Burn in vs perception


Posting here in speakers, but could probably go in any of the forums. Question of the night: how much of burn in of components is actually burn in of our perception? That is, is burn in partly us becoming accustomed to a change in sound.
 

I’m listening to my SF Amati Traditions that at first I found a bit strident, but I now find lush, dynamic, and generally brilliant. I bought them as 1-year old demos so theoretically they should have been played enough to be broken in. I haven’t changed anything in my system—I have been working on my room with more stuff, but that’s it.

Sometimes reviewers or arm chair audiophiles (me) will state that said component needs to be plugged in and left alone for weeks until it gels with the system. Could this simply be our own perception burn in OR is something real happening here?

For speakers I can buy it (woofers need to loosen up and all), but I almost always buy used, and I almost alway a) find a difference of a new component (good or bad), and b) in time, I couldn’t tell you what the change was. Maybe just me, but our brains are pretty good level setters.

I willing to bet this can be a large part of “burn in”.

 

 

w123ale

That’s ok.  I dealt with the technically illiterate throughout my career.  My favorite were managers who would solicit opinions from everyone about a technical matter.  They either felt the correct technical answer or else they determined the correct technical answer by a majority vote.  Almost always wrong although statistically, a group might sometimes vote the correct answer.

And to you sir, kindly explain what this wire electrical phenomenon has to do with audio ?

Well, for starters audio uses current/voltage to reproduce sounds.  With wires.

Still amounts to useless information as to the subject at hand that being audio. No one said anything about extreme voltage / amperage such as down wires from transformer on a pole. And finally, if retired, my guess is there are a few managers out there that have removed the earbuds. 

Btw- if you really have a 1971 GTO 455HO, I respect that.

If you don’t, please change your username.