(1) without prejudice to the expressed merits in yiur post, “ run-in” rather than “burn-in” is a better and more accurate description of the concept.
(2) “ The burning-in process is usually described as a linear process, getting from bad to good. But in my experience, and in my system, it is not a linear process. It usually starts from pretty good, to better, then worse, then better, then horrible, and finally wonderful. I was wondering if people had a similar experience.l…”
- Yep, I concur that burn-in and audio performance improvements therein are not linear in its classical sense ( ergo an overall uptick trend line) Rather, it is a series of ad hoc step transactions with flat area intermittent pauses in the process… but never a retreat to the worse .
- In any case, the disturbing concept that you described as an initial performance improvement followed by a crazy “bobsled to hell” fall, is bizarre at a minimum in the extreme IMO. , My first thoughts are that there may be something either FUHBAR in the setup, or your room adverse acoustic warts were attended to.
In 50+ years in the crazy hobby with many systems …, and now sitting at the lifelong apex with a $50K 2-channel “A” system ….I have never experienced a roller coaster retreat experience that you describe, Upticks followed by pauses… sure….. but never a steep deep dive event to a “ horrible” anywhere in the journey.