[Doug2507]

This threads a great read, nice to see a mature and interesting conversation about burn in for once and not a black and white argument!

I'm just away to hit the ripe young age of 42, been into hifi since my early teens. Most gear I bought used but on the odd occasion I bought new, burn in was always top of my list. Why? Speakers I fully believe need burn in, that's not from a smoke and daggers perspective but from reading up on it and coming to a personal conclusion that the evidence / support for doing so is completely logical.

On the other hand, amps (SS, not tubes) I've always tipped my hat to for burn in as well but for a different reason. I'm not 100% convinced burn in makes a difference but if I've just spent x amount of hard earned cash and running the amp in for x amount of hours is meant to make it sound better, too damn right I'm going to do it. Its costs me nothing, I won't loose anything (running past x amount of hrs will happen anyway) and I'll have piece of mind that I've done everything to get my hard earned new amp sounding as best as it can.

Placebo? Maybe. Bias is a hard thing to rule out. I'd love to read a paper on someone that's run an amp in for 200hrs, stripped it of all components and measured them against unused components on an atomic level.

Anyway, interesting to read where burn in started with regard to amps. It does make you ponder if burn in makes any difference on most of today's machines which are more SMB biased (DAP being a prime example!). I'll keep on doing it personally, running something on loop for a few days really doesn't bother me. Speaking of which, i'm away off to burn in that fancy braided usb cable I bought the other day.... I did my new mouse last night and could swear this morning I can click and scroll faster...

Edit: I've brought no scientific evidence or DBT results to this thread through this post but thought I'd risk my feet getting burnt to show some appreciation.

 

[bigshot]

I’ve got a thermometer to measure it!

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

Look at the sig files of people on this forum and see the stables of headphones they list. There is absolutely no reason someone needs 20 or 30 sets of cans except for just plain old American consumerism. Look at the sidebars and banners in this site. They are designed to put across not just information about the sound fidelity of the product, but how the product makes you feel. Luxurious wood just has to sound better than plastic, right? That intricately wound cable must sound better too. That satiny black background. The fancy typefaces that appear so futuristic. None of this has anything to do with sound, but it is a huge part of how people choose what to buy. I think you might be underestimating what is actually driving the market for audio components. And I think you might be underestimating the power of after-the-fact self validation in convincing one that they have made the right decision.

Of course the thing that puts the lie to all the psychology, ego gratification. slathered on glittering generalities, technical misconceptions and manufactured bias is the simplest thing of all... a level matched, direct A/B switched, blind comparison. What if you did one and you found out your DAC sounds exactly the same as one that cost a fraction of the price? Would you be happy about that? Would you be angry? Would you sell your overpriced DAC, or just keep it because you like it? Hard to know until you've actually done the test and found out for yourself.

One thing I can't emphasize enough. Bias isn't a frailty or failing. It is a 100% natural part of being a human. We exercise bias just about every moment of our lives. It's how we make even the smallest decisions. If we were completely logical, we would get nothing done because we would stop and think out every decision. You can't turn off bias consciously. It is a subconscious process. "Why do you prefer X over Y?" "I don't know, I just do..." Bias is deeply rooted and complex, and we exercise it without even knowing it. I embrace my bias and use it where it is most useful... I follow hunches, try to discern patterns, attempt to predict outcomes... none of this is totally logical, but it points me in the general direction I want to go. But I don't trust bias when it comes to buying expensive products. If I spend hundreds of dollars on something, I want it to be of high quality and I want it to do the job well. Thankfully, sound fidelity is drop dead simple to test while eliminating the bulk of my bias. Once I have that information and I am secure in it, I can make an informed decision- one based on facts, not advertising hyperbole, bandwagon effect, or appeals to emotion, luxury or ego. When I find out a new fact, it delights me. That is a huge part of the reason I am interested in home audio- that and of course music.

The above post should be mandatory reading for anyone wishing to take the plunge into this mad hobby. Thanks Bigshot.
The last year or so I’ve attended some..err let’s just call them experiments that focused on different biases..and it has been nothing less than an overwhelming experience that basically taught me how easy it is to mess with perception. Humans are terribly unreliable
Listening to the same music on the same system can sound wildly different depending on whether or not you just slept, ate, broke up with your girlfriend, stepped on a lizard or merely look at a metallic and futuristic looking amp vs an old wooden ‘analogue-looking’ one.

 

[Lazysnakes]

I understand biology is to blame here.
Especially considering all the effects to audio your brain and ears do. Over time, the Equalization curve of frequency response gets memorized, going from one headphone to another is rather like getting on a different bike
It rides the same, but your bodies ability to handle it changes. This can give the perception the headphone is changing. I notice headphone breaking after hours of robotic playing, so the headphone itself hasn't changed, but I hear a difference and I begin likening the change from my old headphones I'm used to because my ears have adapted for the difference in Equalization or in tone or in any measurable difference from the last headphones used consistently.