[Katun]

So I was wondering...
 
If you bought a new pair of headphones that needed a couple hundred hours of burn in, how would you burn in it? Would you hook it up to your music and put a specific song on repeat, or would you put your whole music collection (referring to MP3) on shuffle mode? The reason I ask, is I'm wondering if headphones need a variety of songs with different dynamics and instruments to burn in properly, as opposed to a single song over and over again. On the flip-side, with only one song on repeat, you can pre-determine the volume right away, so you don't have any 'surprise shuffled songs' that blast out your headphone's drivers.
 
Any thoughts?

 

[beeman458]

If you bought a new pair of headphones that needed a couple hundred hours of burn in, how would you burn in it?
 
It's not very romantic, but I stick em on my head and let them play.
 

 

[Mr Joboto]

A microwave.
 
I just don't burn-in 

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

If you bought a new pair of headphones that needed a couple hundred hours of burn in, how would you burn in it?
 
It's not very romantic, but I stick em on my head and let them play.
 

We have a winner!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Don't bother. I've never burned in anything and it's never made a difference. Spend your time listening instead.

 

[dahan]

I use d2 and play pink noise repeatly.

 

[Technicolour]

I asked the same question: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/502404/burn-in
 
Best burn in I have found so far is simply listening to them and enjoying the change.
 
Many people claim there is no change at all.

 

[Bilavideo]

 

If you bought a new pair of headphones that needed a couple hundred hours of burn in, how would you burn in it?
 
It's not very romantic, but I stick em on my head and let them play.
 

Dat's a bingo!

 

[wind016]

Just playing pink noise, heavy drum, and silence files at medium/semi-loud listening volume overnight will be fine w/ files spread evenly or shuffled doesn't matter.

 

[NapalmK]

I use whale song. I find it really brings out the tonality of the headphone. 

 

[Solude]

I use my PC as a transport so when I'm not at it, I just put my library on random, crank it to 11 and go do what I need to.  Absolutely listen to them when you want though, its not like they'll implode if listened to before burn in.  I also stretch them on my PC itself a few times overnight to loosen the headband grip and pad stiffness in a gentle even manner.  Just remember to stop once you get the balance of grip and comfort right  I find 100 hours, 4 days, to be plenty of forced burn in.

 

[logwed]

On my head, listening to my favorite music. I'm pretty sure that burn-in is 99% psychological, so just strap them on and listen to the music.

 

[Solude]

If most of the burn in is on your head then yes it you building a contour for them.  If its on the table... its the can not your contour changing.  That said the changes that occur during burn in are subtle except for bass behavior which typically loosens though that isn't always  a positive change.

 

[Katun]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Just getting a bit more information before I make this purchase.
 
I've been thinking of getting the K701, and know they need a couple hundred hours of burn in to sound their best (I've heard 300hrs). Some users don't even listen to them out of the box, and just go right to burning them in before they even stick them on their head. Others, said they sounded very shrill out of the box, but with burn in, they changed to a whole different headphone.
 
Just wondering, because 300hrs of music to make them sound their best would take a very long time listen to while they are on your head.

 

[roob]

Quote:

Just wondering, because 300hrs of music to make them sound their best would take a very long time listen to while they are on your head.

If you don't like them while not "burned in" there's a big chance you won't like them after those 300 hours aswell

I'm neutral in the burn-in question, but, who remembers how they sounded the first 100 hours after reaching the 300 mark?
You'll probably need to compare them with a new pair and I don't believe a lot of people ever get that chance or go that far.

Listen and enjoy