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I guess the "break in" period is real

Romeo Wolf

Romeo Wolf

Super Member
I use a cheap pair of Onn brand 3.5mm wired earbuds as my daily drivers for everyday media consumption - YouTube, mp3 files, here on AK (such as the "show your systems" thread), you name it, etc. For 5 bucks and a bit of EQ, they're not bad little in-ears to listen to, and with considerable care you can expect to get about a year out of them. Being as they're dirt cheap in-ears YMMV.

I just picked up a new pair today as my old ones were starting to go out on the left channel, but I noticed right away (upon playing the original version of "Puff The Magic Dragon" from 1962) that the bass and peter sounded further to the left than I remember, so I put on my old pair and sure enough they sounded almost mono in comparison. I also tried swapping the ear tips between old & new and no difference. The other thing I noticed when playing Sweet Emotion by Rita Coolidge is they were also noticeably brighter than I remembered, which I was also able to confirm - although for all I know this could just be the effects of earwax taking it's toll inside the earbud, or maybe driver break in is a real thing and I just never really noticed it until today?
 
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Romeo Wolf said:
The other thing I noticed when playing Sweet Emotion by Rita Coolidge is they were also noticeably brighter than I remembered, which I was also able to confirm - although for all I know this could just be the effects of earwax taking it's toll inside the earbud, or maybe driver break in is a real thing and I just never really noticed it until today?
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I remember reading an old post — on another site, about 20 years ago — explaining that "break-in" in audio usually refers to the initially bright response from a new unit.

So, some guy did a spectrum analysis and found that it didn't really change that much over time. So he postulated that the owner's ears adjusted to the unit more than the unit "broke in."
Boy! Did that post cause a major uproar!
712f4ca0-f13d-4806-842c-b0ef3b8cfdd8.gif


Anyhow, in my experience, phono cartridges can take a while to "break in" or get "used to." ;)
 
Mr Boochie said:
I remember reading an old post — on another site, about 20 years ago — explaining that "break-in" in audio usually refers to the initially bright response from a new unit.

So, some guy did a spectrum analysis and found that it didn't really change that much over time. So he postulated that the owner's ears adjusted to the unit more than the unit "broke in."
Boy! Did that post cause a major uproar!
712f4ca0-f13d-4806-842c-b0ef3b8cfdd8.gif


Anyhow, in my experience, phono cartridges can take a while to "break in" or get "used to." ;)
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Any mechanical device can be expected to have some period of "break-in" as materials are flexed and fibers or whatnot are subjected to little cracks or tears. It's only a matter of a few seconds or minutes, however.

Oh yeah, and any TRUE audiophile will NOT trust/believe measurements when they oppose long held beliefs. To them, the highly fallible human ear is THE final arbiter.

Doug
 
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Doug G. said:
Any mechanical device can be expected to have some period of "break-in" as materials are flexed and fibers or whatnot are subjected to little cracks or tears. It's only a matter of a few seconds or minutes, however.

Doug
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Yeah, mechanical break-in, bedding in, or surface mating.

For sure, in newly rebuilt engines. It's good to follow a set break-in procedure for a long, happy engine life.

:thumbsup:
 
Regarding what I wrote, above, about the human ear being the final arbiter, it IS the final arbiter as far as what any particular person hears and what any particular person likes. I was more referring to those who poo-poo specifications in the "specifications don't matter" discussions/arguments.

An example is, fairly recently, there have been threads about people buying new turntables and hearing wow and flutter. The manufacturer didn't think it was necessary to publish specifications when one of THE most important attributes OF a turntable is how steadily a table rotates a record.

Doug
 
I think specifications are an important guide, but not the be all and end all that some make them out to be, especially the last few decades where there didn't seem to be too much enforcement, and some manufacturers just not publishing them at all.
 
There's very little evidence that electronic components break in. OTOH, mechanical things like drivers do, and it's measurable. Things also wear out and any given thing can be flat out broken! I like very cheap things but also acknowledge that the manufacturers may not choose the most stable or durable materials. I still get much joy from my $12 Sony headphones and a bit of EQ.
 
Doug G. said:
Regarding what I wrote, above, about the human ear being the final arbiter, it IS the final arbiter as far as what any particular person hears and what any particular person likes. I was more referring to those who poo-poo specifications in the "specifications don't matter" discussions/arguments.

An example is, fairly recently, there have been threads about people buying new turntables and hearing wow and flutter. The manufacturer didn't think it was necessary to publish specifications when one of THE most important attributes OF a turntable is how steadily a table rotates a record.

Doug
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There is a large chasm between what most folks consider acceptable for record playback and what one of "us" might.

It's arguably a wise move to not let specifications get in the way of advertising and sales. Not publishing specs means you don't get compared to 50 year old turntables (with far better performance for 1/4 the price...).
 
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