[oqvist]

Is this a myth or not? How long does it to break in various type of capacitators? What changes could you generally expect from a larger DAC or amp? Bigger capacitators longer break in???

Any truth in capacitators that need up to 400h of music?

 

[DanielCox]

No, not really.

 

[KingStyles]

There has already been a few threads on this. Start with this one.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f133/c...capacitor+burn

 

[oqvist]

Thanks. Is there anything else in a DAC that supposedly can alter the sound signature?

 

[Shark_Jump]

I heard on the grapevine that the placebo paste under the decoding chip is a big one.

I was told it takes around 30days to break in, and sure enough it did sound better afterwards.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Capacitors form up in under a second. Anything else is psychological, or possibly deterioration of the capacitor.

 

[BIG POPPA]

The Blackgates in my Woo took like 3 months of normal listening to settle in. In the beginning the sound would change like almost everyday. The Blackgates in my Portaphile took like a month. I have a few things with Blackgates so I think I am used to the process.

 

[mattkosem]

I'm definitely a believer in capacitor break-in. I recently did a slightly more scientific test when I passive modded my DAC-AH, but the changes are audible as well. The attached pics show the difference shown by RMAA when checking the frequency response and THD at (roughly) 1, 75, and 150 hours of playing time. There was a huge difference in frequency response between brand new and 75 hours, but little to none between 75 and 150. THD was .106 at 1 hour, .105 at 75 hours and is now .099 at 150 hours. I still need to work on the high frequency roll-off, but I'm getting there.

--Matt

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

The Blackgates in my Woo took like 3 months of normal listening to settle in. In the beginning the sound would change like almost everyday. The Blackgates in my Portaphile took like a month. I have a few things with Blackgates so I think I am used to the process.

If you are talking of a tube amp, IMVPHO it is more likely that you were hearing the changes introduced by the tubes, and not the caps...in mainly all tube amps sound changes due to the "deterioration" of tubes, and that is perfectly normal...
As many had stated the more you use a cap, the worst it will behave, and the less it will last...electronic components in general (with maybe a few exceptions, that I'm not aware of yet) tends to deteriorate overtime with the use, nor the other way around...

But hey what do I know? And after hearing of burning in in switches, jacks, wires, rubber legs, fuses, etc...caps will not surprise me...What is curious is that nobody talks of the burn in the circuit board traces...curious eh?

 

[Iniamyen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattkosem /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm definitely a believer in capacitor break-in. I recently did a slightly more scientific test when I passive modded my DAC-AH, but the changes are audible as well. The attached pics show the difference shown by RMAA when checking the frequency response and THD at (roughly) 1, 75, and 150 hours of playing time. There was a huge difference in frequency response between brand new and 75 hours, but little to none between 75 and 150. THD was .106 at 1 hour, .105 at 75 hours and is now .099 at 150 hours. I still need to work on the high frequency roll-off, but I'm getting there. --Matt

If this is real data as you describe, I'm impressed

Nice to see a scientific approach in the sound science forum.

 

[mattkosem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iniamyen /img/forum/go_quote.gif If this is real data as you describe, I'm impressed Nice to see a scientific approach in the sound science forum.

Indeed it is, and the DAC had over 100 hours on it when the caps were installed so these results should be isolated from any other unrelated issues.

--Matt

 

[Budgie]

To me, this is believable, but somewhat distressing that it takes that long.

Maybe I should start a capacitor burn in service. Send me your caps and I send them back professionally burned in and better behaved. Save yourself from listening to the ugly sounds of burn in time! Send them to Budgie's Capacitor Behavioral Training Camp!!

 

[oqvist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif As many had stated the more you use a cap, the worst it will behave, and the less it will last...electronic components in general (with maybe a few exceptions, that I'm not aware of yet) tends to deteriorate overtime with the use, nor the other way around... But hey what do I know? And after hearing of burning in in switches, jacks, wires, rubber legs, fuses, etc...caps will not surprise me...What is curious is that nobody talks of the burn in the circuit board traces...curious eh?

Oh so you shorten your gears life span by using them. Who would have guessed

.

But anyway would the capacitators burn down the fastest in the beginning and thus you would be more inclined to hear an ev chain early in the process? If so it would make sense to optimize the DAC or amp for when it´s stabilized?. Even though I have no doubt the brain adaptation is the big villain. Often a change of any kind is taken as a positive since if you hear the same sound over and over it gets old when you know whats coming.

I was on mediamarkt today and for my first time ever listened to some bose aroudn the ear and AKG K530. Some others but those I really enjoyed for fun easy listening. It was a relief listening to them after my ED 8 which has been in service 10h a day the past three days. It was surely no certification I did the right thing going with the ED 8 so would perhaps not recommend it. Though I am sure if I would have been using the Bose and such all the time and then listen to the ED 8 I would be blown away like nuts... I mean they did a great first impression in term of musicality and is still going strong coming from my home systems.

A bit off topic but related somehow I suppose