SOS, I share your sense of shock, only, in my case, it's based on the fact that guys like you can't accept the power of suggestion on the human mind and the simple fact that whatever we get used to becomes our personal benchmark. Since you sell the stuff, I think you should be believed without reservation. I have a question for you, and all others knowledgeable in this audio thing: when does the process of burn-in stop? Does it go on and on and on ad infinitum until the piece of gear is so good we call it "vintage" and never sell it or is there a plateau that is reached, and if so, how long is that plateau? Does the plateau (geez let's call it "stasis" ) last forever or does the component fall off at some point? Or maybe, just maybe, since "everything changes and that's fact, but everything that changes some day comes back" (sorry Bruce) do we have to start over again if the product is left on a shelf unused for a while? I heard from reliable sources that this is the case with cables, slinky little devils! Or maybe the component just becomes better and better until such time as degenerative cap and diode syndrome sets in, at which point the component should be tossed in favour of something newer. Kind of like adopting a cat or dog, you grow with the component, but, ultimately, the end comes... This last possibility has the greatest on the up-side though for the "industry": just imagine a "best before date" to keep your customers coming back! No hard feelings, but as the good Bishop indicated, we will never know will we? Good day.
Equipment Break-in: Fact or Fiction
Is it just me, or does anyone else believe that all of the manufacturers' and users' claims of break-in times is just an excuse to buy time for a new users' ears to "adjust" to the sound of the new piece. Not the sound of the piece actually changing. These claims of 300+ hours of break-in for something like a CD player or cable seem outrageous.
This also leaves grey area when demo-ing a new piece as to what it will eventually sound like. By the time the break-in period is over, your stuck with it.
I could see allowing electronics to warm up a few minutes when they have been off but I find these seemingly longer and longer required break-in claims ridiculous.
This also leaves grey area when demo-ing a new piece as to what it will eventually sound like. By the time the break-in period is over, your stuck with it.
I could see allowing electronics to warm up a few minutes when they have been off but I find these seemingly longer and longer required break-in claims ridiculous.