phono stage break in?

Here we go again...no time to enjoy the journey, just that aching need to get there here and now this microsecond and to hell with and damn the torpedos how we got there.

One word: MUSIC

Components are DESIGNED to be listened to with real music, in real time, under real-use situations, not facsimile thereof or some contrived and imagined scheme designed to shortcut the process. If it's a good piece of gear, just use it properly and enjoy it. It will eventually "break in" whatever the heck that actually means. It already has most of the qualities inherent in its design, and chances are if it was manufactured by a quality operation, it was thoroughly tested and found to be well within its operating specifications.

There is no guarantee that whatever method is used will reveal the final outcome in the proper system context and listening environment, EXCEPT actual use as intended. This false break-in stuff is for the birds, distracts us from the music, remember that?, and just puts money into low value junk like break-in "burners," CDs and records.

Just play music through the component and enjoy the ride.

Now let me tell you what I really think. ;-)

Steve

Noams, the devices do break in much differently with a signal going through them, and not just a static signal. It needs to vary in amplitude and frequency just as the signal from the record will. Just turning on the unit with no signal does nothing except warm up the power supplies.

Steve, I agree with you for the most part. However, when it comes to breaking in tonearm wire I'm all for any method that will speed up the process. But this doesn't take anything special. All you need is a cheap cable that you can attach to the cartridge leads. Plug that cable into a CDP and the other end of the tonearm wire into the preamp and let it play for a few days. (Thanks Albert!)

Noams, to be perfectly frank, I'm not sure I agree with any of this, as I already said:

"Personally I think using the sweep tracks on a record like the Cardas regularly keeps everything (including the cartridge!) in shape."

HOWEVER, one does need to run a signal thru the equipment and cables to "break them in" if indeed "break-in" is even a real world phenomenon. That's because at "idle" (no signal) there is no current through most parts of the circuits, so all the little internal components and wiring are under zero stress.

I have kept an eye (ear?) out for "break in" changes in all parts of my systems for over 40 years, and have used all manner of break in accessories and devices (except for an AudioDharma Cable Cooker.) Personally, the only "break in" changes I've experienced over all that time fall into a few specific categories:

1.) Cartridges: ALL new cartridges ALWAYS go through a break-in period. Well Duh! If you flex a new piece of rubber long enough, it's going to relax a little bit! And of course there's those tiny little coil wires with their enameled insulation that will be altered at a molecular level after carrying all that electromagnetically induced current ;--)

2.) Cables: Well, first of all, the last time I bought any kind of new cable was around 1990 when I was rich and bought some Straightwire Maestro spkr and IC, and 3 pair of Magnan Type Vi. Some stock PCs had IEC connectors back then, but nobody made aftermarket PCs, so that issue was moot. A set of vdHul tonearm cables came w/ my SME V and I used those until three years ago (for 13 years!) until someone at Sumiko (SME US rep) told me in language I won't repeat here, that they sucked and I should consider Cardas Golden Reference; right after that I fell into a pair of Purist Venustas which blew my mind -- but I digress....... Back then, the only "break in" anybody discussed was their automobile engines and their shoes! Since then, I've bought almost all my cables used, so when "break in" became a hot topic, I had no way to tell if my cables were changing or not because all mine were presumably already broken in!

3.) Equipment/components: What I said about cables somewhat applies here also in my case (used purchases) however, SS equipment has not appeared to change much from its out-of-the-box sound. Tube equipment does change -- a lot! But that's due to the tubes having to burn in, not the equipment itself. And once burned in, tubes, like cartridges remain the same until shortly before death!

4.) Speakers: a qualified "always" as in: "it's ALWAYS something!" But is it the crossover and wiring, the electrostatic membrane, the woofer surround, the voice coil? All of the above? Probably, but will you hear changes? That would be a definite "maybe" depending on the individual product. Stats definitely smooth out, but is it the membrane or the electronics? And do speakers benefit from occasional conditioning with frequency sweep CDs? And if I could hear a difference, how would I know if it was the speaker that had improved, or something else further upstream -- after all, the CD affects everything from the transport on out.

Bottom line? Well two things:

The biggest break-in changes I've heard over and over again are with cartridges and tubes.

The biggest maintenance improvements I've heard over and over again are, first and foremost, cleaning plugs and connectors. And a less obvious second, using the Cardas record (for cartridge de-gaussing) or the Purist CD (for system conditioning.)
.

Dear Rolloff: +++++ " phono stage break in? " +++++

This is the title of your thread.

We have to ask what parts in a phono stage ( btw: electronic devices ) needs break-in: Fets, transistors, resistors, diodes, capacitors, switchs, connectors, transformers, tubes, DACs, solder, boards, etc, etc ?

For many years I was crazy about break-in in any audio device and those experiences told me that in electronic audio devices only three audio parts needs some break-in to achieve its optimal level: DACs, capacitors and tubes, and from these ones only the caps where the signal pass through ( especially the teflon caps ).

Now, how to break-in: I agree with Steve, playing music: nothing more.

My Essential 3150 sounds very good out of the box, 50 hours latter you are near heaven and 100 hours you are on heaven!!! and you enjoy every single minute those " break-inn " hours ( two weeks ) with the music you are hearing.

Now, there are differences between what we want to hear with the break-in and what really happen. Many of us really want to hear differences through the break-in when in reality maybe there are no differences at all.

Like Steve and Noams posted: " and just puts money into low value junk like break-in "burners," CDs and records. "

" I must say that these CDs always struck me as one of the most unessecery add ons that are out there. "

At least for audio electronic audio devices.

Play music and enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I agree with Raul about caps needing break in time. That seems, based on my experiences, to be the component that does benefit from prolonged exposure to the signals of music reproduction. To take this one step further, it seems to me that any component with a measurable capacitance gains from this break in as well. DACs, and all chips, are composed of tiny capacitors. I've found that most tubes that I've used settle in within 50 hours or so.

I've not used CD's before this to break in a phono stage specifically. I'm sure many of us have left a CDP on repeat for several days to burn in other components. It does seem to have sped things up a bit, but I suppose it would take the break in of many phono stages to say for sure that this really does speed things up.