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Burning-in as a non-linear experience

I know there has been loads of discussions on the burning-in process of components as well as their parts. If someone does not believe it happens, please do not respond. This is to address mainly the experience people had in burning in components or their parts. 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. These are pretty drastic changes... And this topic is mainly to focus on this particular thing: non-linear changes during the burning-in process. I had this experience with Furutech NCF outlets, but now I can see the same may apply also to my new capacitors. I have recently replaced my Samsung capacitors with Nichicon LGL2G821MELC40, not an audiophile sort, but the only ones that I could fit in. People are reporting about audiophile capacitors needing a lot of time burning in, I was wondering also if non-audiophile capacities might sometimes need the extended time in a high-resolution system and if their burning-in might also happen not exactly from moving gradually from bad to good. 

serblinfan
ghdprentice
6,430 posts
 

On a related issue. Warm up on the Audio Reseach Reference 5 preamps was very unique. Just turning them on was not enough to get the best sound. A signal running through it was required. It was really obvious. You could turn it on for an hour and then sit down and listen to music. The first ten minutes it did not sound that great… and then over about ten seconds the sound quality would improve significantly. It was really obvious and at times seemed to happen over a couple seconds. I thought I had to be imagining this… I had never heard anything like it. I went to a high end forum and I couldn’t believe it. There was a thread about this exact phenomenon.

Reference 6 do not do this, in fact the warm up effect is very small. In general it sounds great as soon as turned on… meaning I hardly ever notice the difference. There is a small difference after ten minutes, but it is very small.

audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,878 posts
 

I am doing this currently .i have rebuilt many Loudspeakers 

Xovets and ftiver breakin ,and Xovers much more so is very real 

The metals have to stabalize, the dielectrics 

Much more so  teflon can tske hundreds of hours .

Capacitors go through changes. Bright when  new.

Then sometimed dull then forming stability

Its bern proven many times. This applied to everything.

Digital daid by mamy companies hundreds of hours for 

It is a very low voltage  and takes time.

jsalerno277
111 posts
 

I agree that sound quality improvements during burn in are not strictly linear.  There are multiple regression periods where there is linear, exponential, and stepped improvements as well as plateaus.   My experience has shown the improvement model and extent of improvement varied with each piece of equipment.  However, I have never experienced periods of negative regression (decreasing SQ).  The regression over time was always positive (increasing SQ).  I had a previous Krell amplifier recapped by Krell twice.  I considered the burn in process normal where SQ improvements began to level off around 300 hours and plateaued at around 500 hours of burn-in.  I do not know if you consider that extensive.  Remember, that is only my experience with my amplifier and the CAPS from the OEM.  

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,865 posts
 

I think maybe there is a correlation with my meds. The jury is still out. 

bigkidz
3,324 posts
 

@mapman - what meds are you on.  How is the burn in experience?  Please share your findings.  LOL Have a great day!

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