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Component Break In. Truth or Fantasy

I just recently got a second pair of planar headphones and the manual suggests a break in period of 150 hours. I find the topic of component break interesting in that, like so many things today, opinions are polarized with some audiophiles claiming break in having significant effects while other maintaining it is all BS and it's just you getting used to the new sound of your component.

My experiences has been that break in has a significant effect on components that convert one form of energy into another, and that have a mechanical aspect to them.

It makes sense that new speakers, as a result of excursions when being played, will loosen up and that will affect the sound. Same goes for phono cartridge suspensions. It's not unlike our own bodies where stiffness reduces and movement range extends when we work out, move, or stretch.

However, I have not found significant break in effects with all electronic components like DACs and Solid State Amps. And as for cables, not at all.

What has been your experience?

alvinnir2
jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,841 posts
 

Speakers and phono cartridges yes! Electronics and wire no.

markpao
533 posts
 

^^^

Those are the only two I've ever heard a difference. And pretty dramatic in some cases.

kevemaher's avatar
kevemaher
419 posts
 

Go ahead and do the burn-in. You'll feel better.

You're not going to break those headphones so why not?

Banish the fretting.

whart's avatar
whart
3,372 posts
 

Transducers, like cartridges and speakers, yeah, fo sure. Electronics, I dunno. I run tubes on everything so the devices that process the signal largely degrade from start, I suppose capacitors might have to "form" but the biggest issue is simply warm up- 45 minutes-- rather than break in. Then again, I haven't had a new component for a while. When I got my phono stage- an Allnic H3000, I definitely remember a break-in interval--that's been a while. 

larsman's avatar
larsman
3,150 posts
 

I've had headphones that I bought that I was ready to return they sounded so bad; I contacted the manufacturer and they said they should have at least 150 or so hours burn in. So I put 'em on the back of a chair, played music through 'em without listening for a week or so, put 'em back on again, and they may as well have been different headphones. My experience with speakers is the same; I've had very high-end speakers that sounded like the woofers and tweeters had never met each other, out of the box. It was a happy marriage by a couple of weeks later. 

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