cable. I've had mine for at least 400 hours and i can tell you at some point i hated it and wanted to return them but i got lazy and kept it and boy am i glad i kept them. At this point 400+ hours, they sound really clear, bass isn't as bad as people say but i'm not a basshead to begin with, and everything else just sounds really good. Powered through a Fiio e9.

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post #4 of 52
1/12/12 at 5:25pm

And yes at some point the bass was completely lacking/gone but eventually i guess it came back =/? hah

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post #5 of 52
1/12/12 at 5:50pm
Thread Starter 

is it safe to burn them in almost constantly with pink noise?

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post #6 of 52
1/12/12 at 5:52pm

I think the changes exist only because you are looking for them. I'm not saying your crazy, but If any human looks hard enough, they will find what they are looking for, whether it be real or not.

 

I think you should just try to listen to music, without this whole burn-in business. I didn't do the whole burn-in thing, and if you ask me, The only difference I found was that the bass got deeper over time. That and I enjoyed my headphones a lot more.

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post #7 of 52
1/12/12 at 5:55pm
Thread Starter 

theres too much of a difference for it to be psychological.

Edit - and also my question: is almost constant listening volume pink noise safe for these cans?


Edited by EinZweiDrei - 1/12/12 at 5:57pm
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post #8 of 52
1/12/12 at 5:57pm

They don't really change much with time. Especially not in frequency response. If the bass and treble is changing that much, I'd check to make sure that ambient noise in your room is consistent (bass will be the first to go), that you're putting them on the same way every time (treble can change quite a bit with fit), and that you're testing with the same tracks. And, very important but often overlooked, make sure your mood is consistent! If you're in a sour mood, the sound will change, silly as that sounds.

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post #9 of 52
1/12/12 at 5:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Head Injury View Post

They don't really change much with time. Especially not in frequency response. If the bass and treble is changing that much, I'd check to make sure that ambient noise in your room is consistent (bass will be the first to go), that you're putting them on the same way every time (treble can change quite a bit with fit), and that you're testing with the same tracks. And, very important but often overlooked, make sure your mood is consistent! If you're in a sour mood, the sound will change, silly as that sounds.



i try different ways of wearing them. and my room is as silent as silence gets. i check it every 10-20 hrs.
i always check at late night around 2:00 am

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post #10 of 52
1/12/12 at 6:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EinZweiDrei View Post

i try different ways of wearing them. and my room is as silent as silence gets. i check it every 10-20 hrs.
i always check at late night around 2:00 am

 

If you're checking on different days it could very well be that you're forgetting the sound and discovering it anew each time you check. Aural memory is very, very bad.

 

Even a couple minutes is enough to make something sound completely different a second time, especially if you expect it like you seem to.

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post #11 of 52
1/12/12 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Head Injury View Post

 

If you're checking on different days it could very well be that you're forgetting the sound and discovering it anew each time you check. Aural memory is very, very bad.

 

Even a couple minutes is enough to make something sound completely different a second time, especially if you expect it like you seem to.



true.. but can other characteristics other than frequency be measured? like soundstage, separation and smoothness?

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post #12 of 52
1/12/12 at 6:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EinZweiDrei View Post

true.. but can other characteristics other than frequency be measured? like soundstage, separation and smoothness?


All three of those are heavily affected by frequency response. Separation and smoothness is also linked to the decay of notes which are on page 3 of the link and doesn't change much either. Soundstage is also tied to the placement of the drivers, on your head and in the headphone cups.

 

And besides, many of things you described (no bass, piercing treble, then reversed) are clearly frequency related, but since frequency response doesn't change much, this implies the cause isn't the result of burn-in.

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post #13 of 52
1/12/12 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Head Injury View Post


All three of those are heavily affected by frequency response. Separation and smoothness is also linked to the decay of notes which are on page 3 of the link and doesn't change much either. Soundstage is also tied to the placement of the drivers, on your head and in the headphone cups.

 

And besides, many of things you described (no bass, piercing treble, then reversed) are clearly frequency related, but since frequency response doesn't change much, this implies the cause isn't the result of burn-in.



could be current related.

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post #14 of 52
1/12/12 at 6:55pm

What would current have to do with this?

 

And why would it be variable?

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post #15 of 52
1/12/12 at 6:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Head Injury View Post

What would current have to do with this?

 

And why would it be variable?



i heard that sometimes if the current in the source or amp is unclean, unstable, ect.. it can affect sound.

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

AKG K 701 White
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
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