[MadDog]

No doubt IE8's an excellent IEM with superb separation of sonic outputs. I found this IEM to be extremely picky of files being played. One minute I was going wow to next, what the hell?? all depending on type/genre of songs or conditions of files being played. To me IE8 responds exceptionally well with pops and jazz with multiple instruments. I found to be less than satisfactory with trance, hip-pop, classical...I cannot say IE8 handles the bass well. I am currently using Sony X1061
I have been burning IE8 since day one...phone's been running non stop for almost 30 hours but problem is I can not detect much of difference.

I have sent Sennheiser an email asking if there is indeed a burning effect which I will post here shortly if I get the official response from Sennheiser.

Do you really feel the difference after burn in or is this just another myth?

 

[raymondu999]

My IE8s really only began to show their full potential after 600/700 hours or so

 

[Zalithian]

Definitely changed a lot with burn in. I've had two pairs. Sounded like crap out of the box both times.

 

[GN85]

Yes, burn in exists with the IE8. At first, the bass was too muddy and excessive on my pair. Took a good 20 hours of burn in for the bass to tighten up. But.......

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymondu999 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My IE8s really only began to show their full potential after 600/700 hours or so

Don't take posts like this too seriously. See some people like to think that their IEMs are like an aging whine. Obviously it's not the case.

 

[raymondu999]

I'm only stating what I experienced, or I thought I experienced with the IE8s

 

[GN85]

Well it's not impossible that you experience differences after that long period of time, but how could you remember what the phones sounded like after hundreds of hours of listening? I would think that a slight difference of sound spanned over a period of 700 hours would be totally undetectable.

 

[ilney]

When I first joined the forum, the "magical number" was 200. After a while, it was 250; then 350; then 450.... now 600.

I don't mean anything, just an observation

 

[decay]

@GN85:
Simply because it's not a slight difference

Mine opened around 450hr, and now they are close to 2khr.
There's no standard amount IMO, we hear what we hear.

What you really notice after a period of time if you listen to
the same set of songs daily is some small subtle detail you
failed to notice the day before, maybe another scratch here
some more vibration there someone slightly coughed in the
background far far away, etc.

 

[raymondu999]

I agree with decay. Out of the box the IE8 sounds crap. And there was leaps and bounds for the first 450 or so hours, then the changes slowed down, but still happened. Around 600-700 the changes settled (for me)

 

[james444]

Definitely, after 17.4 minutes of burn-in with turquoise noise they really opened up!

Seriously, I bought the IE8 in Nov. 08 and they have not changed significantly since. Still this big mid/upper bass hump every time I switch from another phone to these. Of course, after some listening the ear adapts. Don't get me wrong, I *love* them, just don't think they've been changing much.

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadDog /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you really feel the difference after burn in or is this just another myth?

I think burn-in is a myth, period. Doubly so when it's got no moving parts. If it were, how come the overwhelming majority always prefer the way a piece of kit sounds later, if it changes so noticeably from day 1?

None of my equipment has changed from the day I've had it. I got a DACmagic on loan for a few weeks, that was well used, and then bought my own new, and it sounded the same.

The only 'change' I've heard is with my IEM's which were, to me, dark and quite bassy intially, but now I don't notice these things that were more prominent; my perception and listening filtered certain things. People who I've let listen to them recently (icky, but they're family) always say "Oo, deep, bassy..."

I'll duck now, as the rotten fruit flies...

 

[Pepito]

I've noticed a huge difference after 200 hours. Mine have about 500 and like decay says, I do notice subtle details that I missed before.

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

I agree with those who disbelieve in "burn in".

There is no evidence that burn in occurs beyond a few seconds. There is, however, a great deal of evidence that people adapt to sound quality. If given enough time any reasonable responce curve will eventually sound "right". What has changed, however, is not the curve, but the person.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing /img/forum/go_quote.gif Doubly so when it's got no moving parts.

I don't know whether IE8 will burn-in or not, but its transducer's diaphragms are moving part

 

[decay]

We hear what we hear