I'm ABing two sets of S680's. The red has been burned in with the wave file for 90+ hours, and the black one has zero burn in.
On initial impression, I thought these headphones were VERY veiled, so I burned it in for 80 hours first. I thought the burn-in process actually did help. Especially for the second and third time I put it on. This was probably my brain burn-in in progress.
But as I started ABing them, the red actually isn't that much more unveiled than the black. The mids aren't brought that much more forward, but the impact of the mid-bass did seem to be tighter. But when I mean bit, I mean it's so hard to notice that it took me 3 times back and forth to make sure I wasn't just hearing things. The soundstage is very similar in distance, maybe a bit more separation for the red one, but nothing I would recognize as being an actual difference. The highs cleared up the most, giving it a more realistic presence.
All the same while, I tested with the S400 as well to make sure I wasn't just hearing things. And I can definitely hear the difference between the S680's and the S400. S680's, the vocals are more intimate, the bass extends deeper, and has tighter, more controlled impact. Treble placement alone makes it great.
Only mistake that I made was that I didn't wait for the second S680 to come first, so I could make sure they both sounded just as veiled before I AB'ed them. So it's POSSIBLE that the second set that I did not burn-in had great sound out-of-the-box. Looking at how many of you think they needed burn-in, though, and not sounding great from the box, I am leaning more towards that this burn-in is a bit of a placebo.
Even though I say all this, I am not hating on these headphones. These are clearly a level above the S400's. Even the comfort alone is worth the extra in price, but the increased soundstage, separation, and clarity make it a great bang for the buck. But be aware that for most of you, that the burn-in process is possibly a placebo effect making them sound better than they might be. If that is what works for you, though, then more power to you!
Equipment used: DAC Destroyer,
Open Your Ears,
Gladkill - Stargazing, 1 Burned-in JVC HA-S680, 1 Unburned JVC HA-S680, 1 JVC HA-S400 for control.
If anyone else has done the same, I would like to know how you think! I'll be burning in the second set right now to see if it's just the red ones that aren't receptive of the burn-in process.
