Burn-in time Vs. Getting used to a sound


I have had much in the way of high end audio over the years. ...and the idea of an electronic item needing several hundred hours of use before sounding their best..is an accepted idea now (for the most part). Recently I have heard a growing thought of this just being the user getting used to the sound of a product.. Truthfully in the early days of Large Advents, DQ-10 Dahlquists and other gear..there was never any talk of burn-in time... Any thoughts out there on this.... Truth or Hype?
whatjd

Showing 5 responses by bmpnyc

Sorry Jostler, What you describe has of course happened on occasion, but I assure you that burn in is not a myth. Some cables require more time than others, and that leads to many chances for dissatisfaction until things are really settled. My Harmonic Technology cables took a long time to break in, and had me worried for a while, but the change was so drastic that it could not possibly be "getting used to it". Many of the members at Audiogon are very experienced listeners and can give you the science behind both opinions, but I believe 99% will confirm burn in as a fact. Scepticism can be good, but cynicism doesn't get you very far.
I absolutely have experienced the change in sound as a cable "burns in". It was not a case of getting used to the "new" sound. Saying that, I am sure that intentions have an effect as well. Small particle physics has shown us that we effect that molecules in all things that we perceive. Also, we do adjust to and filter what we hear automatically. So, both factors effect what we hear. To what degree is another question. Dekay also shows that our ability to listen evolves with effort and time.
Ditto, Megasam, I have done that very thing, and there was a major difference between two of the same power cords.
Joe b, that is your experience, but not the last word. I did have a cable that had problems until a long burn in was finished, and it sounds wonderful now. I agree that it is frustrating when "version" II or III always addresses the weaknesses of Version I. Buy the top of the line if you can. I auditioned three interconnects of the same brand, and bought "version" III, even though it cost two and a half times more than "Version I", and I am glad I did. It is a standard thing to have a basic, better, best, product line. Most of us know what we would buy if cost was no object. Keep on trying , and don't let the jerks get to you, they won't go away. Your ears and wallet are more powerful than their rhetoric. It sure is great when something sounds wonderful right out of the box though, is'nt it? My new Pioneer DV-37 sounds as good to me as many of the mid-priced highend CD players I have heard, and it knocked me out the minute I plugged it in. Here's hoping eveyone here hits the "bullseye" more often than not.