Headphone burn in

[Rychill]

Does burning in your headphones actually make a difference and is it something you should do to all your cans or is it not really important. If so, do you just play loud music through them for a period of time or how do you go about burning them in. Thanks 

[Aytex]

Depends, what type of headphones do you have

[Rychill]

the philips fidelio x1/28

[Volbet]

I know some people swear by it. Personally, I haven't been able to hear the difference between a new pair of headphones and pair that has been "burned in". 

I'm not denying that there could be a difference, I just haven't heard it. 

 

If I were to do it, I would just play music at normal volume for 24-48 hours, although, some people recommend up to 100 hours of burn in.  

[STRMfrmXMN]

4 minutes ago, Rychill said:

Does burning in your headphones actually make a difference and is it something you should do to all your cans or is it not really important. If so, do you just play loud music through them for a period of time or how do you go about burning them in. Thanks 

It's subjective by most people. I've noticed a burn in time on my XPT100s but my Sennheisers don't seem to have needed a burn in. Hifi speakers objectively need burn-in time however.

[Rychill]

hmmm, ok.

 

[FloRolf]

I own 4 cans and on one I've noticed a burn in after about 50hours that changed the signature quite a bit. Not sure about you fidelios though. 

[Aytex]

13 minutes ago, Rychill said:

hmmm, ok.

 

dosen't hurt to try

[Dackzy]

I "only" own about 6-7 over or on ear headphones and I have one pair where a 80 hours burn in did a lot, but for the rest maybe a little for some.

[Suika]

I've only ever been told the idea of burn in is subjective and silly, all it really is is you adjusting to the sound profile, nothing else.

 

I don't see how burn-in works for over-ears or in-ears, the idea seems silly.

[Dackzy]

Just now, Suika said:

I've only ever been told the idea of burn in is subjective and silly, all it really is is you adjusting to the sound profile, nothing else.

 

I don't see how burn-in works for over-ears or in-ears, the idea seems silly.

Not true just look at tube amps. I had my jvc something something laying around just playing music for about 4 days I tried them for 30 min before, 30 min mid and after the burn in and they where a lot more detailed. For most headphones and speakers burn is not something that will change anything, but for some very few it will.

[Suika]

3 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

Not true just look at tube amps. I had my jvc something something laying around just playing music for about 4 days I tried them for 30 min before, 30 min mid and after the burn in and they where a lot more detailed. For most headphones and speakers burn is not something that will change anything, but for some very few it will.

"Earphone burn-in is a bunch of hokum.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with the practice, it basically amounts to pumping different kinds of sound into a new pair of headphones or earphones for a given period of time. This is to be done beforeany critical listening happens. Think of it as the sonic equivalent of breaking in a new pair of shoes — the idea being that the true character of your earphones will only surface after some robust exercise. The only problem? There’s zero evidence this does anything but defer your enjoyment of music and add more confusion to an already complex topic."

 

Source: http://www.wired.com/2013/11/tnhyui-earphone-burn-in/

[Dackzy]

1 minute ago, Suika said:

"Earphone burn-in is a bunch of hokum.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with the practice, it basically amounts to pumping different kinds of sound into a new pair of headphones or earphones for a given period of time. This is to be done beforeany critical listening happens. Think of it as the sonic equivalent of breaking in a new pair of shoes — the idea being that the true character of your earphones will only surface after some robust exercise. The only problem? There’s zero evidence this does anything but defer your enjoyment of music and add more confusion to an already complex topic."

 

Source: http://www.wired.com/2013/11/tnhyui-earphone-burn-in/

Well I dont normaly go in for burn in but I tried it with a cheap pair of JVC headphones they where super bassy with little to no detail, but something happened to them and they ended up sounding different. I dont burn in because well 99.9% of the time I have not seen any difference, but that special pair from JVC had less bass and more detail after my test still a warm pair of headphones. For the most part burn in is bs.

[SuicideAnomaly]

I'm of the camp, that believes it's just a bunch of malarkey.

[SSL]

It won't hurt, at most it will waste time.

 

The problem is when people claim that burning in fixes fatal flaws with a headphone, or that it magically reaches "new levels" with every additional 100 hours.

[Lays]

1 hour ago, SSL said:

It won't hurt, at most it will waste time.

 

The problem is when people claim that burning in fixes fatal flaws with a headphone, or that it magically reaches "new levels" with every additional 100 hours.

The readings inner fidelity did a while back were after burn in and before, the difference was hardly even picked up by specialized equipment, yet people make it seem as if the headphones were shooting out crap rainbows, then double rainbows after the burn-in.

 

Sorry but these tiny minute half decible differences here and there aren't going to make it a brand new headphone you've never heard before.

[sobe]

The biggest issue with people spouting burn-in, is as Dackzy mentioned, he listened before burn-in, midway through, and then after. If you set a burn in time of 4days, listen to 30minutes on day 1, then listen again at the end of Day 2, then listen again 2 days later... How is that proving burn-in has any effect other than placebo? Your mind wants something to sound better because you are doing it, for critical listening it needs to be a direct side-by-side comparison. In Dackzy's case it needs to be 3 separate pairs of headphones burned in at various times and listening to side-by-side, not listened to days apart.

 

I want to believe it CAN do something, but for the most part I am not of the belief it does anything other than what is in our mind and thus causing a placebo effect.

[SuicideAnomaly]

I don't think anyone wants to admit they've purchased a pair of headphones they don't like, especially if it contradicts popular opinion. So, it's easier to give into the placebo effect, and in turn, justify the purchase.

[Dackzy]

2 hours ago, SuicideAnomaly said:

I don't think anyone wants to admit they've purchased a pair of headphones they don't like, especially if it contradicts popular opinion. So, it's easier to give into the placebo effect, and in turn, justify the purchase.

I bought some DT 880 a while back and I did not like them, so I returned them. I dont really care if the popular opinion is that something is amazing, if I dont like it I will say it and in this case return them. If I like a product and the popular opinion is that the product is bad, I dont give a sh**.

 

2 hours ago, sobe said:

The biggest issue with people spouting burn-in, is as Dackzy mentioned, he listened before burn-in, midway through, and then after. If you set a burn in time of 4days, listen to 30minutes on day 1, then listen again at the end of Day 2, then listen again 2 days later... How is that proving burn-in has any effect other than placebo? Your mind wants something to sound better because you are doing it, for critical listening it needs to be a direct side-by-side comparison. In Dackzy's case it needs to be 3 separate pairs of headphones burned in at various times and listening to side-by-side, not listened to days apart.

 

I want to believe it CAN do something, but for the most part I am not of the belief it does anything other than what is in our mind and thus causing a placebo effect.

IDK man that was my first time really trying to burn in something, I still believe that burn in is bs, but on the other hand something happend or my brain is fucking with me. I did it with my phone so it might be that something was wrong with my phone when I first tried them. (my phone likes to turn on some dolby sound thing that just makes everything sound so muddy and bad)

[sobe]

36 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

I bought some DT 880 a while back and I did not like them, so I returned them. I dont really care if the popular opinion is that something is amazing, if I dont like it I will say it and in this case return them. If I like a product and the popular opinion is that the product is bad, I dont give a sh**.

 

Keep in mind also that sometimes your brain/ears need to adjust. There are headphones you can say you absolutely hate after first trying, but then a week later love them as you've used them, your ears have "adjusted" to the sound produced.

[Dackzy]

37 minutes ago, sobe said:

 

Keep in mind also that sometimes your brain/ears need to adjust. There are headphones you can say you absolutely hate after first trying, but then a week later love them as you've used them, your ears have "adjusted" to the sound produced.

I had them for 9-10 days and I did not like them. For me a pair of headphones needs to be something special and if they just are meh I will not buy them. I need to get the wow feeling or goose bumps the first couple of times I use them. I had to adjust a little to the HE 560. The DT are good headphones for the people who like the way they sound, just not that good for me.