Burn in earphones with too much treble

[Manny Calavera]

What do i use, just white noise / pink noise from youtube?
Anyone got proven mp3s?
At what noise levels do i run it and for how long?

 

Idk if this is possible, but id like more bass, so i dont need EQ

[Flyguygamer]

I wouldn't. You likely wont be able to tell the difference.

[MegaDave91]

Just play the music you listen to. I did that with my headphones and stuck them in a drawer of my dresser under a bunch of shirts on full volume for a few nights. Did it do anything? I'd like to think so.

[Manny Calavera]

Just play the music you listen to. I did that with my headphones and stuck them in a drawer of my dresser under a bunch of shirts on full volume for a few nights. Did it do anything? I'd like to think so.

well i am only doing that so they are not copletelly worthless. right now they sould really bad. Ill trow them away if burn in does not work. they sound so bad that a potato with two copper sticks and a alu foil would sound better if it worked...

[MegaDave91]

well i am only doing that so they are not copletelly worthless. right now they sould really bad. Ill trow them away if burn in does not work. they sound so bad that a potato with two copper sticks and a alu foil would sound better if it worked...

Even if "burning in" isn't placebo and actually improves sound quality, it's not going to be a drastic difference. 

[Manny Calavera]

right now i am doing this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtimhT-ff4

 

at volume that is similar to ambient noise ( open window ) 1 meter away from earphones

 

Will report back when its finished.

[creatip123]

Burn-ins are urban legends. Some say it's utter crap, others swear it's real. BTW, how long have you been using the headphone? Even if it's real, burn-ins only work with fresh out of the factory/box headphones, won't work on headphones with hours of accumulated operation time.

 

Like the above said, even if it works, won't magically transform the headphone into a $50 more worth of a headphone. 

[Manny Calavera]

Burn-ins are urban legends. Some say it's utter crap, others swear it's real. BTW, how long have you been using the headphone? Even if it's real, burn-ins only work with fresh out of the factory/box headphones, won't work on headphones with hours of accumulated operation time.

 

Like the above said, even if it works, won't magically transform the headphone into a $50 more worth of a headphone. 

i used it for around 6 houres in last 3 days, because the other ones broke and i am left with the crappy ones

[BoredErica]

Well at least burning in a headphone in doesn't cost like $1000 or something crazy like that.

I think as we listen to a sound source we get used to its sound, our brain adjusts. I think psychological factors are just as big as burn-in if not larger.

[creatip123]

Well at least burning in a headphone in doesn't cost like $1000 or something crazy like that.

I think as we listen to a sound source we get used to its sound, our brain adjusts. I think psychological factors are just as big as burn-in if not larger.

 

As long as we can spare the efforts, then yeah, why not?

 

Our sensory organs tend to 'linger in the past', like when we walk in a dark room from a sunshine outdoor, or drinking coffee after eating sweet candy. Need time to adjust to the new situation

 

I got used to my crappy old clarion headphone at home PC. Just now, I played a game on my Ipad with AT IEM, and then immediately went back to my PC. The clarion sounded so crappy that I thought there was a problem with the cabling and/or jack. Then I just realized that my ears had adjusted to the AT IEM at that moment, that's why....

[Stefky]

"Burning in" is largely a myth, especially when it comes to dynamic headphones.

There is some evidence in planar models - electrostatic and magnetic - that the diaphragm looses taughtness a little and there is a genuine change after a few hours of initial use, but not much is going to change with a voice coil from use, and nothing is going to change in a stiff dynamic diaphragm. Maybe there are some tiny, minor changes over the first few hours but the frequency response is not going to significantly change.

When it comes to the changes to some dynamic headphones sound over time, it is IMO, to do either with compression and oil build up on earpads or you mentally adjusting to the new sound, likely a bit of both.

A simple, inexpensive and reality-based way to control treble is by changing the filter between the driver and your ear to a different material, or just using EQ.

[Lays]

As long as we can spare the efforts, then yeah, why not?

 

Our sensory organs tend to 'linger in the past', like when we walk in a dark room from a sunshine outdoor, or drinking coffee after eating sweet candy. Need time to adjust to the new situation

 

I got used to my crappy old clarion headphone at home PC. Just now, I played a game on my Ipad with AT IEM, and then immediately went back to my PC. The clarion sounded so crappy that I thought there was a problem with the cabling and/or jack. Then I just realized that my ears had adjusted to the AT IEM at that moment, that's why....

 

 

Yeah, my ears were used to my 900x's when I bought my he-500s, once I put them on for the first few days I thought the 900x's sounded better, but once my ears adjusted, the 500's were much better.

[creatip123]

"Burning in" is largely a myth, especially when it comes to dynamic headphones.

There is some evidence in planar models - electrostatic and magnetic - that the diaphragm looses taughtness a little and there is a genuine change after a few hours of initial use, but not much is going to change with a voice coil from use, and nothing is going to change in a stiff dynamic diaphragm. Maybe there are some tiny, minor changes over the first few hours but the frequency response is not going to significantly change.

When it comes to the changes to some dynamic headphones sound over time, it is IMO, to do either with compression and oil build up on earpads or you mentally adjusting to the new sound, likely a bit of both.

A simple, inexpensive and reality-based way to control treble is by changing the filter between the driver and your ear to a different material, or just using EQ.

 

While you're on the subject, there's something I've been meaning to ask, from my experience.

 

So I've been using this HE400, right. I bought a demo unit, because it's not distributed widely anymore (making way for the 400i, I think). Being a demo unit, I figure all burn-ins thingamagic should've past already by now.

 

So been using it for a while, adjusted to the sound. One day I brought it to an audio store, to audition some amps I might wanna buy. The amps made clipping and breaking sounds (like damaged speaker driver), but the actual volume were not that high. My E10 can drive it much louder without all that clippings and breakings. Well, I ended up not getting the amps anyway.

 

Now the strange thing is, after that incident, my HE400 sounds better. The bass is tighter and denser, and I can hear clearer separations. Maybe just delusional, but I speculate, maybe the diaphragm got dirt built ups, and the clippings and breakings (I imagine the diaphragm shook vigorously at that moment) kinda 'shook the dirt off', giving better sound than what I've been hearing before. Is that even possible? Or just pure imagination?

[JR1911]

Well, whether it's just my ears adjusting or there are actual changes in the speakers, I've noticed definite changes in both headphones and regular speakers. My AKG K450 headphones for example sounded very bass heavy the first time I used them, but after a few hours the sound seemed to even out and they sounded much better. My ProAc Response D1 speakers seemed very 'tight' straight out of the box but after a day or so of listening the sound 'loosened' and sounded more like the demo pair I'd listened to in the store.

 

There's also been cases I haven't really heard a difference after burn-in, for example with the Tannoy Fusion F1 speakers I had for a few years and the Sennheiser HD650s, though the Sennheisers definitely benefited from replacing the standard cable with a one from Cardas.

[BoredErica]

I don't believe in cables. And I lack a belief in burn in. Either way, even if burn in is real, the device will burn in by itself as I use it, so I'm not really worried.

[Stefky]

I would think the problem was with the amp if the phones were fine afterwards. As to their sounding better afterwards. Could it have been influenced by the releif of them still working when you got them home?

There is solid scientific evidence that planar headphones can change sound with use. Tyll Hertsens measured it with a set of SR009. It makes sense really - we are talking about a super thin membrane stretched super taught in a frame. It's going to loosen up over the first few hours of use. In this case thoigh your planars would already have gone throufh that process.

It's not impossible that some dirt came free that was messing the sound up, or that what ever was wrong with the amp stretched the diaphragm and changed the sound. I'd always assume psychology firat though.

When I'm in a stressed mood music sounds worse, when I'm relaxed it sounds better. You can't discount subjectivity and the part it plays in appreciation of sound.

[BoredErica]

I would think the problem was with the amp if the phones were fine afterwards. As to their sounding better afterwards. Could it have been influenced by the releif of them still working when you got them home?

There is solid scientific evidence that planar headphones can change sound with use. Tyll Hertsens measured it with a set of SR009. It makes sense really - we are talking about a super thin membrane stretched super taught in a frame. It's going to loosen up over the first few hours of use. In this case thoigh your planars would already have gone throufh that process.

It's not impossible that some dirt came free that was messing the sound up, or that what ever was wrong with the amp stretched the diaphragm and changed the sound. I'd always assume psychology firat though.

When I'm in a stressed mood music sounds worse, when I'm relaxed it sounds better. You can't discount subjectivity and the part it plays in appreciation of sound.

I wish everybody did a blind test when they get new audio equipment. I think it helps bust myths further, but I would figure it'd be fun.

Anyways, mentioning Tyll reminds me of a video Tyll did on burn-in. It's on Youtube, and in the comments people were criticizing it because Tyll was facing a laptop screen that had a reflective surface, where Tyll might see the headphone the other guy is putting on his head (I think they are two headphones, one supposidly new, another broken in, but they are color coded). So they were faulting the video. I dunno.

 

Personally I've never noticed burn-in on my headphones or speakers. I mean, didn't they say auditory memory is super short? How are we supposed to remember whether the sound changed if our memory blows that much? And I totally see the issue with doing a blind test for burn-in, that's not practical for most people.

[Stefky]

I wish everybody did a blind test when they get new audio equipment. I think it helps bust myths further, but I would figure it'd be fun.

Anyways, mentioning Tyll reminds me of a video Tyll did on burn-in. It's on Youtube, and in the comments people were criticizing it because Tyll was facing a laptop screen that had a reflective surface, where Tyll might see the headphone the other guy is putting on his head (I think they are two headphones, one supposidly new, another broken in, but they are color coded). So they were faulting the video. I dunno.

Personally I've never noticed burn-in on my headphones or speakers. I mean, didn't they say auditory memory is super short? How are we supposed to remember whether the sound changed if our memory blows that much? And I totally see the issue with doing a blind test for burn-in, that's not practical for most people.

It was with two Q701. The problem with the video was twofold:

It's very common to have slight variances between two headphones of the same model.

As one had been used more, the pads would be more compressed and the velour would have gathered more skin oil, which would change the sound.

The SR009 "burn in" was very much proved though by measurements, but as I said there is a logical reason for that with planar models that doesn't exist for dynamics.

[creatip123]

I would think the problem was with the amp if the phones were fine afterwards. As to their sounding better afterwards. Could it have been influenced by the releif of them still working when you got them home?

There is solid scientific evidence that planar headphones can change sound with use. Tyll Hertsens measured it with a set of SR009. It makes sense really - we are talking about a super thin membrane stretched super taught in a frame. It's going to loosen up over the first few hours of use. In this case thoigh your planars would already have gone throufh that process.

It's not impossible that some dirt came free that was messing the sound up, or that what ever was wrong with the amp stretched the diaphragm and changed the sound. I'd always assume psychology firat though.

When I'm in a stressed mood music sounds worse, when I'm relaxed it sounds better. You can't discount subjectivity and the part it plays in appreciation of sound.

 

I brought my E10 to the store that day, for the purpose of comparing it to the amps head to head, so even at the store, I knew my headphone was not damaged by the clippings and breakings. Meaning, most likely not the relief feeling.

 

But okay, I can accept it's most probably just psychological feeling. That's why I asked, because I got nothing solid, theories or facts, to back it up, I even doubted myself. Thanx for clearing that up....

[ShearMe]

Burn-in is real, but it doesn't completely change the character of a headphone.

[Manny Calavera]

 right now still sounding like pulling steel wire in one ear and out the other, it actually hurts my eardrums

at this point i dont think this earphones even deserve to be benchmarked for burn in, but for the sake of trying, ill let them burn 12 more houres

[creatip123]

 right now still sounding like pulling steel wire in one ear and out the other, it actually hurts my eardrums

at this point i dont think this earphones even deserve to be benchmarked for burn in, but for the sake of trying, ill let them burn 12 more houres

 

Honestly, best option for you to do is fiddle with EQ. Either the EQ with the audio player program, or EQ with your audio's driver application. The audio's driver EQ affects all the sound coming from it, including games. If you don't know where to start, try some of the presets, find one closest to your liking, and tweak it further....

 

*trust me, the burn-ins you're doing won't give the results you're expecting, at all.....

[Manny Calavera]

Honestly, best option for you to do is fiddle with EQ. Either the EQ with the audio player program, or EQ with your audio's driver application. The audio's driver EQ affects all the sound coming from it, including games. If you don't know where to start, try some of the presets, find one closest to your liking, and tweak it further....

 

*trust me, the burn-ins you're doing won't give the results you're expecting, at all.....

EQ does help yes. I boosted bass and lows and tuned down highs. Its not as clear, but at least its more pleasant to the ear.

[creatip123]

EQ does help yes. I boosted bass and lows and tuned down highs. Its not as clear, but at least its more pleasant to the ear.

 

Well, to oversimplify, you can't tune a Honda to perform like a Ferrari

 

The hurting frequencies usually on the higher ends, so tweak them down, and go from there. Clarity comes from mids-highs, so if you wanna get back some of the clarity, try tweaking the mids and highs, a little bit at a time.