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Headphone burn in?

2N3055

2N3055

pfm Member
New to phones and a new set of phones. Sound very nice. Has anyone experienced burn in? Can I expect anything?
 
If you experience any change/improvement in sound during the first few hours listening it may be the phones bedding in but could just as easily be you adjusting to your new phones. I have owned more kit than I care to remember and at best burn in is subtle.
 
Brian Ellis said:
If you experience any change/improvement in sound during the first few hours listening it may be the phones bedding in but could just as easily be you adjusting to your new phones. I have owned more kit than I care to remember and at best burn in is subtle.
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Personally speaking, I agree with this.

But, who is to say that other people experience different things?
 
The electrodynamic bits .. 'burn in ' I am quite skeptical of; an hour or two, at most.

However - as above - the 'fit' and very especially, the pads finding their natural shape against your head to seat/seal propoerly, is a huge part of it - regardless of 'open' or 'closed' the close-fit does affect the response. Your own comfort when this is established also let one relax and just enjoy the music; that's physio/psycho logical more than a change in sound, but no less real.

I replaced teh pads on HD565Ovations I'd had 20yrs - and they took dys of use to soften/take up my skull contours. I cannot say the sound changed at all in that time (- long in use!) but one day - oh, now comfy! = huge change in resulting gestalt.
 
It could also be your ears changing shape to fit the pads.
The material used in diaphragms and the surround are usually plastic, not the change prone paper and fibre materials
 
As far as I can recall, the HiFiMan planar headphones that I have changed for the better after 30-50 hrs (might have been a bit longer) - initially sounded a bit flat / 2D - only really noticeable though once the presentation changed.
 
If actual "burn in" of the electrodynamic parts of an upmarket headphone was a thing, it would be done as part of the final production before being sent out. Who’d want their product out there to be compared when it could be better?
 
Few companies are going to spend time, electricity, shelf space and money burning in components for tens of hours. The lifting of veils is part of the fun of ownership, surely.

My fiio fh9 loosened up over the course of a day or so of none worn run in.
 
possibly related. But my Audio Technica ATH-911's have been unused for the past 2 years or so. Recently bought a Headline 2 hedphone amp, in anticipation of not having a speaker system for a few months.... Tried the 911's through the new headphone amp, and it was all quite underwhelming. Figured the headphones might be a bit sulky, so just left them playing the radio at moderate volume for 5 hours or so - hoping I dont have to finally buy a new set of phones after 30 years! Then listened again. Sounded as superb as they always have. May have been the phones or the headline that required some running in again... dont care. sound great now.
 
Rob Stockman said:
Recently bought a Headline 2 hedphone amp,
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Almost certainly the Headline, esp. if new or not used for a time. Also the power supply, whatever you use. Def. not the cans, I feel. I had a Headline powered from my 552 for years but it never really inspired (with my HD650s). Even the old Cyrus One used as an interim measure wasn't worse. My Myriad is a case apart, though in fairness I did change the pre.
 
My Focal's were significantly improved after after a week or so. Focal make this point on their website too. It will probably matter what type of materials are used in construction.
 
I put my Focal Clears on for a 24-hour session with some frequency sweeps, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. It's difficult to know if it made a difference, as I didn't listen to them before. But they do sound good, even after three years.
 
Thegreatroberto said:
I put my Focal Clears on for a 24-hour session with some frequency sweeps, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. It's difficult to know if it made a difference, as I didn't listen to them before. But they do sound good, even after three years.
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A bit of a landmark it appears according to my reading. Would like to get a pair to compare open back vs closed back.
 
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