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break-in--bane or boon ??

as a reviewer , i often receive equipment which is new and has no playing time.

i have to decide whether to break in the component and if so, how many hours is necessary.

i have often asked manufacturers for guidance.

one cable manufacturer said the cables--digital, analog and power, required no break in. another said 24 hours.

when i reviewed a mcintosh tube preamp, i was told by a technician that no break in was necessary. all i needed to do was leave the preamp on for one hour in order that the tubes were "warmed up"

can someone provide an objective explanation as to the basis for break-in and how to determine how long to break in different components ?

for example, cables comprised of different metals, if they require break in, is there a difference in the requisite time for a given metal, e.g., gold, silver or copper ?

can someone provide an explanation as to what is happening during the break-in process ?

can one devise a mathematical equation to quantify break-in hours, as a function of the parts in a component ?
mrtennis

Showing 11 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Break in is real.

No way to determine reliably.

You have to let things run their course naturally.

Not good news for those looking to do quick, spot reviews of gear which is just another reason why all of those must be taken with a grain of salt.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
No doubt real for transducers.

Less certain about the rest but not impossible.

I have the same observations with my Stax headphones.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
My feeling is that there is a combination of equipment break-in, human factors and other things as well at play when changes are noticed over time.

Too complex and variable to determine anything for certain in lieu of a major research project.

My advice is to give any change some time to assess and avoid jumping to conclusions. Then things will work out over the long term regardless of what factors might be at play at any particular time.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Ivan, nice post on a useful subject. People may often fail to consider how the most important component of all, themselves, works when assessing cause and effect of things.

The snake oil industry understands this well. Knowing one's self first is paramount to most everything.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
"Mapman - Is it just me or did you just completely misconstrue Ivan's
comments to fit your "placebo effect explains it all away"
agenda. :-)"

Read what I said. I did not say any single thing explains anything away. I said that there can be many factors including an individuals variable perceptions, which is one often overlooked.

Geof, I am not a vendor. You are. I have no vested interest in influencing people one way or another. Most vendors do and I would not exclude you.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
"So, of course you have a vested interest in influencing people."

Geoff, you as a vendor make money when you influence people regarding audio. I am not a vendor and do not. That is the difference. Pretty cut and dry. No mysticism there!

Some might argue the human factor is the only one that can account for results perceived that others would attribute to snake oil.

BTW I am an active practitioner of tai chi and other martial arts as well as yoga, meditation, and other rituals and practices that are not well understood by many but have proven effective over the years. Some might consider these, whether quantum in nature or not, snake oil as well. Some perhaps even placebos. I understand enough about them and see enough results to believe these things in particular work.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Geof,

Nothing all that unique or out there really.

Enduring, no doubt:

Judaism

I am a big believer in spirituality and how that affects how one interacts with the world.

Music and how it affects me is just one form of that interaction.

Maybe there is a quantum temple bell in my future.....
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
BTW, I'm sitting watching the Orioles pound the Yankees.

Can anybody explain that one to me?
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Hmm, my stress level just went up learning about the phone book issue. That means my listening ability has also probably been impaired.

LEt me check and see if any undetected phone books are laying around and remove them if so. Then I will feel better, I hope, and things should once again sound better.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
" But the noise isn't coming from the system, but somewhere
else! "

Indeed!
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
"09-06-12: Mapman
Ivan, nice post on a useful subject. People may often fail to consider how the most important component of all, themselves, works when assessing cause and effect of things.

The snake oil industry understands this well. Knowing one's self first is paramount to most everything."

My fault perhaps for triggering the morph of the thread.

Snake Oil can be some powerful stuff! Best to avoid....
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