[Daroid]

My new HD650s have been burning in for about 80 hours now and to be honest they sound pretty bad. There are still a lot of areas where I prefer the HD25-1.
The best way to describe how the HD650 currently sound is boomy, baloony, congested mids, with slightly congested bass with good extension and a clear recess around 3.5 kHz, but otherwise well detailed treble but maybe with a slight roll-off... the mids bug me enough not to be able to notice a roll-off.
Is this normal even after the 80 hours mark ? I searched and people say they lost the bass at around this point in the burn-in process. Also the treble should be severely rolled off. I really experience neither of this - are these headphones broken ?

System used: RME digi 96/8 pad (blackgate mod) -> SDS Labs Headphone amp (other people use HD600 and such with this amp).

 

[Canman]

The 650 gets worse before it gets better. It will sound congested and start to open up at about 200 hours.

 

[eriksson]

Just to clarify something, I've been burning in my 650s for 24 hours now. What you mean by burning in is that you play music countinusly, 24/7. Am I correct? You can't pause overnight or somehting like that..?

 

[rogerlee]

Well, you can pause overnight, but then it wouldn't be burning in for that period of time

.

 

[Daroid]

Glad to hear that... looks like i'm not even half done yet

The box the HD650 comes in is very convenient. Put it inside it, at close it, put a sweater on top of it and hide itside a closet, and close the door. That's what i've been doing for the past three nights

 

[gsferrari]

Im counting something like 300 hours and its just about perfect...its been this way since it hit the 200 - 250 hour mark...

Just use it and grow with it...it will grow on you...

 

[dano1122]

burning in headphones for 200 hours, this is getting ridiculous now.

 

[Born2bwire]

Just out of curiosity though, keep us posted on what you think of them after you hit the 200+ mark. I never really logged my impressions of my phones as they burned it, I just open up the package and start listening to them.

 

[Daroid]

I'll update the thread when more happens (I'll keep count on burn-in time). Hehe the problem with just listening to the headphones and just let them play isn't funny for me in this case when they sound like they do

Patience is a bitch...

 

[Mike Scarpitti]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daroid I'll update the thread when more happens (I'll keep count on burn-in time). Hehe the problem with just listening to the headphones and just let them play isn't funny for me in this case when they sound like they do Patience is a bitch...

Just put them on your ears and use them. This 'burn-in' stuff is a crock of poo.....

 

[fr4c]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Scarpitti Just put them on your ears and use them. This 'burn-in' stuff is a crock of poo.....

 

[stevieo]

i put 250 hours on mine before i bothered listening to them. sennheiser's need time. i used cd repeat play with michael jackson's 'thriller' because of it's heavy bass & played it at the loudest possible volume without damaging the 650's. the cans were stuffed in a cabinet with pillows & duct taped shut.

also, aftermarket cables make a difference. i give silver 300 hours of burn-in before i will listen to them. 550 hours of michael jackson can drive you crazy. i was already crazy so that not matter much.

you can save time by replacing the stock cables a.s.a.p. with new ones or you can buy used ones that are already burnt.

 

[Daroid]

Mr. Scarpitti, He heh, I knew you would tune in sooner or later. Sometimes i'm doubting wether burn-in exists or not, but I'll bet there is something mental/psychological involved too. Can't prove anything, can't disprove it either.

At least they always play music in the box now. i have only listened for short periods of time (read: ~three seconds) three or four times the ~90 hours I've owned them now. 1: Right out of the box 2: At some other point (can't remember), 3: Just before creating this thread and 4: Just now, and now most of the congested midrange has disappeared, bass is still as it always has been though.
take everything with a grain of salt.

EDIT: Stevio, I see.... But I still don't feel like spending anything extras on cables and such when i don't even know what it is supposed to sound like (i.e. maxed out) after physical/psychological burn in. After all, the stock cable at least isn't oxidized lamp wire

 

[Bill Ward]

Sounds real familiar. i broke mine in by listening to them because I wanted to observe the process. I've never had a pair of headphones that went through changes the way the HD650 did. They really do get muddy and congested, just as described, and then the music starts to come back in stages, and it's all worth it.

If I had it to do over, I'd stick them in a drawer and let them entertain themselves.

BW

 

[Asmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Scarpitti Just put them on your ears and use them. This 'burn-in' stuff is a crock of poo.....

Burn in is real, its not that hard to simply buy two pairs of headphones, burn one in, compare to a new pair, the results are fairly obvious (at least for high end sennheiser models).

Example: I compared my 580s to a friends fresh in the box pair, there was a difference in sound, even my non-audiophile friend could hear a 'difference' but no serious testing was done, burn-in is usually taken seriously in the audio world. Many other people here have done the same. I think someone even took RMAA measurements to show the differences as well.