Break-In Necessary on New CD Player?

Status
Not open for further replies.

PhilC

New Member
Burn-In Necessary on New CD Player?

I just purchased an Onkyo DX-7555 CDP and should have it in my clutches within 4 to 5 days. I've read a lot of comments suggesting that new CDPs sound better after an initial burn-in period. This does not intuitively make sense to me and I'm wondering if some of you can enlighten me. Is this a bunch of bunk, or do they really perform better after some initial use? If some of you think new CDPs really do require a burn-in period for optimal performance, can you explain why and how this is true? Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Breaking in a CD player sounds like hogwash to me. There aren't any physical parts that need breaking in. It's not like a speaker or a shoe.
 
I believe that the electronics need to burn-in. I purchased a DAC and the manual states that it requires 100 hours of break in. I have a CD player in my bedroom system that when new, in my main system, sounded a tad bright out of the box. After breaking in, it sounded much better. Just my 2 cents worth.
 
A lot of folks don't believe in burn in or break in, so I'll just say it this way, my Rega Apollo cd player sounded much better after 100 hrs playing time and now my Rega Saturn is following a similar pattern and improving greatly sfter about 65 hrs.
 
A lot of folks don't believe in burn in or break in, so I'll just say it this way, my Rega Apollo cd player sounded much better after 100 hrs playing time and now my Rega Saturn is following a similar pattern and improving greatly after about 65 hrs.

I believe equipment sounds better after some burn in,but also my ears getting used to the equipment change.

Art how do you like the rega cd players.also how do you like them compared to each other.Obviously you like the Rega cd or you wouldn't have bought another one.

Thanks Brian
 
Last edited:
Unpack it, plug it in, turn it on, drop in a CD and enjoy it...

Maybe it will sound better later, maybe it won't. Why worry about it? Just enjoy it...


+10

why worry if it takes 100 hours like Art mentions to break in. You won't have an accurate enough aural memory to compare it to when you first got it.

If you plug it in and it sounds like crap well I doubt any breaking in period will correct that.

If you plug it in an enjoy it for 100 hours and it in some suttle way sounds better then when you bought it GREAT think of it as a free upgrade.
 
FWIW, my Monitor Audio RS8 speakers sounded very good out of the box and the manual mentioned a 60 hour break in period. I actually kept track and started to hear a difference at about 40 hours. After 60, I stopped logging the hours. They do sound better than when new.
 
Unpack it, plug it in, turn it on, drop in a CD and enjoy it...

Maybe it will sound better later, maybe it won't. Why worry about it? Just enjoy it...

Who's worried about it? I'm simply curious. Incidentally, while I'm no expert, it's easier for me to believe the difference sometimes heard is actually an adjustment in the listener rather than the CDP. I'm open to other interpretations, however.
 
Ditto.

The only thing that may need a break-in are speakers, as the drivers do loosen up some over time.

That's not true actually, all kinds of things "burn in" and "break in," not just speakers.

I don't think the OP said anything about being worried, he's just curious, and it's a totally legitimate question. You may or may not notice, but the sound will likely change over a period of time. This is much more noticeable with some components than others.

For those dismissive and/or critical of the concept of trying to keep track of how a components sound changes as it breaks in, it's fine if you don't care about it, but some of us are very interested in the process and enjoy it.
 
I think you have to buy two of them. Let me break one of them in for you for 100 hours of listening, after which I return it to you. Then connect them both (the other one unused and right out of the box) to the same system on alternate and equivalent inputs. Put identical CDs in each, start them simultaneously, and switch back and forth between them to see if the sound is different between them and how.

Then ask yourself if this process has been worth the trouble for anyone but your volunteer 100-hour-CD-player-tester?

;)
 
I thought break-in was bunk until I got my Odyssey amps. The sound substantially changed over the first two weeks of ownership, no question about it. Now, I'm not so cynical about this or some of the other audio mythology of questionable logic. Some equipment's sound may change somewhat between the "new" period and the "used" period of its life. Guess what? Every other object in the universe undergoes the same process of change on the time continuum. "Nothing stays the same" is considered conventional wisdom for that reason. Some things change more than others. Chances are the changes in your particular cd player will be subtle and not noticeable. Anyway, who is to say that after this "break in", the unit ends up sounding better. If it can change, it may very well change for the worse. Fortunately, my Odyssey amps sound improved, rather than degraded, over time. Klaus is a magician.
 
I believe equipment sounds better after some burn in,but also my ears getting used to the equipment change.

Art how do you like the rega cd players.also how do you like them compared to each other.Obviously you like the Rega cd or you wouldn't have bought another one.

Thanks Brian

I have owned a whole bunch of CD players and these are by far the best of the bunch. The comparison I'll save for another thread. This one's gone to shit pretty much like I knew it would.

I pay no attention to folks who don't believe in burn-in or the difference in cables. Buy and believe what makes you happy. I'll do the same.
 
I thought break-in was bunk until I got my Odyssey amps. The sound substantially changed over the first two weeks of ownership, no question about it. Now, I'm not so cynical about this or some of the other audio mythology of questionable logic. Some equipment's sound may change somewhat between the "new" period and the "used" period of its life. Guess what? Every other object in the universe undergoes the same process of change on the time continuum. "Nothing stays the same" is considered conventional wisdom for that reason. Some things change more than others. Chances are the changes in your particular cd player will be subtle and not noticeable. Anyway, who is to say that after this "break in", the unit ends up sounding better. If it can change, it may very well change for the worse. Fortunately, my Odyssey amps sound improved, rather than degraded, over time. Klaus is a magician.

The number 1 amp I'd like to try, if only I had the money... :yes:
 
Not sure about amps/cdp/etc. breaking in but when I first bought, mounted and played a Shure V15xMR cartridge it was DEFINITELY bass heavy for about 25-30 hours. After that it's balanced out and everything is great.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom