[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree K. This is a discussion forum for just this issue. What may muddy the view is your being a MOT.

Yeah, but seeing as I'm a MOT who sells "expensive cables," one might argue that my views on this issue ultimately argue against the business that makes me a MOT in the first place.

k

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aimlink /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not quite clear on how your MOT status would muddy the view...

I have my own idea what Happy Camper is getting at, but since he's handy, I'll leave him to explain it in his own words.

k

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, but seeing as I'm a MOT who sells "expensive cables," one might argue that my views on this issue ultimately argue against the business that makes me a MOT in the first place. k

I'm not really seeing what the issue of whether or not headphone burn-in is as significant as it's being made has to do with the sales of anything head-fi or whether or not it would encourage or discourage sales.

What does your expensive cable business have to do with that. If you were in on a discussion on whether or not expensive cables make a difference to sound, then I'd see your contributions muddying the water a tad.

 

[kwkarth]

Looks like we're heading for the weeds again.

For clarity and full disclosure's sake, I was the headphone product manager for a well known cable manufacturer in the recent past, and my association with that company ended last February.

My experience prior, during, and since my association with that company has no relevance to this discussion other than to perhaps give me some insight to the nature of burn in that many of us may not have. So, it's just experience, which is the POV I hope all of us are sharing from, our experience.

I would hope any other MOT's are endeavoring to do the same.
Back on track now...

 

[Happy Camper]

My "muddy" comment was about what MOTs can and can't get into. I know nothing of the guidelines for MOTs but I always read members biting their tongues about what they can or can't talk about.

My personal view is anybody should be able to express their opinions and offer what experience they can. Can MOTs offer opinion on product? I would think as long as it's not specific to a vendor, it's all good but I don't know the guidelines.

Nothing derogatory intended.

 

[jude]

Okay, I've deleted some posts at the tail end of this one to try to get the thread back on topic, and away from the personal stuff.

Understand that I have not read through the entire thread, though I have skimmed several pages of it.

Get it back on topic, guys, if you can. If the thread has veered too much to get it back on track, then I'll just close it and someone can start another.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay, I've deleted some posts at the tail end of this one to try to get the thread back on topic, and away from the personal stuff. Understand that I have not read through the entire thread, though I have skimmed several pages of it. Get it back on topic, guys, if you can. If the thread has veered too much to get it back on track, then I'll just close it and someone can start another.

Wow....

I'm off.

 

[sampson_smith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay, I've deleted some posts at the tail end of this one to try to get the thread back on topic, and away from the personal stuff. Understand that I have not read through the entire thread, though I have skimmed several pages of it. Get it back on topic, guys, if you can. If the thread has veered too much to get it back on track, then I'll just close it and someone can start another.

Thanks, Jude. I appreciate you clarifying about this and also the direction. It seems that there will always be "mild" to "fierce" debate about headphone burn-in--something that I previously did not assume to be the case, being rather new to Head-fi--but if we could keep this discussion positive and constructive, that would be appreciated. There appear to be many out there who want to uncover more about the phenomenon in an effective, enjoyable way. Let's make that happen!

I started this thread voicing my opinion that I believe that burn-in is a good thing and has improved upon my listening experience. While I cannot force anyone to celebrate it as I do when first experiencing a relatively new set of 'phones, I would hope this enthusiasm would at least spill over into more-detailed discussion. Without further ado...

 

[DanielCox]

The thing is burn in doesn't have any evidence behind it so there really isn't much to discuss.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielCox /img/forum/go_quote.gif The thing is burn in doesn't have any evidence behind it so there really isn't much to discuss.

Yeah. At this point it's more a matter of doing than of talking.

k

 

[sampson_smith]

Exactly, K! Bring on the potential useful, revealing "experiments", anyone. (I'm not an audio expert/engineer and can only speculate; I'm sure there are those out there that can do much better.)

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sampson_smith /img/forum/go_quote.gif Exactly, K! Bring on the potential useful, revealing "experiments", anyone.

I'm on it, chief!

Just have to wait for someone to send me a pile of headphones, a Neumann KU 100 dummy head, and an Audio Precision rig (at least a System 2 Cascade).

k

 

[sampson_smith]

Haha. I take it you'll be waiting a while for those. Same sort of setup that Headroom uses? That System 2 runs a pretty penny! 27 K?!! No wonder it's next to impossible to get to the bottom of this!

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sampson_smith /img/forum/go_quote.gif Haha. I take it you'll be waiting a while for those.

I'm afraid you're probably right.

Quote:

Same sort of setup that Headroom uses?

Pretty much, yup.

And Headroom would be the perfect folks to do this sort of thing really. Someone had suggested it previously but I don't know that anyone's followed up with any sort of proposal to them about it.

Quote:

That System 2 runs a pretty penny! 27 K?!! No wonder it's next to impossible to get to the bottom of this!

Yeah, they ain't cheap.

I have access to an old System 1, but there's still the matter of the Neumann and that pile of headphones.

k

 

[fjf]

Getting back to the original point, I think that burn-in in psychological (or psychophysical, or whatever you want to call it). I used to listen to my DT880, and at the beginning they were very bright (as they are often described). The brightness disappeared with time, and I thought that burn-in was responsible. I then stopped using them for a few months (using mainly my Adam A7 speakers, which are more neutral). A few days ago, with my better half on a siesta, I grabbed the DT880 again and (suprise!) I found out that the brightness was back. Unless you believe in "unburn-in", the only plausible explanation is that you get used to whatever you listen to. This also explains why people like headphones with so many different sound signatures. They just get used to them.