[lilkoolaidman]

I've been thinking about this lately and was wondering, for example, if you were to use a treble booster on headphones, would they eventually gain treble?

I doubt it would, but has anyone ever tried/experienced this?

 

[Ynoskire]

I think it will be the other way around, if you use a treble booster, you get used to the boosted treble. When you remove the treble booster you will propably experience a lack in treble.

 

[Prog Rock Man]

If you mean somehow the headphones 'remember' that they are used to treble boost, I do not see how that could be.

 

[kmhaynes]

No, your brain tries to acclimate to a different EQ -- it tries to adjust to it as the new normal, so that over time, it seems that the bass and treble are now "just right." (Except in extreme cases, of course.)

You know how holding hands with your girlfriend gets boring after a couple of days? Similar ....

 

[BryanP]

It's called adapting to the sound

The physical properties of the drivers aren't going to suddenly change because you're boosting the dB of certain sound frequencies. However, your brain IS getting used to the sound and will adapt to believing that's adequate (if that's what you believe sounds good).

 

[plonter]

however,it may help a new headphone to settle in quicker...speed up the burn-in process. like,boosting the bass can help loosening the headphones a little . also,treble frequencies can be changed ...just like in burning process, but I am just assuming.

 

[Uncle Erik]

No, it will not change the physical properties of headphones.

Not to pick on you, but there's an awful lot of magical thinking around here. Where objects seemingly do the impossible, contradict the laws of physics, take on oddly human characteristics, and much other wackiness.

One thread that ties all of these modern-day wonders and stupefying defiance of the known laws of the universe is money. For some reason, these astounding miracles are brought to you by people who - and this might be hard to believe - want your money! And not just a nominal amount of money, they'll want $300, $400 or more for $15 of wire. Yes, that is the initiation into the great mysteries of the universe: overpaying for something no one can explain but is insisted that it changes everything. But only if you pay them a lot of money.

Don't buy into the audiophile folklore and mythology. Almost always, you'll find psychological tricks exploited for profit. It's cynical, dishonest and disgusting. Don't fall for it.

 

[tvrboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif No, it will not change the physical properties of headphones. Not to pick on you, but there's an awful lot of magical thinking around here. Where objects seemingly do the impossible, contradict the laws of physics, take on oddly human characteristics, and much other wackiness. One thread that ties all of these modern-day wonders and stupefying defiance of the known laws of the universe is money. For some reason, these astounding miracles are brought to you by people who - and this might be hard to believe - want your money! And not just a nominal amount of money, they'll want $300, $400 or more for $15 of wire. Yes, that is the initiation into the great mysteries of the universe: overpaying for something no one can explain but is insisted that it changes everything. But only if you pay them a lot of money. Don't buy into the audiophile folklore and mythology. Almost always, you'll find psychological tricks exploited for profit. It's cynical, dishonest and disgusting. Don't fall for it.

Shhh don't tell them, you will ruin it for those of us that work in marketing.

 

[Necrolic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmhaynes /img/forum/go_quote.gif You know how holding hands with your girlfriend gets boring after a couple of days? Similar ....

Ahahaha, excellent analogy my friend.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilkoolaidman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been thinking about this lately and was wondering, for example, if you were to use a treble booster on headphones, would they eventually gain treble?

No. They would increase in treble instantly.

I crack myself up sometimes.

Sorry, I'm an idiot, Uncle Eric's got it right.

 

[plonter]

uncle erik, I see that you don't believe in burn-in or any similar process at all.
like I said earlier,I also calmed down with this whole burn-in issue,but I just can't help myself from believing that when a headphone or speaker is brand new, the diaphragme (or other parts inside) can loosen up a little and by that changing the sound just a tiny bit- tighter bass etc. it just sounds logical to me. if i can recall right,I even believed in this a lot before I got into HI-FI.
but I can also agree that a headphone will not change its sound intirely.
anyway,true or not...as long as everybody is having fun it is alright.
the good thing in contrast to cables and ic's is that burn-in does not empty your wallet.

 

[kmhaynes]

Another bit of logic to prove that the OP question could not happen. Let's say every time you use your phones, you boost bass @ 64mhz by +3db and treble @ 10Khz by +3db. If the headphones "took on" those boosts, then within 10 listens or so you would completely blow the drivers, because every time you listened, if you boosted them again (because that is the EQ setting in your player), and that would be from their previous setting of 3db boost.

It would be like lifting your car 1 foot every day -- eventually you would push the car through the roof!!

 

[lilkoolaidman]

I'm not saying I would buy into this, but I was just wondering if it might be along the same principle of burn-in. It's just one of those crazy ideas you get.

 

[lilkoolaidman]

And I was also meaning that the headphones would "absorb" the EQ so you eventually wouldn't have to use the EQ.

Watching me type that^, now that I look at how dumb it sounds, forget I even asked the question.