Does equipment, speakers and electronics, sound better after some hours on them.

[geezin']

Once you reach a certain level of quality what differs is immeasurable. It's the character and qualities of the sound. And we all hear it differently as well as like particular types of reproduction. And after all it is a reproduction and that's all it will ever be.

 

I've heard my Heresy described as having a "basement floor soundstage" whatever that means. Didn't change my opinion of them. I enjoy them and that's the bottom line.

[OO1]

I would sell all my klipsch speakers , in a heartbeat but NOT my Heresies 

[SWL]

My class A solid state takes one hour to sound right. No doubt about it.

 

My 60 year old Scott tube integrated sounds great right off the bat but sounds better after 45 minutes. 

 

My Crown pro-amps sound good right off the bat and stay that way.

 

I've never heard speaker cable benefit from break in.

 

I've definitely heard interconnects benefit from break in as well as tubes.

 

New woofs need a few hours of thumpin to sound their best.

[chuckears]

9 hours ago, Tom05 said:

Many people claim to hear  subtle differences from every possible variable imaginable .I’m not ashamed to admit that I can’t  reliably distinguish one amp from another , or cable ,etc . Others  evidently can hear the subtle differences that I can’t , but because I can’t , I want to see data to prove my ears wrong 🤓

Oh, golly - every amp I've owned has sounded different - through Fortes, and more recently with Chorus IIs.  My current 2-channel is a McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe, and it sounds different from another of the same model, but a different unit, that I had in the late-90's and early 2000's.  The worst I've had were a Harman Kardon HT receiver (boy, was THAT a mistake) and a Rotel 5 channel.  One would think that with 200 wpc, it would produce some prodigious sound through the sensitive Fortes, but music was dead; I could never imagine I was hearing real instruments and voices through it like I can with other amps (even my old Carver 120 wpc amp sounded better than the Rotel).

Different ears, different opinions...

 

[henry4841]

8 hours ago, chuckears said:

Oh, golly - every amp I've owned has sounded different - 

Different ears, different opinions...

 

Exactly what I have found after playing with amplifier circuits for years. But nowadays all the main stream amps will sound good but in subtle different ways. No perfect amplifier for everyone. The reason I at the present time have at last count 24 working amps minus the Sweetie I just gave my son last week. I venture to say, depending on how much one pays, there are no terrible sounding amps anymore. All the name brands will sound decent with our speakers. Picky people, like I once was, will prefer one over the other. As I previously said the biggest difference in sound I can instantly notice is between PP vs SE amplifiers. 

 

We are getting away from the topic of this thread, most long threads do. I would recommend anyone to put some hours on your new gear before seriously auditioning them. That is what some of the better reviewers do before writing their review. After 48 or more hours start listening more carefully to evaluate your new purchase and not before then. Experts say it does take time to settle in. It would take very expensive lab test equipment, a lab signal generator can cost thousands by itself, and hours of research to substantiate what the audio engineers say they have found. What value is it to use a hobby type signal generator or any other test equipment hobbyist buy whose distortion numbers are too high for serious audio work as one member has suggested. Obvious they are not an electronic geek and know little of what kind of test equipment is required to do the test they must see to believe it true. Why bother, one has to trust someone unless you have deep enough pockets to buy needed equipment and the electronic background to do the test themselves. I will listen to Nelson and Wayne as well as others that say their product will improve with hours on them. Could be they are lying but I cannot think of any reason they should. 

[Bananas and Blow]

I've broken in a pair of Forte IV's and I'd say it took 100 hours before they finally settled into the sound they have now. They were a little dull at first and the bass was not loud or deep. After 50 hours the bass was dramatically increased and improved. I think the mids and highs settled in as well and became more open and pleasing. I'm now breaking in a pair of Heresy IV and I'm at about 15 hours so far. I sure hope the same thing happens with these speakers as the bass is decent but the mids are still pretty shouty and forward. There's a grainy sound in the treble. I don't consider my Fortes the least bit harsh nor shouty. Least fatiguing speaker I have ever owned.  They are as close to flawless as any speaker I've ever owned. Hoping to end up at the same destination with my new Heresy. 

[CWelsh]

On 3/20/2023 at 12:18 PM, Tom05 said:

Many people claim to hear  subtle differences from every possible variable imaginable .I’m not ashamed to admit that I can’t  reliably distinguish one amp from another , or cable ,etc . Others  evidently can hear the subtle differences that I can’t , but because I can’t , I want to see data to prove my ears wrong 🤓

I can hear differences for sure, but not like others claim they can. And, frankly, I'm glad. My brother-in-law has spent several times as much money as I have chasing the ultimate sound, and I still prefer the sound of my setup. With the exception of my Fortes, he has more invested in cables than I have in my entire system.

 

As for break-in, I feel like my I noticed some significant changes in my ACA after several hours of operation. I actually measured quite a bit of difference in the SPL at my listening position from when I first fired it up and after a few hours of use. Nothing terribly scientific, but there was enough difference on my SPL measurements to know that it wasn't an error.

[stormin]

I always just leave everything on unless major storm or traveling for extended period. When fired back up usually about 30 minutes to be  back in the groove.

[82 Cornwalls]

On 3/20/2023 at 2:18 PM, henry4841 said:

The old saying of audiophiles listen to equipment and musicians listen to music rings true. 

 

IME audiophiles listen to equipment when they get something new or are comparing pieces, the rest of the time they listen to music.