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 2 responses by bob_bundus

Breakin effects are certainly valid. "Accustomization" is also a valid, although probably much less recognized phenomenon. Example: I extensively auditioned a pair of used speakers at my dealer's shop, then finally brought them home. Buyers remorse was immediately apparent at home: the differences (between what I'd been used to hearing from my old speakers) and the 'new-used' speakers were very apparent, and I wasn't sure that I could live with my new choice despite some of the obvious improvements over the old pair. Obviously the already-used speakers were well run-in by the time I finished auditioning at the store & took them home. After about a month I no longer noticed the 'new vs. old' colorations (both pair have their own sonic signatures) as I became "accustomed" to the "new" sound I liked it even better.
Yep I've heard it all (used to foolishly believe it myself too, and I'm an E.E.). All cables sound the same...all amps sound the same... Finally I learned to LISTEN! Now, NOTHING sounds the same. However there is a difference between cold equipment vs. new equipment. Even broken-in solid state gear, or tube gear w/ S.S. regulators, doesn't sound so good when it's cold. Over the first 2 or 3 hours warmup time things improve most noticably. It takes about 30 hours for the power supply regulators to attain thermal stabilization. (Yes the power supplies & even AC cords are in the signal's path. That's why David Belles *tunes* his power supplies). Plenty of other threads on this...