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CD Player break in period

Guys, I'm not looking to start a debate on break in periods, if it's real, a myth, etc.

I have purchased a new Esoteric X-03 SE SACD player on 12/26/07 along with new Tara Labs The One (w/ISM) balanced interconnects. I let the player warm to room temperature as it was stone cold when I opened the box, evidence that it was either in an unheated warehouse or truck for a while-confirmed by my dealer. After a half a day, I hooked it up and the sound was incredibly poor. Very hard sounding, harsh mids and highs, narrow soundstage, no impact to bass, no definition. I am now on hour 674 and it's almost there. Soundstage opened up, detail is awesome, everything is, as I said almost there, but I still have a bit of a sting on female vocals. I have done an extensive amount of research and although Esoteric's website says break in should be 250 hours, I have found some information stating it would take 800 to 1,000 hours to sound excellent, with it still improving there after.

Again, I am not looking for responses disputing break in, that this is a fantasy and it must be some other culprit in my system (my dealer prchased the same player on the same day (same shippment) and he is experiencing the same).

I would love to hear about other members experience with equipment requiring a rather extensive break in period.

I appreciate your input.
cerrot

Showing 6 responses by gawdbless

gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
"It is now extremely musical, but still merciless with harsh recordings optimized for boomboxes, which sound hidious".

Does a cd player that makes cd's sound that bad be considered a 'high end' product coupled with a high price tag?

Surely a hi-fi system should play everything chucked at It and be musical, obviously some recordings are of lesser quality than others, but It should still sound musical regardless. IMHO.
gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
Cerrot-
If I'd paid $7800 or however many dollars it cost for an expensive cd player then It had better play EVERY cd that I put in it and play It darn well to boot! None of this 'great cd's sound great but lesser recordings sound poor' malarky. Totally unacceptable.


Guido-
Why should It not be reality? I mean high end hi-fi Is nothing If not very expensive.

Is it the (alledgely) poor sound quality the cd or does the fault lie with the hi-fi equipments Inability to play the cd musically?
I personally think the latter.IMO.
My test cd Is of Albert Ammons/Pete johnson duets recorded 1940's? or sometime before then,obviously not up there with Telarc, Decca etc but still very musical and dare I say it playable and Enjoyable?
gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
'If a CD player makes a poorly recorded CD sound decent, it is adding - or taking away something. I do not want either'.

'To me, I want a player which extracts everything from the recording, albeit, good - or bad.'

cerrot- I think you are contracting yourself.
gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
Oops, Should read CONTRADICTING. If I made a typo.
gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
John- Exactly, the music Is the most Important thing, I listen to (virtually) every genre, a lot Is not deemed to be true 'audiophile' quality recordings, does It matter to me they are not? Nope. I just wanna listen to music however It was mixed onto cd. I do not buy SACD's because It Is only the most popular (or seems to me) titles and groups etc that are available In that format, anyway I am more than happy with the standard and only versions, coz thats all I am able to get, with 99.9% of the cd's I buy.
I am still of the opinion that Its not the fault of the cd but the fault of the system that can't make everything sound as musical and as pleasing as possible to hear.
I used to love vinyl, but prefer the convenience of cd's these days. Is It still a more mellow sound that cd?, It used to be to my ears, If my memory serves me.

gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
Hi John-
Not listened to vinyl personally since about 5 years ago, when I gave away my Linn LP12 (purchased new @1977) to my grateful brother, and still going strong! I was Impressed (very) with the turntable TW Acoustics? at the Denver show last year and the year before that also In the Aspara Acoustics room. When he played cd's It was easy to hear the superiority sound of the Turntable.
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