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hasbeen 30 April 2003

I have heard more than one audiophile talk about playing loud music through headphones for a few days to "break them in", thereby making them sound better. Sounds interesting but unbelievable. Any comments?

Comments

anonymous Thu, 05/01/2003 - 04:28

all kidding aside - it definately helps the sound to "burn" or "break" them in - i have noticed a bigger difference with cheaper headphones, but even my Sony 7506's sound much better after burning in - when i first bought them i did not realize this (and did not know what they were supposed to sound like) and read about it on one of the forums - by then my first set had burned in naturally over time. Next set i bought (out of the box) did not sound as good as the first pair, so i tried the burning in process and left them hooked up to my stereo and played them (buried under a pillow) for a couple of days - big difference! - now i do this with every new set i buy
dan

KurtFoster Thu, 05/01/2003 - 19:56

Originally posted by hasbeen:
I have heard more than one audiophile talk about playing loud music through headphones for a few days to "break them in", thereby making them sound better. Sounds interesting but unbelievable. Any comments?

That sounds like something a stereo store clerk named "Ronnie" would come up with ... "Ya gotta believe me man, they will sound better after you wear them out a little ... really man, trust me!"... BTW, What the hell is an "audiophile"? A professional listener?

UncleBob58 Fri, 05/02/2003 - 06:55

Burn them in... What utter merde!

However, as with any speaker, remember that if it has been sitting out in the cold play them at a LOW volume for a few minutes to warm them gently, as the paper will be stiff from the low temperature.

The question taht always drives me hazy,
Am I or the others crazy

-Albert Einstein

Pez Fri, 05/02/2003 - 07:40

Ok, this is unbelieveable but give it a try and see for yourself....

1- Make sure your receiver is pointing true north (use a compass for proper calibration- very important- don't skip this step please!)

2- Find a CD and put it into the machine. Make sure the CD has the word "Brittney" on it.

3- Set a timer and then plug in your new phones and watch. After about 6 minutes and 66 seconds the phones will unplug itself from the jack.

anonymous Fri, 05/02/2003 - 09:14

I'm inclined to believe it would make some minor difference, although I share the question whether the difference is perceivable.

Headphones are a mehanical device, and new materials/systems tend to have less flexibility than those that have been subjected to constant use for a while.

My own thought, not backed by experiment.

hasbeen Fri, 05/02/2003 - 21:24

I've had a pair of Sony MDR-7506 for at least 8 years, they have always sounded the same. The ear pads are all gnarly now. Just got a pair of Sennheiser HD-280's and used them for a few days to track some stuff. They sounded great! So, now I have been playing AC/DC Back In Black at a pretty high volume through them for the last 72hrs and I am going to see if I can notice a difference. I will test them monitoring the same tracks I recorded a few days ago. I will post the unqualified results...

And, YES...I do have a lot of time on my hands.

anonymous Mon, 05/05/2003 - 04:53

Recording studio myths

This is just another silly myth that seems to float around. Here are a few more:

1. You have to break in or run in your monitors

2. You can hear the difference between Monster Cable (or other BS brand) and ordinary good quality cable.

3. You should use a power conditioner

4. You should polish your mains plugs

5. Condenser mics should be hung upside down

All the above is BS

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