component break in


is there an average length of time for a component to break in, or does it depend on the kind ( amp, CDP, speaker) or type ( tube, transistor, cone or panel etc.) of component?
auralone

Showing 1 response by mrtennis

it depends upon the manufacturer of the product.

i have been told by two manufacturers that there is no need to break-in a component.

if it has tubes, one hour is sufficient.

there is no definitive answer.

there is an easy way to determine when a component has broken in.

listen to your stereo system. if you hear changes, break-in has not yet completed. after a while, you will notice that your stereo system sounds pretty much the same from day to day. of course there are normal variations from day to day, as a consequence of several factors.

before placing the "new" component into your stereo system, listen to your stereo system for several days in a row, to appreciate the subtle variation in sound, if there is any. then introduce the new component.

my experience is that one week of a signal is the minimum break-in period, but sometimes it is longer than that.

i was reviewing the cable and i thought it broken in. one day i was listening and i realized that i was wrong. the cable was continuing to break in and its sound changed after i had submitted the review. i believe the cable had 300 hours of a signal passing through it before i evaluated the cable.