[spinali]

I'm sorry in advance for dredging such a tiresome subject, but I'm intrigued. (If you're weary of it, there are other, more interesting topics.)

Some listeners claim to have heard "break-in" (or sound changes) with their new headphones - especially ones with 40+mm diaphragms. Others have not.

Has anyone noticed break-in effects with second-hand phones? Or does the sound remain relatively stable?

 

[TheMarchingMule]

I don't see the point of this thread.

It just all depends on how many hours the 'phones had with their previous owner, and that's what you started with.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Wouldn't it depend on how long the first owner listened to them?

 

[Nocturnal310]

Your signature answers your question?

 

[Drosera]

Well, it does support the hypothesis that break-in is at least partly a psychological process. You might break in the phones, but the phones perform there own little breaking in on you as well.

Or, in other words, when you get a new pair of phones, some of the breaking-in might actually be the process of you learning to listen to these particular phones.

(Now I will close this can of worms. If anyone opens it again it's not my responsibility.

)

 

[John E Woven]

break in is partially for real and partially in your head.

So you will get accustomed to the sound, regardless of if the drivers really need more time to stretch out and such

 

[spinali]

Thanks for your feedback so far, but that's not quite the question. I'm presuming the phones have been used for at least several hundred hours.

Could you describe your personal experience of older headphones "breaking in?". Have they noticed the correction of sonic faults/extension of range, etc? How, and to what degree (if at all)?

 

[Golden Monkey]

To quote your own FAQ:
"Break-in of vintage headphones. A few owners of vintage phones - which had left in a closet and unused for years - were surprised at their inferior sound, noting annoying sonic flaws. However, after breaking them in again, the headphones regained their expected sound quality. Presumably, over time, the metal diaphragms tightened; over a few hours of break-in, the diaphragms regained their original flexibility, improving the sound."

 

[ericj]

electrostatic headphones that haven't been used for a very long time often require several hours of warmup time before they start to work properly.

this is why it's nearly impossible to tell from an auction description sometimes whether they work or not. Even if the seller says they don't work, or don't work well, they might just need to sit connected to the bias supply for a few days.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericj /img/forum/go_quote.gif electrostatic headphones that haven't been used for a very long time often require several hours of warmup time before they start to work properly. this is why it's nearly impossible to tell from an auction description sometimes whether they work or not. Even if the seller says they don't work, or don't work well, they might just need to sit connected to the bias supply for a few days.

x2. I bought a pair of Magnavox 1A9217 Stax SR-3 clones. They were completely dead. After about 5 hours they sounded fine. After disassembling them to take comparative pictures with another stat, I didn't plug them in for about 2 months. A couple of days ago, I plugged them back in and there was very little sound. After an hour they were fine and continued to improve for another 1/2 hour.

I've bought 2 NOS dynamic headphones, a MB Quart QP85 from the 90s and an AT-714 from the 70s. Both came in still sealed boxes. Neither required a minute of break in. I'm not sure what the driver size is, but holding the QP85 up to the light, it's pretty good size.

The only other headphone I've owned that may have needed break in was one I had before joining head-fi. The sound didn't change, it just seemed easier to drive after a month of so. It easily could have been my ears getting used to them as well.