My 4 days old K701

[edb]

Since I received the K701 four days ago, my computer is always on. I plan to use the headphone amp of my soundcard to burn it in 24/7.

After 4 days of listening, the first thing I noticed is that the K701 requires less driving power. I have to turn the volume lower everyday than previous day to make listening comfortable. A few headphone owners mentioned similar experience, is that common?

 

[blinx]

well a lot of amps can make it sound loud, it doesn't necessarily means it sounds good.

 

[edb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinx /img/forum/go_quote.gif well a lot of amps can make it sound loud, it doesn't necessarily means it sounds good.

That's not my point, sorry if I did not make it clear.

I am asking if a new headphone always becomes less power hungry as it burns in.

 

[RedLeader]

Perhaps you're experiencing some burn-in firsthand! I know this is dubious and debatable, but perhaps with the playing music, there is some loosening up of the diaphrams causing them to be easier to move. Maybe?

 

[finbad]

My guess, is that somehow settings has changed as the cause of this effect. No, the k701s volume level doesn't change at a different point of the dial, or slide, with burn in. IME

 

[audiomagnate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edb /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's not my point, sorry if I did not make it clear. I am asking if a new headphone always becomes less power hungry as it burns in.

No. It must be psychological, or maybe it's unmeasurable burn in magic.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since I received the K701 four days ago, my computer is always on. I plan to use the headphone amp of my soundcard to burn it in 24/7. After 4 days of listening, the first thing I noticed is that the K701 requires less driving power. I have to turn the volume lower everyday than previous day to make listening comfortable. A few headphone owners mentioned similar experience, is that common?

This is the only difference I've ever noticed with burn in. It happened with my HD485 3 years ago. It happens now with my im716 every time I stop listening to it for a couple of weeks. Every 3 or 4 hours of listening, I find myself turning it down. I've bought most of my headphones used, usually very well used, so any other effects or burn in may have happened with the previous owner. I just got a K501 today that looks new, so I may see more with them.

 

[silverrain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since I received the K701 four days ago, my computer is always on. I plan to use the headphone amp of my soundcard to burn it in 24/7. After 4 days of listening, the first thing I noticed is that the K701 requires less driving power. I have to turn the volume lower everyday than previous day to make listening comfortable. A few headphone owners mentioned similar experience, is that common?

That happens to me with most of the cans I burn-in. It seems that they loosen up and require less power to function well.

Since I have two amps with stepped attenuators, I know EXACTLY when I have to go down a notch on the volume knob, to keep the volume at a safe level.
I had one can recently, that went down THREE notches, over a period of three days during initial burn-in -- after that the volume remained steady, but the SQ still continued to improve.
Based on my experience with many cans and amps -- burn-in works.

EDIT: No, I don't remember which cans had the big 3-click change -- I buy/sell too many cans all the time. (Addict)
Most cans only take one or two clicks during initial burn-in to maintain safe volume level.
And yes, some driver materials DO stiffen-up with non-use, and loosen-up as they are being used again, requiring a volume adjustment. I see it all the time on certain cans.
Yeah -- I notice that kind of stuff -- what would you expect from an engineer/analyst?

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif That happens to me with most of the cans I burn-in. It seems that they loosen up and require less power to function well. Since I have amps with stepped attenuaters, I know EXACTLY when I have to go down a notch on the volume knob, to keep the volume at a safe level. I had one can recently, that went down THREE notches, over a period of three days during initial burn-in -- after that the volume remained steady, but the SQ still continued to improve. Based on my experience with many cans and amps -- burn-in works.

I just wish my im716 would stay loosened up. I haven't listened to them for about 3 weeks. If my past experience holds, I'll have to turn my iPod up to 3/4 volume to get decent volume. After a few days, the volume will be a little more that 1/3. I tend to listen at about 65dB.

 

[RedLeader]

Huh, was I on to something? I thought I was being silly. Guess I've actually never bought headphones new, I'm a little too cheap for that.

 

[silverrain]

How about if new shoes never "broke-in" with initial useage? Until they became comfortable? Especially leather ones -- extreme example.
Who goes hiking in NEW boots (unless they LOVE blisters!)
New cars? Even *race* cars and motorcycles need SOME break-in (actual extreme experience talking here).
So, by extension -- any moving or pliable parts in anything.
And certain parts of amps, apparently -- even if they don't really move per se.
The amp-makers even *tell* you to break them in!
Exhibit A: RSA Tomahawk amp.
Tell any Tomahawk owner that burn-in doesn't work.
I dare you.

 

[b0dhi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edb /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's not my point, sorry if I did not make it clear. I am asking if a new headphone always becomes less power hungry as it burns in.

Never heard of this before, never heard it happen myself either. I think this is one of the problems with people purposely "burning in" their headphones as opposed to just listening to them and letting them mature on their own - they expect something to happen, and the result is they'll hear some difference even if it isn't there. I think this has happened to all of us at one point or another. The mind is more susceptible to suggestion than most people realise.

 

[denl82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since I received the K701 four days ago, my computer is always on. I plan to use the headphone amp of my soundcard to burn it in 24/7. After 4 days of listening, the first thing I noticed is that the K701 requires less driving power. I have to turn the volume lower everyday than previous day to make listening comfortable. A few headphone owners mentioned similar experience, is that common?

When I'm playing games with them, I turn my volume all the way down to around 9 o'clock on my amp. This is from 11:30 when I first got them. I think this has more to do with the sound signature, however, in this particular case.

Quote:

Originally Posted by edb /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's not my point, sorry if I did not make it clear. I am asking if a new headphone always becomes less power hungry as it burns in.

Yea, when I first got my dt880s, I had to put the amp's volume around 1 o'clock to get nice volume. In this case, however, I started putting it around 11 o'clock, because I think it did require less power as they burned in.

 

[ricmat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif That happens to me with most of the cans I burn-in. It seems that they loosen up and require less power to function well. Since I have two amps with stepped attenuators, I know EXACTLY when I have to go down a notch on the volume knob, to keep the volume at a safe level. I had one can recently, that went down THREE notches, over a period of three days during initial burn-in -- after that the volume remained steady, but the SQ still continued to improve. Based on my experience with many cans and amps -- burn-in works. EDIT: No, I don't remember which cans had the big 3-click change -- I buy/sell too many cans all the time. (Addict) Most cans only take one or two clicks during initial burn-in to maintain safe volume level. And yes, some driver materials DO stiffen-up with non-use, and loosen-up as they are being used again, requiring a volume adjustment. I see it all the time on certain cans. Yeah -- I notice that kind of stuff -- what would you expect from an engineer/analyst?

Well, from all the facts I've seen (and I've read A LOT about that), the only difference from before / after burn in is about 2dB (/3dB) so is that 3 clicks? I dont think so...

I would say Placebo effect for sure!

Make sure it's not your ears that are burned in!

Cheers!

 

[b0dhi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricmat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, from all the facts I've seen (and I've read A LOT about that), the only difference from before / after burn in is about 2dB (/3dB) so is that 3 clicks? I dont think so... I would say Placebo effect for sure! Make sure it's not your ears that are burned in! Cheers!

Agreed. I've never seen more than 2dB difference after burning in. Sometimes it's in a sibiliant frequency range though. For example I can turn my GS1k higher now than when I first got it because the 5-7khz range is not so strident and doesn't cut into my ears as much as high volumes, but even though it's a significant change I would estimate it to be about 1-1.5dB only.