[bprice2]

Yup. I'm getting a Bolder analog modded SB3, so I'm curious. I'll listen to it for a bit, then I'm lending it to a buddy for a month or so. So I'll see what I hear.

Your buddy will get the short end of that stick. 

I also want to try the Sig30, but I want to establish the SB thing first. I don't want to make all the changes at once.

That is probably advisable.

Were your speakers used? If so, how many hours on them?

They were NIB.  Right, Max?

[maxwalrath]

They were NIB.  Right, Max?

When they arrived at my place, I realized they were too big for my inner-city apt., so they sat NIB for a while.  When I came to the conclusion I had to sell them, I opened them up to check what version they were.  Then I figured I'd give them a run to make sure everything worked, since I was the second owner at that point already.  They were NIB when I got them, I put maybe 1 hr. on them and put them back in the boxes.

 

[fredgarvin]

Well Philnyc, people have a lot invested in the hobby which almost forces them to accept magical thinking. Monetarily, of course, but also energy and expectation and the emotional and psychological payoffs involved in obsessing over components and treatments and wires etc. Playing with the gear is a very large part of the deal. To accept that one is indulging in magical thinking would mean no more gear changes or tweaking-no more fun- but just being satisfied with what you have. No reason to get the cable of the month. Doesn't sound much like an audiophile does it? There is a big payoff in 'hearing burn in'. I do not want to take that farther and say that because I don't hear it it doesn't exist because obviously there are others who may hear more perfectly.

[bprice2]

I put maybe 1 hr. on them and put them back in the boxes.

Close enough to NIB for me.   

[rajacat]

Well Philnyc, people have a lot invested in the hobby which almost forces them to accept magical thinking. Monetarily, of course, but also energy and expectation and the emotional and psychological payoffs involved in obsessing over components and treatments and wires etc. Playing with the gear is a very large part of the deal. To accept that one is indulging in magical thinking would mean no more gear changes or tweaking-no more fun- but just being satisfied with what you have. No reason to get the cable of the month. Doesn't sound much like an audiophile does it? There is a big payoff in 'hearing burn in'. I do not want to take that farther and say that because I don't hear it it doesn't exist because obviously there are others who may hear more perfectly.

I suppose your camp could be accused of obsessing over numbers and even might purchase a piece of gear that has great numbers (dispite the fact that state-of-the-art testing is not perfect or fully developed) over a piece that even sounds better to your ears. This sort of obsessive behavior might not let you really fully enjoy the audio experience.  Heck, why even audition gear when you can just check its' numbers out and purchase with an audio blindfold. 

Raja

[Frihed91]

I had this debate with a preamp/amp mfr who repeatedly stated to (screamed at) me that black gate capacitors required absolutely no break in, none whatsoever, and once a unit was warmed up would sound the same no matter what, period.   He also told me that a cap that cost 1/10 the rpice would work just as well as the Black Gates, but i insisted on the Black Gates

I bought one of his units and he was right about the break in effects.  There were none. 

I bought a different piece of equipment from another mfg with the same Black Gates in it, and guess what: Huge break in effects.

Apparently how/where the capacitor is used in a circuit and the nature of the circuit itself can have an impact on how it affects the sound.  But people don't talk about that very often, do they?  Everything gets expressed as absolutes.

 

[avahifi]

Ah hah, we have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. I can see now that we should include in our owners manuals in bold print that it takes 31 days of use to break the equipment in. Then it will sound soo wonderful. Great commercial idea!  NOT   

Frank Van Alstine

[PhilNYC]

PhilNYC's original post was about burn-in relating to both components or cables. It was not limited to wire.

Yes, and I asked it this way because I was specifically wondering if those who explained perceived changes to be a result of "ears getting used to sound" also heard changes themselves.  Am not looking for an answer as to whether burn-in was real or not (I already have my own opinion on that).

[PhilNYC]

people have a lot invested in the hobby which almost forces them to accept magical thinking. <deleted>
There is a big payoff in 'hearing burn in'.

But once again, that is not what I asked.  I am asking the question to those who do NOT believe in burn-in.  Many of those non-believers have explained any perceived changes in sound to be the result of "ears getting used to the sound", and I am asking whether those non-believers' ears do experience the changes.

[Dan Banquer]

people have a lot invested in the hobby which almost forces them to accept magical thinking. <deleted>
There is a big payoff in 'hearing burn in'.

But once again, that is not what I asked.  I am asking the question to those who do NOT believe in burn-in.  Many of those non-believers have explained any perceived changes in sound to be the result of "ears getting used to the sound", and I am asking whether those non-believers' ears do experience the changes.

No.
    d.b.

[rajacat]

Maybe the non-believers are not gifted with sensitive ears.

[Dan Banquer]

Maybe the non-believers are not gifted with sensitive ears.

I believe the original post asked for no flame wars. I would hope that all posters make an attempt to respect that.
                d.b.

[Daygloworange]

Maybe the non-believers are not gifted with sensitive ears.

Just yes or no will do just fine. Nobody is asking for reasons why. Cool?

Cheers

[rajacat]

To assert that the believers are just engaging in "magical thinking" is an insult. It implies that they are just weak minded individuals and their experience is not valid and they are just "hearing things".

[Marbles]

To assert that the believers are just engaging in "magical thinking" is an insult. It implies that they are just weak minded individuals and their experience is not valid and they are just "hearing things".

Oh yeah?  Prove it!!!

[Daygloworange]

To assert that the believers are just engaging in "magical thinking" is an insult. It implies that they are just weak minded individuals and their experience is not valid and they are just "hearing things".

Just yes or no will do just fine. Nobody is asking for reasons why. Cool?

Cheers

[rajacat]

To assert that the believers are just engaging in "magical thinking" is an insult. It implies that they are just weak minded individuals and their experience is not valid and they are just "hearing things".

Oh yeah?  Prove it!!!

Prove what?

[Marbles]

To assert that the believers are just engaging in "magical thinking" is an insult. It implies that they are just weak minded individuals and their experience is not valid and they are just "hearing things".

Prove that their experiences ARE valid and they aren't just hearing things?....the humour was lost on you though.....

[rajacat]

I'm a little dense. Better use a smiley next time.

Raja

[Aether Audio]

Friends,

Interesting subject.  Replace the concepts of religion and "God" in my original essay http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=7354.0 with the concept of "burn-in" and we have the crux of the matter.  Is there an answer?  Maybe - for you...but probably only you alone.

Isn't life interesting?

-Bob