Burn-in myth
- Thread starter KriLi
- Start date
dstarr3
1000+ Head-Fier
All the evidence I've seen that suggests headphone burn-in is a myth consisted of actual objective measurements and scientific data. All the evidence I've seen that suggests headphone burn-in is real has been anecdotal.
Are other components in the audio chain subject to burn-in? Absolutely. Tube amps especially. But headphones, especially now that the days of paper drivers are past, are not one of those components.
Are other components in the audio chain subject to burn-in? Absolutely. Tube amps especially. But headphones, especially now that the days of paper drivers are past, are not one of those components.
Steven31
AKA SonyFan121, Audio Aficionado, Audioholic123, JVC steven, and others
Okay then , you win.
Steven31
AKA SonyFan121, Audio Aficionado, Audioholic123, JVC steven, and others
Biocellulose drivers are the best drivers for burn in. Over time the sound can change quite dramatically. I noticed it with my Denon AH-D5000,- over time the sound thinned out and became the most balanced biocellulose i've heard to date. It was a special headphone no doubt. When I have the time (and the will), I will hunt down those posts I referred to that where made by the engineer who invented the AudioQuest NightHawks - I am sure he included actually visual graphs presenting actual visual evidence of the burn in. What always amuses me with you people is that no matter how much evidence is presented to you, you are masters at coming up with an excuse. It's kinda comical.
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dstarr3
1000+ Head-Fier
I mean, it's not hard. 99% of the evidence for headphone burn-in is anecdotal rather than scientific, and thus the obvious rebuttal is simply, "You're imagining it." And we're all still waiting for compelling proof that it's not just imagination.
Steven31
AKA SonyFan121, Audio Aficionado, Audioholic123, JVC steven, and others
Oh it will come, don't you worry
I mean, i actually dont care if someone believes in burn-in or not. Everyone's thoughts are free.
It's just the fact that headphone manufacturers and retailers put this in their manuals without having scientific proof, to trick the costumers.
If i cant trust the companies (because turbo-capitalism is more important to them, then telling the truth), at least i would want some clarification in an enthusiast forum like this.
The audioquest nighthawk makers also state that the cables need burn-in aswell.
trollolol
still interested in your "visual graphs presenting actual visual evidence of the burn in."
It's just the fact that headphone manufacturers and retailers put this in their manuals without having scientific proof, to trick the costumers.
If i cant trust the companies (because turbo-capitalism is more important to them, then telling the truth), at least i would want some clarification in an enthusiast forum like this.
The audioquest nighthawk makers also state that the cables need burn-in aswell.
trollolol
still interested in your "visual graphs presenting actual visual evidence of the burn in."
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Steven31
AKA SonyFan121, Audio Aficionado, Audioholic123, JVC steven, and others
What's with the accents? TROLLOLOL 
Obviously, you do. And therefor you leave yourself vulnerable to being proven wrong.
Steven31
AKA SonyFan121, Audio Aficionado, Audioholic123, JVC steven, and others
And just for those interested,- the changes i've perceived in my TH500RP are as follows; when I started listening to the TH500RP when I bought it brand new, several weeks ago, I thought it sounded rather dull and boring. Soundstage was not all that impressive, although the headphones neutrality was very apparent and impressive. Several weeks later and the sound has opened up completely, I use it around 2-3 hours daily and am observing changes to it's sound thus every day. The soundstage and imaging is becoming more and more holographic, to the point of sounding like speakers in a room, it is no longer lifeless, dull and boring, but instead now very musical sounding, with a unique warmth and dark background. It's impressive.
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Ok, every electric components will have something that is called “parameters drift”. That means at a specific hours of operations, the original values is drifted within the designated tolerances, then it would stay there for a while, and only at the end of it life, it would started to be changing drastically again.
So, whoever is claiming that they know this and that and blah blah, but don’t even know what parameters drift is. Then they know nothing.
There are more to it, but parameters drift are some of the reasons why “burn in” is real and not a myth. If you believe it is a myth, then just hang on to it. Regarding headphones and it diaphragms, it would also be subjected to these drifts also. Especially it is a moving mechanism
So, whoever is claiming that they know this and that and blah blah, but don’t even know what parameters drift is. Then they know nothing.
There are more to it, but parameters drift are some of the reasons why “burn in” is real and not a myth. If you believe it is a myth, then just hang on to it. Regarding headphones and it diaphragms, it would also be subjected to these drifts also. Especially it is a moving mechanism
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Well, I've conducted my own testing. And I've reached the conclusion that a good bottle of Scotch affects the sound quality of my speakers, headphones, cables, and amps more than supposed burn in does. Now that's Church!!!
HipHopScribe
Headphoneus Supremus
Everything sounds better with a good Scotch
askeladden
100+ Head-Fier
Some pipes need burn in for the taste to mature a little.
DemolitionMan
Head-Fier
"While not a requirement, burning-in your headphones or earbuds will help provide an optimal listening experience. Here’s why. Each individual headphone/earbud within a pair consists of an outer shell, magnet, diaphragm and coil. These internal components make up something called a driver, which is what produces the sound that is sent into your ear canal.
These drivers (sometimes known as transducers) are the same as what you find in speakers, only smaller. Their function is to take electrical energy and transform it into kinetic energy via the cone (or dome) of the speaker they are attached to. There are two connection points: the “Surround,” which attaches the frame of the driver to the cone, and the “Spider,” which is the flexible part underneath the cone that keeps the coil centered in the magnet structure. Once those two connection points are burned-in, they loosen and allow the driver to move in and out more freely. The audio quality will likely be noticeably better once the burn-in process is complete, though the improvement is generally gradual."
FROM:
https://hub.yamaha.com/audio/a-how-to/how-to-burn-in-headphones-and-earbuds/
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"This all points to the fact that if there was an easy way to prime your headphone with sound to achieve its optimal performance, the manufacturers would probably do that in their mass production process before it ever got to the consumer. If you are getting a brand new headphone, it has probably already been optimized in every measurable way.
However, there are plenty of reputable and expert sources that claim they can absolutely hear a difference when units are burned in. For instance, fellow internet audiophile Steve Guttenberg has performed his own tests and does claim that older headphones do have a more mature relaxed sound.
Another example comes perhaps most famously from Tyll Hertsens of Innerfidelity, perhaps the most trusted individual audiophile across the internet bar none. Tyll performed an experiment where he blindly listened to two different (but identical) sets of headphones and guessed correctly in every instance which had been burned in and which had not. While the difference was clearly apparent to his incredibly perceptive ears, he also performed measurements on AKGs at different intervals of burn in time...and they were all inconclusive."
FROM: https://audio46.com/blogs/headphones/what-is-headphone-burn-in
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mmmmmmmm, believe or not, makes no difference. Only you know what you hear, and measurements of frequency response don't tell the whole story on how a headphone sounds to an organic receptor.
These drivers (sometimes known as transducers) are the same as what you find in speakers, only smaller. Their function is to take electrical energy and transform it into kinetic energy via the cone (or dome) of the speaker they are attached to. There are two connection points: the “Surround,” which attaches the frame of the driver to the cone, and the “Spider,” which is the flexible part underneath the cone that keeps the coil centered in the magnet structure. Once those two connection points are burned-in, they loosen and allow the driver to move in and out more freely. The audio quality will likely be noticeably better once the burn-in process is complete, though the improvement is generally gradual."
FROM:
https://hub.yamaha.com/audio/a-how-to/how-to-burn-in-headphones-and-earbuds/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This all points to the fact that if there was an easy way to prime your headphone with sound to achieve its optimal performance, the manufacturers would probably do that in their mass production process before it ever got to the consumer. If you are getting a brand new headphone, it has probably already been optimized in every measurable way.
However, there are plenty of reputable and expert sources that claim they can absolutely hear a difference when units are burned in. For instance, fellow internet audiophile Steve Guttenberg has performed his own tests and does claim that older headphones do have a more mature relaxed sound.
Another example comes perhaps most famously from Tyll Hertsens of Innerfidelity, perhaps the most trusted individual audiophile across the internet bar none. Tyll performed an experiment where he blindly listened to two different (but identical) sets of headphones and guessed correctly in every instance which had been burned in and which had not. While the difference was clearly apparent to his incredibly perceptive ears, he also performed measurements on AKGs at different intervals of burn in time...and they were all inconclusive."
FROM: https://audio46.com/blogs/headphones/what-is-headphone-burn-in
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mmmmmmmm, believe or not, makes no difference. Only you know what you hear, and measurements of frequency response don't tell the whole story on how a headphone sounds to an organic receptor.
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DemolitionMan
Head-Fier
More food for thought.
"Conclusion
So is it worth burning-in your headphones? Well, it depends. If you are a audiophiles, why not? If every slight change of sound quality can be picked up by your well-trained ears, then this is definitely at advantageous to you since you get improve sound quality at no cost!
Otherwise, just keep calm and carry on listening."
https://www.headphonesty.com/2016/01/why-you-should-or-should-not-burn-in-your-headphones/
"Conclusion
So is it worth burning-in your headphones? Well, it depends. If you are a audiophiles, why not? If every slight change of sound quality can be picked up by your well-trained ears, then this is definitely at advantageous to you since you get improve sound quality at no cost!
Otherwise, just keep calm and carry on listening."
https://www.headphonesty.com/2016/01/why-you-should-or-should-not-burn-in-your-headphones/
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