[TheRH]

How long does the Audeze 2C need to break in?

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

Headphones don’t break-in. The listener’s brain does
We all are coming from some type of sound signature…if and when we then experience a radically different one, we often need some time to adjust to the new presentation.
Burn-in is also a very sneaky manner in which manufacurers get their customers to listen to gear they’re not exactly fond of..because it doesn’t “perform to it’s true potential yet”…and well human beings can get used to just about anything.

 

[hakunamakaka]

burn in is real for headpones, especially with planars. there is a reason why many manufactures have burn-in station for freshly made equipment. I would say 50hrs should be surely enough

 

[Sefelt103]

The old burn-in, break-in, run-in topic. If only someone could do some experiment with 1000 new Sennheiser HD650s and one 500 hr old HD650 (indistinguishable from new). I suppose the wealthy might not be interested enough to experiment and manufacturers might already know the result. Perhaps there have been some conclusive tests. For me I know that on the only occasions I've had new or nearly new headphones I remember them being different to how they used to be. Used headphones never displayed this trait. But if I were to buy new versions (where available) I just know they'd sound identical to the used ones that were once new.

 

[hakunamakaka]

The old burn-in, break-in, run-in topic. If only someone could do some experiment with 1000 new Sennheiser HD650s and one 500 hr old HD650 (indistinguishable from new). I suppose the wealthy might not be interested enough to experiment and manufacturers might already know the result. Perhaps there have been some conclusive tests. For me I know that on the only occasions I've had new or nearly new headphones I remember them being different to how they used to be. Used headphones never displayed this trait. But if I were to buy new versions (where available) I just know they'd sound identical to the used ones that were once new.

HD650 sounded exactly the same to my ears, but you can not take a few headphone models and claim that burn in doesn’t exist. There are different technologies used for drivers and changes can actually be quite dramatic. When I bought planar PM-3 they literally had no bass, I thought I’ve got faulty unit, but dealer told me to leave it playing for few days for diaphragm to loosen up and it did wonders. Same goes for tubes/tube amplifiers/pre-amps/r2r based dac’s. When I replace tubes on my pre-amp changes can be very huge post burn in, so yes burn in is real though not for all equipment

 

[HipHopScribe]

0 hours

 

[hakunamakaka]

Abyss actually talks about burn in with their planars, but some folks will still think that they know more than manufacturers themselves

 

[Sefelt103]

HD650 sounded exactly the same to my ears, but you can not take a few headphone models and claim that burn in doesn’t exist.

I don't know if burn-in exists or doesn't exist. Because there are many complex elements involved as you say like driver updates as well as ones health, psychological inputs like costs or things ones read about the headphones. You mention the limited exposure to headphone models which could mean other types could have different traits regarding burn-in. These sorts of things are probably the drivers of all the text about burn-in and whether it exists or partially exists or not. Over on the Beyerdynanic DT 880 thread there is an interesting/related discussion:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-beyerdynamic-dt880-discussion-thread.429371/page-814

 

[hakunamakaka]

I don't know if burn-in exists or doesn't exist. Because there are many complex elements involved as you say like driver updates as well as ones health, psychological inputs like costs or things ones read about the headphones. You mention the limited exposure to headphone models which could mean other types could have different traits regarding burn-in. These sorts of things are probably the drivers of all the text about burn-in and whether it exists or partially exists or not. Over on the Beyerdynanic DT 880 thread there is an interesting/related discussion:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-beyerdynamic-dt880-discussion-thread.429371/page-814

I talk basically from my own experience. I doubt if I felt much of the change in any dynamic headphone, but with planars that's a different story. Changes are actually quite dramatic, especially in bass quantity and quality over the time

 

[KCXT]

None for the headphones, however long for your ears to adjust.

Here's a 120-hr test using the 2Cs. No detectable change from new.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/learn/break-in

 

[patatchod]

burn in is real for headpones, especially with planars. there is a reason why many manufactures have burn-in station for freshly made equipment. I would say 50hrs should be surely enough

The burn-in process at manufacturers is designed to detect possible fragile components and make them fail before the products go to the customer. Burn-in is not intended to improve the sound of a headset, especially planars or estats that do not have suspension like electrodynamics. For these headphones, burn-in is totally unnecessary.
For the electrodynamics, we can imagine that it improves the listening by softening the suspension but it is marginal.
Finally, to compare the sound of your headphones before and after a break-in period of 50 or even 100 or 120 hours, is to call upon your auditory memory which is much shorter than this break-in time, so it is not very relevant.

 

[MayaTlab]

How long does the Audeze 2C need to break in?

There is no evidence whatsoever that headphones' drivers need a break in period.

However it may occasionally happen that some headphones' pads do have a fairly significant "break in" period before settling in (if they ever do) and then progressively wear out, which can affect frequency response. I've experienced that with the Austrian Audio Hi-X65 for example : https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new-austrian-audio-hi-x65.957774/post-16564203

No idea whether or not Audeze's various pads generations and materials are affected.

Unfortunately that means that you'll have to actually wear them on your own head to "break" the pads in.

 

[hakunamakaka]

The burn-in process at manufacturers is designed to detect possible fragile components and make them fail before the products go to the customer. Burn-in is not intended to improve the sound of a headset, especially planars or estats that do not have suspension like electrodynamics. For these headphones, burn-in is totally unnecessary.
For the electrodynamics, we can imagine that it improves the listening by softening the suspension but it is marginal.
Finally, to compare the sound of your headphones before and after a break-in period of 50 or even 100 or 120 hours, is to call upon your auditory memory which is much shorter than this break-in time, so it is not very relevant.

I agree that so many hours is quite a long period, but differences in subbass presence were not marginal to think about brain burn in for my case.

Actually you could post "Do all well measured dac's sound same" and it would be two sides of the story as well. User experience differ, hearing capabilities differ, plus add bias reviews/posts on net and it will lead to hot discussions.

 

[patatchod]

I agree that so many hours is quite a long period, but differences in subbass presence were not marginal to think about brain burn in for my case.

Actually you could post "Do all well measured dac's sound same" and it would be two sides of the story as well. User experience differ, hearing capabilities differ, plus add bias reviews/posts on net and it will lead to hot discussions.

I think you should consider the very pertinent post from MayaTlab, about pads...

 

[hakunamakaka]

I think you should consider the very pertinent post from MayaTlab, about pads...

And have you watched the video that I posted from Abyss headphone manufacturers ? I can give you the timestamp if you are inpatient 1:06