Burn in - a myth?

The pain in my leg is getting worse.

Prove it.

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Touché. So too aren’t I.

Well the question is are they observing a change, attributable to one cause, or is it down to one of the other many possible variables (see my post about 30 back from this one).

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People with one leg often report pain in the missing leg.

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Adding to the above if the mains is noisy I’ve found it can wreak havoc with a listening session. Experienced it many times, one night absolutely sublime the next absolute rubbish nothing has been changed :crazy_face::pleading_face:

In addition to @gthack’s reply, @Xanthe posted this in a previous thread:

BTW your editing of my text lost the fact that the “very much” referred only to the first example, mechanical compliance changes.

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Can normal mains noise in a domestic environment make this much difference?

Sounds more like mood swings, added to changes in mains noise.

Plus alcohol, or the lack of alcohol.

Matin Colloms in his review of the Naim Statement:

MARTIN COLLOMS

Running In
In the earlier stages of evaluation we had wondered how the amp, both pre and power, could possibly improve on the high standards it had already demonstrated after the first few days (following a suitable warm up and the lab bench testing).
However, Naim folklore has it that the final voicing of its amplifiers is not confirmed and signed off until it has passed crucial subjective in-house criteria after about three months of intensive use. As mentioned in the technical section of the main published review (Vol9 No2), Naim favours certain electronic components (especially both polymer film and solid electrolyte tantalum capacitors) for their long term sound quality, particularly in respect of timing, dynamics and definition.

Very awkwardly, these components do not show their best audiophile qualities until they have had some use in an audio circuit, with both correct polarising voltages and audio signals. Otherwise they sound a just little dead, two dimensional, obscured, edgy, and mildly ‘squashed’ dynamically and rhythmically. Such a scenario could not possibly be suspected from first hearing the Statement, since these factors already seemed to be held to a very low level by this point. But as the running in process unfolded it was in just these areas that the Statement got better and better. In any case, this amplifier uses quite a number of those ubiquitous power supply and decoupling electrolytic capacitors, and it is well known that their electrical and audio signatures will only stabilise after many weeks of use.

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The cited explanation for change in equioment performance is not inconsistent with my understanding of a possible mechanism if there is indeed a change in sound. And Naim fine tuning its kit on the basis of listening tests undertaken after a long period of running makes every sense if there is even the possibility of change while things settle.

But whether or to what extent the majority of people other than professional audio experts listening for even the smallest difference can hear the changes due to electronic components “burning in” in real life implementations is of course an unknown factor. Some people certainly believe they can and do, and I have no reason to disbelieve them. That said, whether any perceived change that people tribute to “burning in” is truly due to change in the equipment rather than their ears expecting it or becoming accustomed to the gear, or even due to changes in their hearing, is another question, especially when the comparison is with a memory of sound from some days or weeks earlier.

Regardless of the above, I would have thought that any manufacturer sending their stuff to be reviewed, as opposed to the reviewer buying it to review, would ensure that the equipment was sounding at its best – and if that means running in for three months or whatever first, then why would the manufacture not do that? with the review sample? If they do then subsequent changes heard by a reviewer aren’t due to “burning in”… The above quotation certainly suggests that Naim didn’t run in before submitting for review, or that Martin Colloms assumed they hadn’t.

Some people believe they can’t and don’t.

Some manufacturers are happy to let reviewers receive the same equipment as their customers will receive - and in the same state of burn-in.

Actually, review equipment has often been out in the wild or used in the factory for some time.

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This was part of the parcel received yesterday

A pair of interconnects to replace an old Monstercable set that only just reached to connect a just repaired Audiolab CD8200, eleven caps and replacement drive.
I reckon I don’t have a cats chance working out what has done what. The cable change makes for more comfortable listening, or are the caps burning in, or…

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Anything that doesn’t sound good out of the box gets returned immediately. I’ve only had to do this once with a cable and it wasn’t Naim. The bloke said it needs 300 hours to run in :roll_eyes:

If you bought a new TV and it was Black and White for a week would you be happy?

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What’s peoples opinion on phono cartridge burn in time?

Is there a difference between MC, MM or MI?

TVs need burning in and then recalibrating after a number of hours. And computer monitors. And rechargeable batteries. And high-end temp probes.

I’m sure if I thought about it and also Googled, I could make a long list.

I’m sure you could, it doesn’t make it true though.

Maybe my engine will need a remap a few months after it has been done when the O² sensor runs in…?

Don’t be stupid and get over it.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Just to report back, the Furutech DPS 4.1 LE have now been in my system for about a week.

They are far more impressive than I had even thought they would be. I’ll start by saying the NAP 135s sound more authoritative. There is, as expected a lower noise floor and altogether a more emotional presentation. The busy passages in songs make more sense and all the instruments are playing all of the time without any distortion.

Having said that, i will also report there is a slight hardness to the sound. There is a lot more detail but the sound is NOT settled as of yet.

As somebody reported Furutech cables have a very long burn in time so I’m expecting there to be a more soft and delicate sound when the cables eventually settle in fully.

Changing the fuses was a bit tricky as I couldn’t figure out where the fuse is located. Eventually I figured it out.


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There is a very short window of optimabilty.
After a prolonged burn in - the systems will prove its optimal abilities which is the bit where you enjoy listening.
After a short while the systems abilities are heading towards burn out and getting closer to that service deadline.
Happens sooner than you would like.

I have a Furutech plug and socket on my hydra.

It took a long time to burn in and settle in.

Did you have power-lines on your previous 135s?