Dan Clark weighs in on burn-in

[Dogmatrix]

So, if i hear a difference in a burn in or a cable or whatever snake oil, it’s by mistake even if i think i fell it and think to be able to recognize most of the time the origin.

Not a mistake just probably not burn in or snake oil
Most common reason for difference I think is a simple level mismatch
Psychological factors are also very powerful

 

[jagwap]

Thanks for your usefull explication. What i still want to understand is if 2db is audible ?

2dB is very audible broadband, i.e. if it is over a significant frequency range. However if used in this context of a speaker it usually means the wobbly frequency plot that loudspeakers tend to have does not vary outside of a +-2dB limit from the reference units, with only narrow band differences, then you get a quite good correlation between units. Typical drives should achieve +-1.5dB, and really good drivers can achieve +-1dB in their passband. High end manufacturers often match the speaker pairs, but this adds considerable cost.

If he means +-2dB from flat response, this is a significant achievement. However it is near impossible to measure at low frequencies. The B&W original Nautilus is maybe the tightest I have seen without DSP assistance (all done with hand tuned analogue active crossover): +-1dB from flat over the measurable range. I heard the 1st pre-production units. Boy can those things image for a dynamic speaker. Laurence Dickie is a significant talent.

However loudspeaker burn-in is measurable, but not in any frequency response.

 

[BobG55]

It's Klippel, not Klipple.

It’s Craw, not Craw !

 

[Roland de Gilead]

so it’s finally a little bit mesurable in the scale of the human earing ?

 

[bigshot]

Clearly measurable, audible under specific circumstances, but not terribly likely in practice.

 

[Dogmatrix]

so it’s finally a little bit mesurable in the scale of the human earing ?

A trip to an audiologist, and you could map your own personal scale thresholds etc

 

[Bytor123]

Golden Earring...

 

[Dogmatrix]

 

[gregorio]

so it’s finally a little bit mesurable in the scale of the human earing ?

The tolerance between different speakers of the same model is certainly measurable and under certain circumstances 2dB would be moderately easy to hear but do you know of any examples of a 2dB difference due to burn in with speakers or cables?

G

 

[jagwap]

The tolerance between different speakers of the same model is certainly measurable and under certain circumstances 2dB would be moderately easy to hear but do you know of any examples of a 2dB difference due to burn in with speakers or cables?

G

Again, I need to repeat myself: Burn in is not affecting frequency response. It is most pronounced in the spider compliance.

 

[bigshot]

Measurable in amplitude? dynamics? timing?

 

[enz0pt]

After watching the video, it shows the difference between an audio engineer and a regular audiophile guy. Props to Lachlan, made some good questions.