The Audiophile Thread

[rottersclub]

You'll also be happy to know that the concept such as "break-in" doesn't exist, either. "Break-in" is actually just the process of your brain acclimating itself to how something sounds.

You'll love this "nonsense" then:

http://www.morrowaudio.com/cablebreakin.htm

[Firth]

That's not the point. "Break-in" was long touted as changes that occur physically to a piece of equipment that made it perform better after it had been used for a period of time. We now know that this does not occur (a caveat - it can occur with speakers, but the changes are slight and they occur after a fairly short amount of use time).

A particular person imagining that they like something more after a few dozen hours of listening is not this process.

My subwoofers took a week of break in before the boominess flatten. The manufacturer stated so. It wasn't the mind, because I could hear the difference when I got in my car.

[rottersclub]

I'm in the process of breaking in a new pair of standmounts for my office system. Out of the box, the tweeter was highly recessed. Two weeks later they are shining they way I heard them at my brothers. I'll let you know how much break-in the new bi-wire speaker cables I ordered take once they arrive.

[BarryLI]

Do any of you guys do headphones? I just got a pair of Sennheiser HD800s. I'm still getting used to the way they sound, although I'm liking them more and more. Very revealing although a bass boost wouldn't hurt. I don't find them as bright as others have reported. Very, very different from my Sennheiser HD650s and it's almost critical to use a tube amp to sweeten them a bit...I'd still like to get a pair of Stax or one of the high end Audeze phones around my head. I imagine Laser Ken has a pair of Stax SR-009s...

Most of my listening is done through a pair of Grado PS1000's. They sound peachy to me and save me $50,000 on an insane home set-up.

[BobM]

Headphones are a great audiophile solution for anyone who can't afford, or needs a quiet environment (e.g. apartment), or doesn't have room for a high end audio system. You can get a great headphone system for less than $1000 all together.

[Jerjo]

Facelift, if you're going to join in it's time to whip out your dick for a measurement. What kind of system are you running?

I never had to burn in any components or speakers until I got my current system about ten years ago. My audio dealer said, "it's going to sound pretty dry for at least a hundred hours, maybe a couple hundred." I had no idea what he meant until I got the thing hooked up. What came out was indeed very flat and dry, no depth to the sound. My wife and I played a couple CDs a day and three or four on the weekend days with the idea it would get better. One night I put on Stupid Dream, turned it up, and started working on something. That part where the big riff kicks in on "Even Less"? The bottom end that wasn't there the day I set it up was now way up in the mix. I went to my LP rack, took out LZ II, and put it on side two. JPJ's slippery fuzzy bass tone on "Heartbreaker" was snapping out of the speakers and Bonham was right in the middle of the room, slamming those skins like a mofo. I switched to a jazz CD of a local combo. What sounded distant before now sounded like these guys were playing in my living room. I have no idea what the science on burning in electrical devices but I can damn well assure anyone that I have heard it.

[Gruno]

Facelift, if you're going to join in it's time to whip out your dick for a measurement.

[Pr33t]

I have no idea what the science on burning in electrical devices but I can damn well assure anyone that I have heard it.

This is pretty much my exact take on most anything audiopile related. I'm pretty much a skeptic until I have heard it myself. As to the previous discussion of 'burn-in' being psychological, I'm willing to accept that on a rational basis if there isn't any hard data to prove that. But there needs to be some way to acknowledge that what people are hearing is real, rather than the usual thinly (or not) veiled assumption that people claim to hear these things just to justify price tags.

As an example for myself, I upgraded my interconnects (pre-amp to amp) to Kimber PBJ cables a few months back. I bought a dirt cheap used pair, skeptical about them working, ready to re-list on ebay if I didn't hear anything. I wasn't invested heavily in any real way, financially, emotionally, etc. Turns out I heard a difference immediately. When I switched back a few months later to the cheap ones, it didn't sound as good to me. Whether it's psychological or not, it's my experience, and I'm just looking for something that satisfies me.

[Pr33t]

That's not the point. "Break-in" was long touted as changes that occur physically to a piece of equipment that made it perform better after it had been used for a period of time. We now know that this does not occur (a caveat - it can occur with speakers, but the changes are slight and they occur after a fairly short amount of use time).

Fair enough - I'm not invested enough in the orthodox terminology to argue this one way or another. I'm open to the idea it may or may not be a physical change.

A particular person imagining that they like something more after a few dozen hours of listening is not this process.

But I can't agree with saying people are "imagining" what they hear for the most part. When you switch components, you are obviously going to hear something different.

[Staun]

Mechanical items need time to "seat", as in valve heads in an auto engine. How many times have you read in an owners manual that a new product will take time to adjust? Recently I've been interested in tube audio equipment and every time I'm told the tubes with sound better after abit of aging. Settleing, burn in?

[LASERCD]

Anyone go to Axpona? Looks like it was a big success.

[Facelift]

You'll love this "nonsense" then:

http://www.morrowaudio.com/cablebreakin.htm

LOL!!!

[Facelift]

Facelift, if you're going to join in it's time to whip out your dick for a measurement. What kind of system are you running?

I never had to burn in any components or speakers until I got my current system about ten years ago. My audio dealer said, "it's going to sound pretty dry for at least a hundred hours, maybe a couple hundred." I had no idea what he meant until I got the thing hooked up. What came out was indeed very flat and dry, no depth to the sound. My wife and I played a couple CDs a day and three or four on the weekend days with the idea it would get better. One night I put on Stupid Dream, turned it up, and started working on something. That part where the big riff kicks in on "Even Less"? The bottom end that wasn't there the day I set it up was now way up in the mix. I went to my LP rack, took out LZ II, and put it on side two. JPJ's slippery fuzzy bass tone on "Heartbreaker" was snapping out of the speakers and Bonham was right in the middle of the room, slamming those skins like a mofo. I switched to a jazz CD of a local combo. What sounded distant before now sounded like these guys were playing in my living room. I have no idea what the science on burning in electrical devices but I can damn well assure anyone that I have heard it.

It was purely your imagination, fueled by the suggestion of the dealer. It appears that you may the type that is easily suggestible.

Did running your computer longer make it faster, too?

[Staun]

Anyone go to Axpona? Looks like it was a big success.

Had to work in the back yard. Wasn't as bad as we thought. What did you see of intrest? Anything bowl you over?

[BobM]

It was purely your imagination, fueled by the suggestion of the dealer. It appears that you may the type that is easily suggestible.

Did running your computer longer make it faster, too?

I think it is actually delusional to think that electronic and mechanical devices don't burn in with time. It is so obvious and apparent that I can't understand how anyone could think otherwise. Sometimes it is only an hour or so, sometimes is it a lot, lot, lot longer for the changes to subside. And with mechanical things (like cars) it can be a month or more of use before they truly settle in. I've heard it, I've experienced it time and again. If you haven't then (a) maybe you are not looking in the right place, (b) maybe you are not sensitive to the change, (c) maybe you've convinced yourself that it is not real and won't be swayed by what is actually happening.

[LASERCD]

Had to work in the back yard. Wasn't as bad as we thought. What did you see of intrest? Anything bowl you over?

I was never planning on going. You were.

[Staun]

I was never planning on going. You were.

I sure in the hell was. I don't take brow beatings very well. Do I have to turn in my man card?

[LASERCD]

I sure in the hell was. I don't take brow beatings very well. Do I have to turn in my man card?

You're a newbie. You get a pass.

[JKL2000]

What is "bi-wiring"?

You have two leads to each driver, period end of story. Are you talking about running separate wires for positive & negative? That's negated by a decent gauge paired-wire.

Exactly right -- but I'm having difficulty picturing how you would "bi-wire" if you did not "bi-amp"....

Bi-wiring should be left up to the states to decide.

[3LockBox]

What's the best way to get green magic marker stains off your fingers

[Dave (in MA)]

Now I'm worried that I might have been playing my music with the cables in the wrong direction.

[Firth]

Now I'm worried that I might have been playing my music with the cables in the wrong direction.

As long as the sex toy has a cord with a three prong plug, you are good

[BadEars]

Years ago I bought a Pioneer CD changer in which the discs are placed face up (label down). One guy told me it would never sound good because (if I remember this correctly) the bits can settle, causing the laser focal length to vary.

Anyone here believe that?

[3LockBox]

Years ago I bought a Pioneer CD changer in which the discs are placed face up (label down). One guy told me it would never sound good because (if I remember this correctly) the bits can settle, causing the laser focal length to vary.

Anyone here believe that?

sure, but if you freeze the CD the bits contract, allowing the laser to read more bits per sample... that is assuming you've accounted for static build up between metallic substrate and plastic coating. A good deguassing prior to freezing should do the trick.

[BadEars]

Don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows if you play a frozen CD the highs will sound brittle.

I forgot to mention that the man who suggested the problem had a special marker for drawing blue lines around the edges of his CD. Remember that?