[inmotion]

well i know theres a lot of talk about burn in, myth or truth, and here are my results.

first, a bit of background:
my roommate and i both purchased the super.fi 5ebs and we decided that we should do a burn in test!
so my roommate has been using his just on a regular basis so i would say he's been using them for about 30 hours.
i on the other hand have been using them regularly too but also leaving them to burn in when im not using them. so far i've got to around the 100 hour mark.

result:
well i've done two tests. the first was when i was at the 50 hour mark (and my roommate's was around 10-20 hours) and well... no difference.
not willing to give up, i continued the burn in (mix of pink noise, frequency sweep and also just random music playing)

well.... the 2nd test and... the difference was clear.
this was especially obvious with photek's the seven samurais (as recommended by another board member) (even more when the song starts to kicks in at the 46 second mark)
i also tested with digitalism's pogo (remix) and my super.fi produced deeper and more extended bass and i felt that the mid-highs were also crisper.
i also played with mika's grace kelly and the intro bass line were much warmer on my eb's.

about the test: i was "blinded folded" and my roommate handed me the earphones without me knowing which was which.

so all in all, i really feel that the burn in made quite a difference.
is this a definitive test? of course not but i guess im one step closer in being a burn-in believer.

cheers!

i'll be happy to answer any questions etc

 

[j2kei]

nice research. of course this might not be enough to those that never believed in burn-in in the first place as its still subjective, however nonetheless great work. simple and easy way to do it

 

[FYDave]

Woo. Another EB user! Whaddoya think of 'em, good sir? I just picked up mine from a guy in the town next to me two days ago but I'm in love with these for the time being.

 

[Taikero]

I've noticed my Super.Fi 5 EB changing over time since I got them. I really disliked the bass out of the box, but it's gotten better. Looks like I'll have to run them through a couple more burn-in sessions.

 

[inmotion]

honestly i really really really like them.
in fact, these are the first IEM that im in awe about.
i guess this also has to do to the fact that im a basshead...
i listen to a lot of electro/techno but i've thrown from rock to classical (who can say no to mozart) and i really have no complaint other than with acoustic music (the vocals are a little drowned out and the guitar sounds, well, too bassy)

but overall, 2 thumbs up

thanks for reading!

 

[screwglue]

i'm pissed. I "owned" a pair of these. Yesterday my friend accidentally stepped on one and cracked the shell and the cables were torn off. doubt warranty covers this.

 

[FYDave]

Well, call them and see what happens. It's always worth a shot.

 

[inmotion]

yea i would definitely try to give UE call.
i've heard good stuff about their customer service...

good luck!

 

[The Other Allen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by screwglue /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'm pissed. I "owned" a pair of these. Yesterday my friend accidentally stepped on one and cracked the shell and the cables were torn off. doubt warranty covers this.

I snagged my pair on a gym bag strap and pulled the cable from the left IEM. Sent it in for repair and told them exactly what happened and they sent a new pair, no questions asked.

 

[inmotion]

good to hear about ue's customer service

ive decided i'll do another test around the 150 hour mark.

to make this more interesting.

i will do 5 tests in 2 different sessions

in other words, i will not be told which earphone im using in 5 tests and see if i can hear which one is mine.

there will be 2 sessions as during one session my ebs will get 3 listens (out of 5) while during the other session my rommate's ebs will get 3 listens (out of 5).

this is to eliminate any chance of guessing and increase accuracy of my responses.

i'll keep everyone posted.

i'll be glad to try anything else granted you guys let me know!

(its not everyday someone has access to two pairs of super.fis so easily

)

 

[shigzeo]

also no other company that i know of besides ety actually test the pairs to make sure they are of equal quality. a driver from one set could be vastly inferior to another. the eb also have dynammic drivers so if burn in does make a difference at all, it can be attributed to either the dynammic driver or... that ue sell phones that are not exact audio matches

 

[Taikero]

Well, if it makes any difference, my Image X10 changed drastically overnight when I burnt it in with specific files (radio noise, pink noise, frequency sweeps). Before then I'd just listened to regular music and it had changed, but only barely. With the burn in files, it was like I'd put an extra $100 into my X10. I listened to them the night before with my Sansa View and the day after (for 4 hours in a car), and the day after I kept telling myself it was just placebo, but songs that used to hurt my ears at certain volume levels didn't, and the bass was definitely clearer and faster. The vocal and instrument separation also vastly improved, as before I was still experiencing some muddiness from the sound. Now my X10 is rich and warm.

Of course, maybe it's all placebo, but I really, really doubt it, because the change in sound has persisted ever since.

The same happened to my Super.fi 5 EB when I finally put them through the same process. I listened to them the night before, left them out all night with burn in files running for about 8-10 hours, listened to them the next day, and I was literally amazed at the change. All my EQ settings had to drastically change for all the different presets I had because the 5 EB had gained treble, the bass had tightened up.....everything improved.

I'm burning in my Atrio M5s now, and I can't wait until they're done. They sound amazing fresh out of the box, so I don't even know what to expect after 48 hours of burn-in.

 

[shigzeo]

i have hated almost anything i have listened to at first until i have learned how to use it properly. it especially goes for iems. the atrio were a bit more natural at first but after i learned which tips i liked best etc, they were an everything killer.

 

[inmotion]

interesting to know that the specific burn in files made a bigger difference.
i'll finish off the burn in with my pinknoise/frequency sweep i guess

i'll report back with more updates!

 

[Taikero]

My theory (Theory, mind you!) is that when you "stretch" or "exhaust" the driver across frequencies normal music doesn't touch, it's like stretching your muscles beyond your normal range of movement in everyday use or even exercising. Sure, you don't need to stretch/exercise if you're somewhat active, but if you do, you'll end up more flexible/healthy/strong in the end.

Basically, hitting the higher/lower frequencies your favorite music genres don't quite hit will help your IEM hit the common frequencies easier because it doesn't have to strain as hard to get the same result, and the result is a much "smoother" and more pleasing sound.

Like I said, theory.