This is my first Naim system so I don’t know what to expect about the sound stabilizing and break-in. I have the system for 3 days and I have been streaming at low volume levels. CD5si, SN3, ND5sx2, Hicap DR,Rega P9,Spendor A4 speakers.
Sometimes the system sounds a bit thin. Sometimes imaging confused slightly. Sometimes lacking bass, but bass tuneful.
Yet other times it sounds magical and almost brings me to tears. The experience is confusing. Again this is my first Naim system.
My previous system was all Rega with X3 speakers. It was a mid level system.
You’re likely to receive a wide range of suggested periods. Leave it switched on, playing a CD on repeat, or a tuner (which I don’t think that you have), for a month. You’re unlikely to notice much change after that.
A good system will make poor source material sound poor and good source material sound good. I’m not a great believer in electronic component “burn in”. I do think our hearing eventually acclimates to most systems, though(!)
In my experience a good system sounds good out of the box and only gets better. After a few days of 24/7 running it should be mostly on song. I don’t subscribe to the belief it takes weeks for a system to run in and if it doesn’t sound good out of the box it’s not going to get much better but your ears might adjust to the bad.
I just enjoy the music and don’t worry about it. If and when it gets better that’s a bonus. Don’t play your music to listen to your system. Play your system to listen to your music.
Don’t forget to leave it all switched on. I reckon brand new Naim electronics take about 3-4 weeks to settle but if the speakers are also new they might take a while to loosen up too. They will ideally need a bit of volume.
The differences in the first few days can be marked in my experience, and yes sometimes I have thought it goes a bit backwards during that time. Others differ.
Enjoy. The key thing is to just get used to your system and don’t even think about more tweaks or changes for ages. Many people start asking about moving the speakers’ position or swapping cables etc within a few days of kit arriving. Not wise in my view
If this is your first significantly (whatever this means ) good system, then you will now be noticing sonic defects in the some of the recordings you have, and at the same time, finding new details in others. Time to “run in”? About 0 weeks, 0 days, and 0 hours. Enjoy!
My experiences over the years suggest anything up to several months for everything to settle and sound just how it should. It should sound pretty nice after a couple of weeks or so but things will just keep getting better and better. Assuming powered up 24/7 of course.
Graham was right! I hardly dare add another but my experience is that it sounds good immediately, better if you leave it (not necessarily night and day) and it’s hard to say when peak performance arrives because that can be album dependent and also reflect your own mood and energy levels.
Put another way all the views above reconcile to my own empirical experience but above all, just get stuck in!
) good system, then you will now be noticing sonic defects in the some of the recordings you have, and at the same time, finding new details in others. Time to “run in”? About 0 weeks, 0 days, and 0 hours. Enjoy!