Does EVERY component need break-in?

Generally there are two camps - the believers and the non-believers.

The believers will probably tell you that it does need to break in.

I have no idea if it needs to break in or not. I can say that if you are not satisfied with any electronic component after about two weeks of use then odds are high that you will never be happy with it. There are exceptions of course but take it for what it's worth.

I have been wondering the same thing. I definitely have experienced changes in cables and speakers after break-in, but don't know for sure regarding amps. It seems like 200 hours or so changes everything, and I'm not talking about my ears adjusting. Even when I let a product break-in without critically listening for a while, I notice many differences, mostly positive.

I am a break-in type and agree with Aragain. Digital seem to take an inordinant amount of time to break in, but 2 weeks of use should tell you what you've got. A transport is a mechanical device with moving parts, and should benefit from a break-in period.

It varies from component to component. I have no doubt about cables and power cords changing their sound for the better after 100-200 hours, and certainly the same with speakers. Amps seem to need less, preamps even less than that; as to transports, anyone who has ever had a Sony SCD-1 knows that after 400-500 hours, it still seems to be improving.