[tommarra]

Well I received the Beyer T1s and it turns out that the sound is not spectacular. *Bummer*
 
Now obviously its due to lack of "Burn In". 
 
How many hours should I expect to put on them to make them sound better. I find the Bass a bit lacking and the overall sound is muddled! 
 
Also the clamping force on my ears is excessive. I come from the Grado fandom which were really light headphones and GS1000 were supremely comfortable to me. I find the Clamping force on the T1s a bit too much is there any way of reducing it?
 
P.S. I tried a forum search on this topic but didnt turn up with anything specific on the topic.

 

[Beagle]

About 500 hours of pink noise should get them ready for use. The clamping effect will go away as you use them. You can always flex them a bit.

 

[gopack87]

How do you guys do burn in? Do you just leave your amp on for several weeks straight? There are no risks of damaging the drivers of the headphone or overheating the amp/dac? I know not everyone believes in burn in but I plan on getting a pair of T1's shortly and want them to sound their absolute best

 

[MacedonianHero]

I just plug them into my PC directly and let them run. No amp or dac...I don't really care about sound quality, just getting the drivers to move continuously.

 

[tommarra]

500 hours..wow thats a lot of burn in! I will leave them plugged in to the Computer day and night then.
 
About the clamping effect can I bend the headband like the Grados?
 
@gopack87: I think people (including me) are skeptical about cable burn in...however almost everyone agrees about the headphone burn in...may be priming or idling might be a better word. Just like new cars which should not be started at full throttle because all moving parts are not primed. Mechanical parts just need to be used a little bit to make them function at peak performance.

 

[MacedonianHero]

I would just simply wear them and enjoy them and let them conform to your head.
 
I've got a pretty big melon and find them very comfortable with "light" clamping force, but then again, this is coming from a former HD650 owner.

 

[Shahrose]

500 hours is ridiculous. 100 hours will be more than sufficient with pink-noise. Just leave them running overnight and listen to them when you're awake.

 

[tommarra]

I will use this post to update the changes in sound as the cans get used:
 
@ 6 hours: Already the sound is more defined. There is definitely more clarity and Bass is punching a bit more. (Take this with a grain of salt because it might very well be me getting used to the sound signature)

 

[MarkJnK]

Mine started to sound better after 50 hrs, but I also thought they sounded pretty darn good right out of the box.  I burn mine in by leaving them in the steel box they came with and plugging them into my surround sound receiver tuned to my favorite FM station, very moderate volume.  I would leave them like this each night.  Do this for a week and you are already at 50+ hrs.
 
I think that you are just noticing the T1's lack of colour that you have become used to with the GS1000 (which I also have).  Initially, anything else sounds flat and muddled after listening to GS1000's.  You will need to let your brain and ears adjust to the new sound, and once you do, you will appreciate just how smooth and accurate the T1 is, while still offering up all the details that the GS100 does, just not overly aggressive like the highs and bass of the GS1000.  I'm not bashing the GS1000, I still have mine and sold the T1, they are great cans, but VERY different from the T1. 
 

 

[tommarra]

@MarkJnk: Agree, GS1000 are probably the most "fun" headphones available. Everything sounds so good through them. Of course they are not the most neutral (but heck they are Grados so what else does one expect). But as I listen to T1 they are such a comfortable listen. At the time of writing I have been wearing them for 6 hours with no fatigue from sound. They are also very heavy as compared to wooded Grados.

 

[MarkJnK]

Quote:

@MarkJnk: Agree, GS1000 are probably the most "fun" headphones available. Everything sounds so good through them. Of course they are not the most neutral (but heck they are Grados so what else does one expect). But as I listen to T1 they are such a comfortable listen. At the time of writing I have been wearing them for 6 hours with no fatigue from sound. They are also very heavy as compared to wooded Grados.

Comfortable sound is a great way to describe the T1.  They just sound "right" and everything sounds good through them.  I have DT990/600's and I just flexed the headband open a little to get the fit just right.  I can't see why the same couldn't be done with the T1... but proceed at your own risk
 

 

[SleepyOne]

Around 500 hours with normal music. There seems to be lots of changes over the period, including quite late into burn in - I was a bit surprised by that. The clamping force does reduce over time - it could be the headband or it could be just the cushion getting softer, no idea.

 

[iponderous]

I wager a few hours of brain burn-in will render the need for 500 hours of headphone burn-in redundant.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I wager a few hours of brain burn-in will render the need for 500 hours of headphone burn-in redundant.

Absolutely!

 

[Skylab]

100 hours should be plenty of burn in.  But just a word of advise - you don't want a headphone to sound "spectacular" right away.  Really good headphones are balanced and nuanced - the idea is not that they will immediately impress with their blazing treble and their bombastic bass.  Burn them in, and then take the time to listen to a whole bunch of music you know really well.  Only then will you really be able to assess what they offer.  They may not be what you are looking for - but don't expect instant fireworks - headphones that provide that are very often very colored, and get fatiguing over the long run.  The beauty of the T1 is the naturalness of the presentation.