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Cambridge 840c burn in

So, I got a new 840C a few weeks ago and I’m kind of surprised by how dramatically the sound has changed. When I was demoing it in the store it was a box fresh unit and very bright sounding, but compared to the other players I was comparing it to it had much better bass and general clarity. I’d read here on A-gon that the burn-in would yield significant results so I took a chance and bought it. My initial thought at home was that I’d made a huge mistake – it was almost unlistenable bright. But I ran it 24/7 for almost two weeks and every day it got a bit better. Then, just yesterday, now at about 350 hours or so, all the residual high-end glare disappeared. It sounds great.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what is actually happening within the machine that is ‘breaking in’? It seems counterintuitive with a bunch of wires and caps, but it is a real phenomenon in this machine. I guess any other player too for that matter. I’m just curious.

I’m enjoying the player immensely by the way. It’s a huge improvement over my Jolida JD100, which is now doing duty in the upstairs system.
grimace

Showing 2 responses by stevecham

stevecham
3,340 posts
 
Mine now has 48 hours on it so I am also looking forward to the break in process you describe. If the player ends up sounding better than it does now, wow!

Also just got a Squeezebox and am running the coax digitial out into the DAC of the 840c. Amazing how much better it is compared to the DAC in the Squeezbox with its analog outputs into my amp.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
My 840c now has 1 week of steady play on it and I would not characterize it at all as "bright." It sounds very natural, like good vinyl, with excellent extension and a wide and deep soundstage. I couldn't be happier with this purchase and am considering getting a second one to replace my aging Merdian 508.24 in my main system.

It's that good.
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