[CanadianMaestro]

There are HD650 serial numbers. It is on the bottom of the box and should match the sticker on the driver housing under the ear pad. On the R cup I believe.

Very nice, I stand corrected, thanks. All these yrs, and ignored it completely.....

 

[fallingreason]

Were not talking about faulty products here, but about revising the drivers. That's no bugfixing, it's improving a 5 year old product with newer standards. I do own a what some here on the forum would call "old" Version of the HD650, but I think mine are wonderful.

Would you mind letting us know which manufacturers do recommend burn-in? Any Links? Shure says burn-in is nonsense, now Sennheiser. To me burn-in is 30% pads, 60% ears and maybe 10% drivers.

Just off the top of my head I know centrance and imetal recommend burn in.

 

[Buyer no 1]

There are HD650 serial numbers. It is on the bottom of the box and should match the sticker on the driver housing under the ear pad. On the R cup I believe.

 
Yes, it is on the Right cup, and should as you say match the silver label on the box.
 

 

[slair76116]

Guy where can I get a nice comfy replacement for the ear pads on the 650's ?
 
Something really comfortable. better than stock if possible.
 
I know a lot of people say the HD650 are one of the most comfortable cans to wear, but I got ears like Dumbo (the elephant, pls google)

 
unfortunately my hearing isn't any more developed than others

 

[alv4426]

Actually I'm thinking about buying shure srh1540 pads for my hd580. I have put on my 1440 pads and it is more comfortable but it does mess with the sound a little bit (a little less bass). But I've read that 1540 are way more comfortable and increase bass.

 

[HiSenn5]

Just off the top of my head I know centrance and imetal recommend burn in.

Centrance, they don't build Headphones... Can't find imetal. Any links?
 
Can anybody here name a (headphone) company that recommends burn-in?

 

[benzs129]

Would you recommend hd650 over Ad2000x or Ad1000x for j-pop/ (female vocal)? I'm want to get one of these headphone, but I only got e17 amp.

 

[fallingreason]

 
Centrance, they don't build Headphones... Can't find imetal. Any links?
 
Can anybody here name a (headphone) company that recommends burn-in?

http://www.maximoproducts.com/faq.php    under "usage tips"
 
https://www.nuforce.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=654roduct-break-in&Itemid=233
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/testing-audibility-break-effects    single-blind test.

 

[SunTanScanMan]

 
Centrance, they don't build Headphones... Can't find imetal. Any links?
 
Can anybody here name a (headphone) company that recommends burn-in?

meier audio has section on 'break-in' of headphones
 
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/tipstricks.htm 
 
 
Not a headphone company but sells headphones along with amps and dacs etc.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Centrance, they don't build Headphones... Can't find imetal. Any links?

Can anybody here name a (headphone) company that recommends burn-in?

HiFiman recommends 150 hours of burn-in.

 

[HiSenn5]

Thanks gents. Very interesting. I already knew the blind test from Tyll.
 

The differences I heard, while evidently fairly obvious to me, were not large. I'm absolutely convinced that, while break-in effects do exist, most people's expressions of headphones "changing dramatically" as a result is mostly their head adjusting and getting used to the sound.

That's exactly what I think. Do drivers have to loosen up a bit? Yes. Does this burn-in effect changes their soundsignature for more than 10% (5% is IMO more reallistic here). I think no, it deosn't.
 
What really changes the percieved sound are the pads and the ears. It changes the sound significantly when you push your headphones towards your head while listening to music. My K701 sounds very differnt with my old pads. DT880 Pro and Premium, same story.
 
The other thing is getting used to their sound. I read an article the other day where some people did alter a recorded sentence so nobody could understand it. Then they uploaded it on soundcloud. First you could hear the altered version and you really couldn't fugure out what the person is saying. Right after that you could hear the unaltered sentence, which of course everybody could understand. Now comes the interesting part: After hearing both and listening to the altered version again, it suddenly made sense, it became understandable. The Brain is learning this way. Same goes for Headphones. I'll post the soundcloud link when I find it.
 
Ontopic: I love my HD650s

 

[iancraig10]

The Brain is learning this way. Same goes for Headphones. I'll post the soundcloud link when I find it.

Ontopic: I love my HD650s

Easiest way to test is using two pairs of the same headphone. One old, one new. I didn't hit 'correct' 100%

I'd love to hear that comparison if you find it. I heard it as well and can't find it now either.

 

[castleofargh]

if I had to put values I would say:
-brain=80% of changes. real or not we'll notice them all because we decided to.
-pads=15% over time. worn out pads really do not give the sound of new pads(nor the same comfort).
-dust=3%
-actual "burn in" of the driver= 2%(I'm feeling real generous here). and usually the major changes, if any, will happen in the first minutes/hours. let's say 24hours to be sure.
even with a slow 60hz sound, the driver would have already done 3600 back and forth movements in 1mn! how many do we need?
 
200hours of "burn in" would be 4 320 000 000 moves from 6khz signal. and music being a messy sum of all the audible frequencies, that would be a lot more than that in practice. tell me how you come up with that kind of number for a small membrane just flexing slightly and vibrating. this is completely unrealistic, and the fact that manufacturers tend to always shoot in the 100-300hours ballpark, whatever the product is, should tell you how much it's about you and them, and not about the product itself. cables? 200hours! amps? 250hours! headphone 150hours! what a load of crap.
 
100 or 200hours of burn-in is either a clever trick to make you pass the return policy period without complains, or they're simply bored of people who can't make the difference between the headphone's sound, and them getting used to a new toy. so they tell them it's the headphone.
in both cases, the reason is more than understandable and I would tell the same if I was selling those. if only to get rid of those guys that call or email you twice a day to tell you about everything they're "discovering". but it would still be a convenient total lie.

 

[Solrighal]

In 30 years of buying Hi-Fi components I have never come across anything which benefits from burn-in more than Sennheiser's HD 650.

 

[MattTCG]

In 30 years of buying Hi-Fi components I have never come across anything which benefits from burn-in more than Sennheiser's HD 650.

 
Then you haven't owned the vsonic gr07.