Burn-in and Equipmemt Value

MrTennis has opened a big can of worms here. If one can hear a difference in how stuff is broken in.. then some good used equipment may sound terrible due to the previous owners type of music they play.
Say you buy a pair of speakers to play Jazz on.. and all the prior owner played was opera. maybe they will have the wrong break in for YOUR kind of music. Are they then ruined.
Curious minds want to know?
(tongue in cheek)

I have NEVER, EVER heard any hifi product which I initially hated morph into something I like. I do not drink the "burn-in" kool-aid.

I have to agree with Elizabeth. I can't imagine how you can change the sound of a component by what you play through it when breaking it in. I'll keep an open mind, but someone is going to have to do a really good job explaining why that would be, and I would have to hear it for myself. I think its more likely that you can break a component in faster with something like white noise, as opposed to just music. Faster break in may give the illusion of "better or different" break in.

"11-23-13: Lindisfarne
I have NEVER, EVER heard any hifi product which I initially hated morph into something I like. I do not drink the "burn-in" kool-aid."

I believe you, but I think you may be missing the point. I think a lot of people have issues with topics like break in because they don't put things into perspective. Generally speaking, the changes resulting from break in can vary on a case by case basis, but are typically not huge. I don't believe anyone is suggesting that a component is going to morph into anything. But in most cases, small to moderate changes can be heard. There's no guarantee or formula to be applied.

Another factor to consider is how much experience you have. I asked the same questions about break in myself. I wasn't at all sure if I could hear any difference. Then one time I clearly heard it. After that, it was easy. The first time you hear it, I think, is when you have the break through. It was the same with cables. If you hear the difference once, it becomes much easier.

Also, the worst evil downside of 'breakin' is getting shafted by a dealer or someone, claiming you have to wait and break it in more.. Like way past the point you can return it..
Seems like trickery. Using an excuse to avoid a return.
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On the first hand though.. I did have a seven meter Kimber Hero interconnect (From preamp to amp) which sounded like crap when first plugged in. I was ready to return it. But, after a day it was way better. Sooo... Some stuff does change from my experience.
Then My Sennheiser HD800 sounded fine. But with a used Rudistor RPX33mk2 headamp it was not great.(too much treble) So I shelved the Rudistor as not good.(blaming the Rudistor) But a year later I took out the Rudistor and the HD800 with it sounded wonderful. So the Sennheiser HD800s took a LONG TIME to really settle down.
Now, the HD800 and Rudistor make a really good combination.

And so it goes.

I think what Mrtennis was saying is that an experienced listener can tell the difference between a cd playing music and one playing white noise!

I would also love to know more about being able to tell a difference in how equipment was broken in...

My personal opinion is that any change from break-in on the vast majority of equipment is more about getting used to a change in the way something sounds than it getting better with time. When I got my tube amplifier, some music was immediately superior and others didn't sound right because I was so used to hearing it a certain way previously and simply sounding different was enough to get a negative response. Now I am enjoying pretty much everything.