I’ve only skim read this thread but your contribution is the one that stood out as a view I fully agree with.
Equipment getting up to temperature is key.
Speakers, being mechanical devices, do require ‘burn-in’ to be at their best, though some need more hours than others. Careful speaker setup (distance from walls, toe in, rake, isolation or coupling) is crucial.
I do find that I can remember what a particular system sounds like with particular music that has stuck in my mind. I also find that I adjust to a system as I listen.
Because over time your brain adjusts to the sound you’re hearing and some of the things you might not like at the start become acceptable. The more time you have to adjust the more likely you are to be happy with what you’ve got and keep it. It’s a smart sales tactic.
But do they always? Here is a statement from a speaker manufacturer well favoured on the forum: “We do not consider ‘burn in’ an issue. When our loudspeakers leave the factory they are in perfect working order and their performance will not change over time unless they are not cared for or get very old.”
Maybe we should talk about the pseudo scientific myths also……
Buy a new cable, amp, streamer, dac, pre. Listen to them after an hour. Then leave them running during 24 hours without listening to your system. And then observe the difference in sound. It’s obvious as the smell of merguez on the grill.
So you are in fact saying that companies like Naim and others are lying to their customers (written lies none the less) to make them buy products they initially don’t like. It sounds far fetched to me and quite an allegation to be frank. I’m guessing you don’t purchase things from companies you believe lie to you? Which would make me think you don’t own any Naim kit. Am I right in assuming so?
I’m not accusing anyone of lying, I’m merely offering my opinion based on my own experience. I’m sure others have different experiences, which is fine.
Then I don’t understand this statement as a response to my question regarding companies claiming their equipment needs burning-in. It might be a question about language. I’m not native in English.
Maybe they, like Naim, do it at the factory? Another popular manufacturer states 15 hours, which seems reasonable. Also an order of magnitude that could be done as part of a “soak test”.
Many, if not most, manufacturer’s suggest that their equipment improves over time. It’s a pretty broad statement to make and I’m not sure it really means very much. My experience has been that equipment needs to warm-up when switched on, but I’ve never experienced any noticeable change over longer time periods. Doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen, it’s just that I’ve never experienced it.
I’m generally a sceptic when it comes to claims that many hi-fi manufacturers and reviewers make, but that’s just me
It was just an observation, nothing personal towards yourself. I can quite imagine a lot of folks (myself included on this throughout the years), would buy the kit, rush to get it home, throw it all together and expect instant results, then just accept that the kit itself is good enough, maybe ‘over-hyped or even just mediocre, when actually it isn’t. Far from it. I have found through my own experiences there is a whole lot more to discover - burn-in being only one of them.
It probably varies depending upon materials used, tolerances and design fundamentals. I’ve found the drivers on my OB project have gradually smoothed out (full range) or loosened up (bass drivers) thought the full rangers have required longer.
It’s just like cars - people have different ideas about running in engines and how they loosen up after the initial run-in period. Going back to the days of the E46 M3, the average E46 didn’t require a lot of running in but the M3 engine required a very critical 1,000 mile service. If you didn’t do this (surprisingly some owners didn’t) you screwed up both the warranty and the value of your car, regardless of whether it actually went wrong or not.
Ok. I understand what you mean with that. I would also call myself a sceptic and so would people that know me. However I have experienced burn in and also believe the claims some manufacturers make about it. Most recently with my speaker cables. So long as you don’t one sidedly claim the changes I hear come from getting used to the sound I am satisfied. Of course getting used to the sound also has a large part of liking the sound. I guess it’s the same as with how people look. We tend to find people we see often become more attractive according to an article I read. So I agree to an extent that getting used to the sound is a factor.
Yes i agree also, but it works both ways for good or bad. One is either totally immersed & engaged in the sound or not, no acceptance for what it is or getting used to anything is going to change that.
I had to run in a custom built engine in a Subaru. First 1000 miles on mineral oil to grind in the components , lots of low rev grunt work (think up into the hills etc.) with car limited to 0.5bar boost.
Then a complete flush and check over, before feeding in correct grade synthetic oil. Absolutely critical for high power applications.