Break-in time


After decades of enjoying chasing the stick, I’ve peaked and spend most of my energies gnawing the stick….. and enjoying; convinced more and more of the protracted break-in time of equipment. The unchanged pieces seem better and better. Just leave them alone for some time, I’ve stopped neurotically slotting new in and out.

Yes, the case could be made for habituation. However, I do know what a real acoustic piano sounds like, as well a dobro, female voice and so forth.

More enjoyment, less doubt. Perhaps if I just make this small change………

celtic66

Anymore, anytime I install something new in my system I run it a full week 24/7 before I do critical listening.

Caps burn in...maybe other things too. New equipment typically has new caps.

I installed some new caps in my preamp a couple of months ago.  Everything sounding brittle and sibilant for a while....now it doesn't.  It's like magic! smiley

After having to re-break in speakers nothing surprises me anymore. 

And beyond "break-in" which may take many weeks there definitely is a "settling in" period which may take several days- some claim weeks. 

"System equilibrium" is very rewarding.

Stick gnawing. Mmmm.

 

Most of the speakers I've bought new have required weeks if not months to sound like they're supposed to, but they get there in the end. Many headphones require 150 hours or so of break-in time, as do tubes....