dont do this, this is seriously out of whack. just use as you normally would. burn in isn't proven either, unless someone post actual reference data of a list of units being tested and confirmed from a standard test, then its all a matter of subjective opinion.
It's never been proven. Ever. There is nothing but anecdotal evidence, I have never seen a single piece of actual measurement data showing a change in headphone response from immediately opening the box to weeks later.
I am, however, a big believer in psychological burn-in, and I can prove it just by talking about my experience with my three headphones in my sig: the VModa M100, Final Audio Pandora, and Shure SE846. I came to the M100 from a pair of Beats Mixrs. In comparison, the M100 is bass-light and has clearer highs. My first impressions were mild disappointment and it took a bit of "burn in" for me to come to appreciate the full sound signature. I got used to that, and loved it. I upped to the Pandoras, and suddenly those sounded sharp and bass-light, although I knew they sounded gorgeous. I adjusted to that and my M100s, which previously sounded bass-light with great highs, was bassy and veiled.
Enter the SE846. Massive subbass but an even extension with no hump. When I first got them, the bass sounded like a cannon. It was thunderous. As a bass guy, I loved it. These turned into the only headphones I listened to... and then the right earpiece broke. I went back to my M100s which have less subbass, mids recessed, and upper treble rolled off. Somehow it sounded like EVERYTHING on the M100 was pulled back. I used the M100s for a while because they're more portable than the Pandora, and adjusted to the sound again. When I got the Shures back, it was like I'd forgotten what that much sub-bass sounds like.
Humans are adaptable creatures. If you've ever used Flux on your laptop, you know what happens when you turn it off at night. Your eyes got so used to the warm, red-toned screen that
the normal colors seem blue and BLINDING. If you listen to a headphone for 250 hours, you're going to acclimate to it, regardless of its sound signature. You may very well grow to appreciate it, which isn't a bad thing, but we don't have an immovable baseline of sonic understanding upon which we judge all headphones objectively. We adjust, we acclimate, we learn to hear the full value of a headphone after a while.
I've absolutely judged headphones from 5 minutes of listening. Is that wrong of me? I'd say it's very possible, but at the same time I don't have 2-3 hours to listen to every headphone I'm interested in. At the same time, if I find one that I kiiiinda like and am willing to pull the trigger on, given a few weeks I may very well end up thinking it's the best in the world. It didn't burn in, but I did.
