inarc
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2009
- Posts
- 136
- Likes
- 11
Just wanted an appreciation thread, first of all for those who suggested I try out the ATH M50, and second of all to everyone (which is practically everyone) who advised anyone to burn in their headphones. Whether you believe burning in really reaps audible results, or you think that the process is simply the user getting use to the sound signature, giving the extra bit of time before judging cans has really changed my mind about the M50s.
I also wanted to offer a couple resources that I didn't see widely offered to other people who (in the past) had asked about burning in. I personally don't know if playing white/pink/brown noise is any different from cranking your normal playlists or not, but I used a combination of all three, mainly relying on pink noise (if anyone cares). What I used:
Edifier Speaker Tool (program, set pink noise to play 1 - 6hrs max)
Burn-in Wave (several .wav files you can loop, including white/pink noise, and several frequency sweeps)
SimplyNoise (online noise generator, plays white, pink, and brown noise w/ optional oscillation)
As for my personal revelations, I will say that my initial impressions were underwhelming. Not that I could expect too much, having only my laptop as a source (for the time being). I set up some .FLAC's, and listened away--first to music I had heard before, then to music I hadn't, hoping that the lack of pre-conceived bias might help me differentiate any noticeable differences with the burn in. And yes, my first thoughts--right out of the box--were that the M50's were hardly better than my Skullcandy's (harsh, I know), just with better isolation. I listened for about an hour before setting the first playlist loop to burn them in. I went to bed not disappointed, but not rejoicing over my new cans either.
Granted, since I am a newb to the audiophile world, I wasn't expecting to even pick up on any fine details with the sound, and may just as well be furthering an illusion that I heard any change at all. But let's just pretend for a moment that I'm not completely ignorant when it comes to audial appreciation. After a night's rest, and 10 hours of burn in (medium-low volume), I listened to a song by Dabears (dubstep) and another by Ratatat (electronica); one I was very familiar with, being accustomed to hearing it off a decent speaker system, and the other I had only heard once the night before. Both seemed relatively unchanged, but I did notice the bass going deeper than I remember.
After 45hrs, and alternating between pink/white/brown noises (and the occasional personal playlist), I listened to the 'test' songs again, and I am already a believer in burn-in. Perhaps I am just getting accustomed to the M50's, or maybe their solo jam session really did open them up. But I will say that my opinions have changed dramatically. I'm very fond of the M50's already, and while I don't expect a drastic change with more burn in, I expect I shall only like them more with each listen.
So in summary, I just wanted to thank this community for helping me with my decision!
In turn, feel free to express you own stories/opinions about burn in, or changing opinions about a specific headset in general.
I also wanted to offer a couple resources that I didn't see widely offered to other people who (in the past) had asked about burning in. I personally don't know if playing white/pink/brown noise is any different from cranking your normal playlists or not, but I used a combination of all three, mainly relying on pink noise (if anyone cares). What I used:
Edifier Speaker Tool (program, set pink noise to play 1 - 6hrs max)
Burn-in Wave (several .wav files you can loop, including white/pink noise, and several frequency sweeps)
SimplyNoise (online noise generator, plays white, pink, and brown noise w/ optional oscillation)
As for my personal revelations, I will say that my initial impressions were underwhelming. Not that I could expect too much, having only my laptop as a source (for the time being). I set up some .FLAC's, and listened away--first to music I had heard before, then to music I hadn't, hoping that the lack of pre-conceived bias might help me differentiate any noticeable differences with the burn in. And yes, my first thoughts--right out of the box--were that the M50's were hardly better than my Skullcandy's (harsh, I know), just with better isolation. I listened for about an hour before setting the first playlist loop to burn them in. I went to bed not disappointed, but not rejoicing over my new cans either.
Granted, since I am a newb to the audiophile world, I wasn't expecting to even pick up on any fine details with the sound, and may just as well be furthering an illusion that I heard any change at all. But let's just pretend for a moment that I'm not completely ignorant when it comes to audial appreciation. After a night's rest, and 10 hours of burn in (medium-low volume), I listened to a song by Dabears (dubstep) and another by Ratatat (electronica); one I was very familiar with, being accustomed to hearing it off a decent speaker system, and the other I had only heard once the night before. Both seemed relatively unchanged, but I did notice the bass going deeper than I remember.
After 45hrs, and alternating between pink/white/brown noises (and the occasional personal playlist), I listened to the 'test' songs again, and I am already a believer in burn-in. Perhaps I am just getting accustomed to the M50's, or maybe their solo jam session really did open them up. But I will say that my opinions have changed dramatically. I'm very fond of the M50's already, and while I don't expect a drastic change with more burn in, I expect I shall only like them more with each listen.
So in summary, I just wanted to thank this community for helping me with my decision!
In turn, feel free to express you own stories/opinions about burn in, or changing opinions about a specific headset in general.
