[spinali]

I bought an ultra-cheap pair of Senn HD201 headphones for knockaround use. I started listening to some .avi files, and noticed an annoying buzz (almost a rasp) in the left ear about a third of the time. It happened around the 4k range. I was tempted to toss them.

I decided to follow my own advice, and broke in the headphones with about ten hours of alternating white and pink noise, moderate volume. This morning, I listened to the same recordings at the same volume: the buzz/rasp artifact was gone. It appears that break-in can even help out cheaper phones. Break-in won't make the audiophile, but it sure made them listenable!

 

[hawkhkg11]

It seems unlikely that your problem had to do with break-in. I've never heard of a headphone with a buzzing noise that was related to it being new or old. It was probably something in your source.

 

[spinali]

Quote:

It seems unlikely that your problem had to do with break-in. I've never heard of a headphone with a buzzing noise that was related to it being new or old. It was probably something in your source.

I'll admit the possibility...but the source remained the same.

Hypothetically, either the source, headphones or sound sample had to change. I'm using the same source at the same levels; the sound sample is identical. The headphones are the only things left.

 

[upangel180]

If you believe in burn-in, it shouldn't be some mystical thing that only happens to higher-end cans. The drivers in cheap phones would need to move around some and settle in too,wouldn't they?