[sleepyx637]

sooooo, after debating for nearly six months on whether i should spend the money, i took the plunge and ordered the e4c-n's from earphonesolutions.com i should be getting them in a couple days so im pretty excited.

does anyone think burn-in helps?

also, i asked the sales rep which he would recommend between e4's and sf5p's, and he said that he thought the sf5p's sounded better for everything, but the e4's fit more comfy... this is kinda opposite to what i've been reading.

oh well, i'll let you guys know how i like them. i'll probably be asking advice on where to get replacement tips once i find out which type gives me the best seal

 

[rodbac]

The idea of burn-in, as you might know, is a hotly debated topic, but unlike most audiphool nonsense, at least burn-in is theoretically possible.

The idea is that moving parts loosen up, seat themselves properly, or something similar, and these changes affect the sound.

I'll let you consider for yourself the tolerances a pair of IEMs are built under and how much loosening/seating/whatever the engineers at Shure build into the design and decide for yourself whether you think the sound will change.

Myself? I'm undecided*, and you'll see that opinions around here are all over the board.

*Actually, I don't care. I've never heard it, but it's theoretically possible, and I'm not changing my listening habits one way or the other, so it matters not.

 

[feh1325]

most say that iems don't burn in but instead sound better as you find a proper seal

 

[nomdeguerre]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feh1325 most say that iems don't burn in but instead sound better as you find a proper seal

Yes I think the seal's most important. Also, if they were to burn it, it'd be just the cable that'd be burning in IMO

 

[sleepyx637]

nice, now i dont have to wait before i use them

 

[cantsleep]

however, i gave them a few hrs of burn-ins, rather warm-ups...

 

[kindval]

Burning them in for at least 50 hours made a tremendous difference for the better.
Robert
Ps this had nothing to do with learning to get a good seal, because I used IEM's before . My ears are rather well trained, because I have earned a living in the high end audio business for a long time.

 

[rodbac]

As long as we're posting anecdotes, I recently spent a few weeks each with the E3C, Super.fi 5EB, and Super.fi 5Pro (and now the E5Cs), and there was absolutely NO change whatsoever in the sound in any of them after extended use.

 

[luckybaer]

some people have said that due to their architecture, burn-in is not possible with the Shure E4c.

Mine started sounding better after lots of usage, but I think that was me getting accustomed to their sound rather than anything happening to the phones.

 

[spinali]

Supposing that burn-in is theoretically possible in these IEMs (which I own, and like), I doubt that change is very noticeable with such a comparatively narrow sonic range. Maybe with a full-size set of headphones, where you can notice higher highs and lower lows, and cable break-in would be more suble yet.

 

[rodbac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinali ...and cable break-in would be more suble yet.

If you think headphone burn-in is questionable, you shouldn't even bring up cable burn-in.

And you do want to bring it up, please go the cable forum (AKA "DBT-free" zone).

 

[sxr71]

Well, with dynamic drivers even looking at the design from a theoretical perspective it is easy to see why there is a burn-in period.

With balanced armatures, it is harder to see why there might be a burn-in period. I suppose with balanced armatures it might be more of your ears and mind getting familiarized with the sound than an actual improvement in performance with use. If there is a "real" burn-in period with balanced armatures it might only be for a few hours at most.

 

[sxr71]

Well, with dynamic drivers even looking at the design from a theoretical perspective it is easy to see why there is a burn-in period.

With balanced armatures, it is harder to see why there might be a burn-in period. I suppose with balanced armatures it might be more of your ears and mind getting familiarized with the sound than an actual improvement in performance with use. If there is a "real" burn-in period with balanced armatures it might only be for a few hours at most.

You should look for large improvements by trying different sleeves and especially foamies. (and perfecting your insertion technique).

 

[milkpowder]

I thought balanced armature drivers didn't burn in. This is something I picked up on these forums, not something that I know for a fact. The effect of cable burn in is even more negligible and I can't say I fully believe in it. However, I do believe in normal dynamic headphone burn-in.

 

[sxr71]

repost