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Equipment Break-in: Fact or Fiction

Is it just me, or does anyone else believe that all of the manufacturers' and users' claims of break-in times is just an excuse to buy time for a new users' ears to "adjust" to the sound of the new piece. Not the sound of the piece actually changing. These claims of 300+ hours of break-in for something like a CD player or cable seem outrageous.

This also leaves grey area when demo-ing a new piece as to what it will eventually sound like. By the time the break-in period is over, your stuck with it.

I could see allowing electronics to warm up a few minutes when they have been off but I find these seemingly longer and longer required break-in claims ridiculous.
bundy

Showing 1 response by inpepinnovations1e75

inpepinnovations1e75
395 posts
 
Remember the the Audi drivers swore that they were not stepping on the gas but on the brakes and still the car accelerated away! It was later found, through observation, that people will indeed think that they have done one thing but really did another, especially if they will look like fools if they admitted otherwise.
This affect is repeatedly observed in the realm of audiophilia.

BTW, companies `burn-in` components to simply assure that there will not be any failures in the first hours of operation (when most failures occur, before long term failure), not to break-in equipment so that they sound better.
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