[EDS_]

For reasons I don't really understand myself I moved by CD reference (a simple Cary CD-303 early version) out of my system for approx. eight months. It sat in its box under my bed.

Three weeks ago I setup the 303; and to my shock it sounded like crap. It sounded flat, thin and shut-in. Even sterile. Just like it sounded out of the box 2.5 years ago.

However, within maybe ten hours of play the "sound" was back to what I remember and love. Relaxed, tunefull. open etc. FWiiW-the original break-in took forever.

Is this more likely some sort of ear/brain thing on my part or have you folks noticed this before?

[Red Dragon Audio]

If it was in the box for 8 months and not being used, it is very possible/likely that it needed to be "warmed up" again and as you noticed, ten hours was sufficient.

[DVV]

For reasons I don't really understand myself I moved by CD reference (a simple Cary CD-303 early version) out of my system for approx. eight months. It sat in its box under my bed.

Three weeks ago I setup the 303; and to my shock it sounded like crap. It sounded flat, thin and shut-in. Even sterile. Just like it sounded out of the box 2.5 years ago.

However, within maybe ten hours of play the "sound" was back to what I remember and love. Relaxed, tunefull. open etc. FWiiW-the original break-in took fo ...

What you have just witnessed was the "break-in effect". I had an even more pronounced experience much like yours with a stock, brand new Marantz CD 6000. Right out of the box, it sounded like it was merciful to sledgehammer it to death, but after 5-6 days of non-stop work, it changed for the better so completely that it was hard to believe this was the same unit from so many days ago.

When you fire up a brand new unit, it takes some time (anything 1-10 days) for the elctrolytic caps to fully form and reach their nominal operating points. Once this happens, they stop being obtrusive and simply play along.

In your case, this had been done years ago, but after such a long time under the bed, it was totally discharged and needed to "remember" what it was supposed to do, and go about it. Hence the acoustic difference.

Obviously, you were far removed from imagining things - what you heard was a very real effect.

Cheers,
DVV

[EDS_]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the comments.

DVV how are things, ethnic tensions and the economy in particular, in your part of the world? I hope you are well.


My son played ice hockey vs. a team from Slovakia (I realize you are not in Slovakia BTW). The Slovak kids and coaches were a pleasure to get to know a bit. I was taken by the fact roughly half the Slovak kids spoke passable English. And they play a really fast paced brand of hockey.

Thanks again.

[DVV]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the comments.

DVV how are things, ethnic tensions and the economy in particular, in your part of the world? I hope you are well.

Reasonably well, thank you. Right now, I'm playing host to a Johnny Reb, a doctor from New Orleans - hell of a guy, I really like him. Actually, strictly speaking he's my wife's guest, and an academic one (she's a senior professor, and together they are two out of three on a M.Sc degree board, a guy who has to make M.Sc on Monday). But, as things go, I get to drive him around, go out for lunches and dinners, and thank God, he's an audio man himself (400 watts of amplification in the car - the rest you can imagine).

All in all, I am not complaining. A drawling, true blue Johnny Reb gives life a nice fresh flavor, and that's a fact.

My son played ice hockey vs. a team from Slovakia (I realize you are not in Slovakia BTW). The Slovak kids and coaches were a pleasure to get to know a bit. I was taken by the fact roughly half the Slovak kids spoke passable English. And they play a really fast paced brand of hockey.

Thanks again.

Well, English is a world language, if nothing else. As for Slovaks, and we have a minority of them over here, I find them to be by and large very agreeable people, easy going, good to talk with. And we Serbs and Slovaks, like most others in the region, share some cultural traits (hardly surprising, after centuries of cohabitation), which makes life easier still.

You know, you North Americans should really go out camping on other continets more. There's no experience like first hand experience, and the world such a wonderful place if you just take it easy and avoid the known hotbeds of trouble.

Once the politics are kicked out, and you're down to a man to man relationship, you would find the world far removed from the official news. Drop a hint you're from the Lone Star State, and you'd be surprised to find a say Bulgarian shepherd kid start reciting your own history. Also a little embarassed that you know zilch of his history. One will get you a million that problem would be resolved over the first next lunch or dinner.

And if you reach for your wallet, you better be fast hombre, because out here if you're invited out for lunch, that's an insult (it WILL cause a heated discussion).

Yessir, if we all started moving around more, this would be a much nicer world to live in.

Cheers,
DVV

[lonewolfny42]

But, as things go, I get to drive him around

In the Yugo ? Buckle up !! [/list:u]

[JLM]

Break In:  I see this as related to warm-up of equipment.  Tube folks know all about it.  I suppose that hollow versus solid state should behave similarly, just at different rates.  After all both share many similar components as well.

DW:  Boy you're right about us provincial North Americans needing to get out more.  I stayed with a family from Finland for 5 weeks when I was 17, sorta as a cultural exchange program.  Like you said, all it took to "open my ears" was a spin of the radio dial.  Even from the back woods of Europe (Finland) we heard a dozen languages spoken and in 10 minutes I was so confused I couldn't recognize english from the BBC.  (I did end up picking up an amazing amount of Finnish language in those few weeks.)  It was a marvelous experience, but unfortunately I've never been back although one of kids I stayed with came over here for a year to live with my folks as an high school student.

[DVV]

But, as things go, I get to drive him around

In the Yugo ? Buckle up !! [/list:u]

You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? C'mon over heah, son, and I'll rattle your nerves like they never been rattled before!

No, not in the Yugo, in the Daewoo cum Chevrolet. It's a lot bigger, incomparably more comfortable, air con, music, the works. For all that, the Yugo is a driver's car, it's far more of a pleasure to drive, I suspect because it DOESN'T have all the gizmos made to make me feel comfortable.

And I have to watch it, after all, I am the host, and my guest's safety and comfort are my duty. Such is the local gospel, and I live by it.

Ciao,
DVV

[DVV]

Break In:  I see this as related to warm-up of equipment.  Tube folks know all about it.  I suppose that hollow versus solid state should behave similarly, just at different rates.  After all both share many similar components as well.

DW:  Boy you're right about us provincial North Americans needing to get out more.  I stayed with a family from Finland for 5 weeks when I was 17, sorta as a cultural exchange program.  Like you said, all it took to "open my ears" was a spin of the radio dial.  Even from t ...

There you go. Just move out of your own neighborhood, let alone a different continent, and you're in business of enlraging your own horizons. I know it's not easy, or cheap, but I do believe it's well worth the time and money if done well.

For myself, I regret to this day having been in the US three times and never moving off the eastern seaboard. This is mistake I was unable to avoid, but sooner or later, I will set it right. America is too big, too colorful and too varied to be reduced to any one region for any meaningful reference at all.

And like I said, just get the politics and governments out of it, and you end up meeting some wonderful people.

Cheers,
DVV