💊The Truth About Headphone "Burn-In"

[@Mark_olav]

Hearing or reading something like "needs 200-300 hours of burn-in" makes me wants to smash my keyboard against the wall lol. Like what kind of logic that follows... I've done some burn-in-experiments in the past and I noticed absolutely no difference after each one them. I do also think it's mostly in people's head maybe besides some very minor changes due pads getting worn-in and things like that and even they probably won't be easily noticeable unless you directly compare the headphone to a brand new one. There's even a video of Tyll blind listening the "burned-in" and "unburned" AKG's where he's able to distinguish them from each other but I think the test is perhaps made a bit too easy, it doesn't take all things into consideration like changes in pads, clamping force etc. stuff mentioned in this video. Test would have been more objective if the used pads would have been switched to unused pads at some point of the test without him knowing it.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Lmao I made this meme just for you. You better f'ing like it!! imgflip.com/i/5p4n3m 😂

[@Mark_olav]

@@HomeStudioBasics Lmaaaooo.

[@bennyride]

@@HomeStudioBasics oh god

[@HomeStudioBasics]

@@bennyride orgasm already? It's only 11:30 a.m.!😂

[@harackmw]

@@HomeStudioBasics Yeah, that is way to early for that. How could someone get anything done for the rest of the day?

[@opiekrumpus4182]

I have the Sennheiser hd599 for 6 years that i never used because of vail sound and a narrow soundstage. So i just plugged the headphone into my boombox on a rock station. Set the volume loud and let the headphone burn in for 12 hours. After 12 hours was i surprised to a dramatic example of burn in. The vail was gone and soundstage opened up. I could now hear all the treble, bass in songs. That before sounded muffled and muted before the burn in. Theses headphones are now sounding so good they are my favorite headphone i have used to date. Movies sound stellar and soundstage is very good. So for me burn in is real.

[@quasimodo2842]

I have pretty much exactly the same experience with my KZ in ear monitors. first they sounded mediocre and then a dramatic change to the better especially the bass and the impulse improved dramatically

[@opiekrumpus4182]

@@quasimodo2842 Yeah burn in is a verifiable fact.

[@quban79]

​@opiekrumpus4182 placebo hombre. The very fact people debate it just proves it's minor at best, in fact the only viable tests on this the results were so minor in difference they deemed them void

[@Nerdzombiedisco]

Congratulations...you popped it's cherry.

[@rmika9229]

Finally someone not judging and just doing it and witnessing real result

[@harackmw]

I experienced this with my dt1990 pros. Initially I first heard the brightness that people complained about, but eventually I got used to it and now I don't hear it anymore. I think a lot of audiophiles are terrified by the idea that the equipment is burning them in rather than the other way around, like they lose credibility.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Yeah, terrified because they spent lots of money and now have to justify the purchase lol. The mind is way more powerful than people give it credit for. You can trick it into believing almost anything with the right amount of repetition.

[@harackmw]

@@HomeStudioBasics Hahahaha indeed. What do you think of the Abyss' channel video on removing "noise" from your audio system? I kind of thought the same thing...

[@onlyspace9813]

My experience with those DT1990pro headphones was the other way around. At first very well, then the wow effect went down. For some reason My experience with those DT1990pro headphones was the other way around. At first very well, then the wow effect went down. For some reason and always with flat headphones the sound has gone from less to more. I like it at first and then I like it better.

[@Canaeb]

I sometimes like to put my headphones in the microwave to burn them in. Not only do they sound warmer, they even warm my head!

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Don't forget your jelly donut and coffee to go with it! Now only $39.99 + tax 😂

[@Canaeb]

@@HomeStudioBasics Nice warm microwaved headphones and an overpriced jelly donut and coffee... Mmm... Just the way I like it. I'll be sure to microwave some raw chili peppers while I'm at it.

[@bandhanjha8563]

"Getting Used To" would be a more suitable term

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Hey man! Long time no see. Absolutely :)

[@CKT1138]

A perfect explanation of the burn-in theory! The Porta Pro is a headphone where flat pads will make you sad sad sad, pads really do make a difference! And the acclimation is a massive influence on the sound of a pair of cans

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Wow! Long time no see!! Good to see you back around these parts my friend.

[@CKT1138]

@@HomeStudioBasicsGlad to be back! I have taken a break from trying out new headphones, got to a point where I was content, and I didn't really need to look into the next bigger better thing, which is probably why I seemed like I e vanished, haha! I need to get around to finally sending you my Audio Technica MSR-7s, I'm sure you'll love them

[@HomeStudioBasics]

@@CKT1138 Yeah man and a podcast/discussion too! Email me the deets whenevs.

[@loonation2185]

Burn-in is legit. People who thinks its all on the brain dont have enough experience with different drivers. As I make my own iems, there are drivers that changes sound after a period of time. Mostly very thin mylars, wood diaphragms, and some titanium composite drivers, and that is more true to iems since you dont have any additional factors that changes sound like pads or clamping pressures. You really cant say it all about your brain being tricked and say it adjusted to the sound when you own multiple pairs of earphones and have a reference unit. In my experience with headphones, only the grado sr60e benefited from it, even swapping a new pad, it doesnt sound like garbage from what I've heard ootb. So not all headphones can be burned-in. It really depends on the driver composition.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

It's not really your brain getting tricked per se, it's more of it just "accepts" or "gets used to", or re-acclimates to whatever the headphones sound like. "As I make my own iems, there are drivers that changes sound after a period of time. Mostly very thin mylars, wood diaphragms, and some titanium composite drivers," How exactly does it change the sound, what is your reference unit, and *how* do you base your hypothesis on the conclusions that the material is what changes the sound? I'm a bit confused on this. In other words, how do we know that's what it is?

[@loonation2185]

@@HomeStudioBasics Yeah, your brain will get used to it, if and only if you have no other pair of earphones to swap into, just like your sense of smell will adapt to bad odors once it reaches an x amount of time (olfactory adaptation) but the term "brain-burn in" isnt true. burn-in on drivers however is. In terms of sound changes, its mostly on the tonality, its the bass and treble response that have a more audible changes with a more reduced peaks/smoother vs. pre-burn. no changes in resolution or other technical aspects overall. For your question on how materials changes the sound, well I dont have the right answer on that but I assume prolonged driver excursions are the main cause of it, the thinner and the less rigid the membrane is, the more it is susceptible to change, and again in my experience, drivers with beryllium are the ones that wont change over time even after 500 hrs. There are also other factors that changes the sound but not tru burn-in. When adhesives that were used for the membrane gets loose from over excursion, the sound changes but for the worst, tho I believe that wont happen in branded headphones, but some iem drivers available online are not properly inspected so quality issues like that is bound to happen. Also the magnets, when exposing the drivers to heat it affects the magnet strength and also changes the sound, tho issues like this will only happen mostly on diy. But if you have some experience with the blon bl-03 which have an issue of its drivers failing, the sound actually degrades before it dies, tho I dont really know whats the cause of that. My reference unit is a Toneking sw iii, but I did some tweaks to make it neutral, its my reference for its great technical capabilities and resolution.

[@proffessasvids]

Agreed 100%. Parameter shift is extremely real. Damping properties of a less than rigid diaphragm will change over time, altering the position and severity of resonances in the range.. be they geometry or materials based. For instance.. fs will always go down, the moment you begin to move the fresh suspension. The diaphragm restoring force drops due to the microscopic destruction of the suspension's structure. Obviously, the larger and more complex the driver suspension, the larger the scope for parameter shift. Obviously miniature monocoque cone/suspension setups will waver the least. I would be interested to see if I could dats some fresh headphone drivers, prior and after loud 100hrs play for instance. I'll be getting some 6xx's at some point so I might try this out. Xx

[@quban79]

So it's minimal at best and what only viable on certain circumstances.. the fact it's debated proves it's miminal if any..

[@loonation2185]

​@@quban79 That "minimal" is what some audiophiles seek when they spend thousands of dollars on their gears...

[@HomeStudioBasics]

What are YOUR thoughts on Burn In?

[@cjbsat]

It’s for people who buy headphones that don’t sound as good as they wanted and will make excuses for the company instead of holding them to account

[@frankwhite2230]

Not sure, but imma bout to burn this bone while paying homage to Audio Jesus.

[@dungysphincter7974]

We all perceive sound differently. Our perceived hearing is different from one day to the next. Could be better, and could be worse. But, we have an average that changes as we age. I feel burn in may be helpful, but not necessary. I like this discussion. Sound is not an exact science, and neither is how each of us perceive sound. I have never heard of anyone having 20/20 hearing.

[@pokrog]

I've noticed burn in that's not in my head a couple times in planars and I don't think it comes from actual frequency response changing drastically but more of how the driver membrane loosens up slightly and has a smoother slightly longer decay that can add a certain amount of weight and depth more than a total sound change and makes sense from a logical standpoint as decay noticeably effects soundstage size (which is impossible to graph but we all know it exists, we know that stage size varies, and we know that it isn't some kind of audiophile bullshit. could also be the reason people say they "open up") and bass impact to a certain extent. Frequency response charts don't tell the whole story. Waterfall graphs are a step in the right direction but they don't tell it all either. Also had the pc38x I got had like a super stiff driver that sounded like it was blown out when I first got it when explosions would go off in call of duty near me. It was horrible like I almost sent it back because I thought it was defective and just ended up playing some pink noise on it for a while and it completely fixed it, but that one was kinda a weird one off situation. Either way some people say all DACs sound the same and to them they probably do. Not everyone has the ears to be able to hear some of the subtle changes small differences in a system can have but some people can and that shit is hard to articulate sometimes lol. I noticed a difference in sound between the stock cable for my he6se and my custom interconnect cable. It wasn't drastic enough to care about but it was there. Could I expect most people to be able to hear the difference? Nope. Not many people listen that carefully. But when you have a change in your system that you spend hours a day using you notice.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

@@cjbsat 👊😂

[@TiagrajI]

Isn't burn in about having the drivers settling in? It's physics. The drivers will have tension from manufacture and they settle in and go to an equilibrium state. There is also how your ears will react. Listening in the morning will be different from listening in the afternoon. I have the hifiman and the manual itself says to burn them in for 150h. I don't think it needs all that time and maybe it's placebo. However objectively speaking drivers are physical devices and they will change for sure

[@HomeStudioBasics]

The point he was making in the video is that it if that happens, it would happen very quickly - not over a long period of time.

[@proffessasvids]

@@HomeStudioBasics depends on the materials involved in the moving parts. Xx

[@joeywortman-nielsen3014]

I agree with you 100%. The people who don't believe in "Buning in" your head phones listen more to the machinery instead of the actual music... Like you said... It's pretty basic physics. Just like actual home theater or home stereo speakers that need "broken in". I mean... Shits gotta loosen up a bit ya know. Headphones are Tin Men... Tin Men need oiled up to move properly. It's physics. Not measurements on all your damn charts. Actual science. The science outside of the measurements... I mean... Its common sense. It makes sense! I don't understand how it doesn't to so many people🤷🤦

[@miroslavpaulovic17]

@@joeywortman-nielsen3014they are stupid idiots. Every speakers gets better sound after hours. Its not just in your head. Its reality.

[@Mibmu]

One thing that is the result of "burn in" is basically that you get used to the sound of that specific headphone. And as someone else already commented about, the placebo effect. If you're so determined that a pair of headphones will sound better after "burn in", they automatically do just that = You've just manipulated yourself to like a set of headphones that you initially did not like or found negatives about. Also, if you have a mindset of that "burn in" will make that headphone to sound better and after the so called "burn in", those who believe in this suddenly have a more open mind of how the sound actually is, and then they are less negatively critical of those headphones.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

That's exactly right. I commented on one of those posts that the brain is way more powerful than people give it credit for. You can trick it into believing almost anything. I think what you allude to in your last few sentences is exactly why people are generally under-critical of most headphones. Are a lot of them actually bad? That's something I want to explore in greater depth moving forward.

[@Mibmu]

@@HomeStudioBasics Well, not really, what I have noticed with "audiophiles" reviewing headphones is that they are more open minded with critiquing headphones after "burn in", they find the headphones they dislike or hate more torable after "burn in", which makes no sense in the end.

[@rvijayteja]

I'm also sure that burn In is just our brains getting used to the new sound. Similar thing happened to my new running shoes also, I felt very weird wearing them on the first day and by a week's time it was pretty comfortable.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Lol that's such a weird phenomenon with shoes. I haven't experienced it much because it's been awhile since I bought a pair. A few years ago I bought like maybe 4-5 pairs and they're still all in good shape although I burned an old pair of Airwalks because I used them the most and they basically fell apart.

[@baronvonlichtenstein]

Makes sense. Leaving them hanging over hours of loud music didn't seem to have any effect. But wearing ones with think leather or pleather pads would definitely seem to affect how you heard them broken in. They become closer to your ears

[@tradehut2782]

Its just our brain making sense of the new sound..

[@HomeStudioBasics]

I think so!

[@Cyber_Cowboy]

Burn in sounded like bullshit to me from what I have researched but what about the reports of some people being able to identify which headsets are broken in and which weren't if there was not a noticeable difference in sound?

[@edgardoaleman8586]

Interesting the concept of the Burn In always results be on the positive side, “improving” the sound of the audio equipment. Never heard an audiophile talk about the sound getting worse after a period of time (that would make it a “burn out”! ) Maybe this subject is another case of audiophile confirmation’s bias!

[@HomeStudioBasics]

That's right, you never hear of it becoming worse. I think it comes down to a justification of the purchase, but also the fact that our brains will do most anything to try and convince us that the choice we made was a good one.

[@mrfrosty3]

My position on burn in is I don't care, it seems like a harmless ritual and it gives others something to scoff at. I know that sound changes as the pads compress but, when carrying out the burn in process I don't think people are wearing the headphone for the duration. Why aren't they listening during the process, is it torturous to listen to an underdone headphone?

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Exactly, even if I'm wrong it doesn't really matter anyway because the main focus has already shifted from the music itself to some strange concept that in the grand scheme of things is very trivial. Even making this video was dumb. 😂

[@wmc_videos]

I think I'm done playing my headphones overnight while asleep...lol

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Lol I used to sleep with mine on too, but it wasn't because of Burn-In. OH BEHAVE! xD

[@KeithJCarberry1]

inclined to not believe that burn in exists (or exists to a degree that really matters) but this theory could be easily tested by trying to burn in a padless headphone, no? or measuring two pads, burning in with one pad, then swapping to the new pads after 200 hours?

[@HomeStudioBasics]

What I want to do is take my K702, replace the pads, and buy another pair and THEN measure both and compare. I think that would indicate if anything actually changed. That is, the difference between the brand new pair with new pads vs. the old pair with new pads.

[@herseyberry4655]

You hit the nail on the head,you become accustomed to the new headphone. I think after a few hours if the driver was not tested there is a slight difference,almost negligible.

[@c6fifty7]

Agree with you completely on burn in. Would be interesting to get your take on cables. I see people on forums saying stuff like “ I changed to a pure silver cable and it improved the soundstage etc. I suspect it’s bs or expectation bias.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Oh no. lmao. Cables. That video should be loads of fun 😂 I actually demoed a $4k optical cable (IIRC, it was definitely in the thousands regardless), and there was no difference haha. Even if someone could prove to me that there was beyond a shadow of a doubt, I just wouldn't give a crap. It's something that's so trivial in the grand scheme of things that to me becomes laughable when people get upset about it.

[@c6fifty7]

@@HomeStudioBasics I know, there’s a lot in the iem, chi fi community that get really upset about it. They stick cables on that cost 2-3x the cost of the iem and as if by magic they gain huge soundstage, killer imaging and super fucking bass.😂

[@HomeStudioBasics]

@@c6fifty7 Cables that cost 2-3x the price of the IEM almost make you wish for a nuclear winter. 😂

[@MrKeech666]

Absolutely! Driver "break-in" is real, admittedly subtle, however most people overlook the pads and the headband which in my experience attribute to the majority of noticeable (for the novice) changes in the sound.

[@almagcope3569]

Measure a fresh out of the box dynamic headphone vs a used same headphone with same fresh pads. If they say it is measurable, then there should be difference. I see, it's already in the video.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

I would like to actually do that though! I think it would prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Let's say, a brand new K702 with new pads vs. the K702 I have now after purchasing new pads. THAT would be interesting.

[@Nightjar726]

If the drivers are dynamic of course they are going to change a bit. Measurements have been done to confirm this. But we are talking a bit. Nothing crazy. It’s a membrane and will flex. It probably will mellow things a bit over time. Pad wear is different. That makes more of a diff.

[@skimthechannel9437]

Idk I just bought my 3rd pair of audio technica msr7 headphones, my second pair sound a lot better, but the earcups are really worn and they are not very tight anymore, I changed the pads and the new pair don’t have that suffocated bass sound anymore but they are not nearly as wide as the old pair. I have always played mine for like 8 hours before actually using them. Maybe it’s because I used to be a bass head and would break in my subwoofers to un stiffen them

[@abhi211-T]

Good video, though I would like to add that I’ve noticed burn in in iems even as a kid who didn’t know what burn in was. And on the contrary some other headphones haven’t sounded better with time, so my brain evidently did not adapt in that case.

[@holiboin8108]

What are your thoughts on when manufactures suggest burn in for their gear?

[@harackmw]

Good way to reduce the number of returns.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Back when I knew less than I know now, some guy at Audio Advice wouldn't let me demo the DF Red because it hadn't been burned in for the required amount of hours yet. And this is a DAC! 🤣 My thoughts are that you should throat punch them and then run away LOL. Or do something like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIuto3qreJ5li5o

[@holiboin8108]

@@HomeStudioBasics LMAO, advice taken 💀

[@antoinep9733]

98% BS, you called it, couldn’t agree more. I fell for that line in my “Chi-fi earbud phase” but eventually came to the conclusion that some purchases sounded better over time because I got used to the sound signature, others were ass from the get-go and are to this day. As for the cable burn-in crowd? Whip them with Grado’s new cloth sheathed cable.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Cables are probably the worst lmao, and will be discussed soon in a video. i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/117/028/enhanced-buzz-28879-1301694383-0.jpg

[@ydid687]

hello new~ish viewer and engineer here [civil,electrical [dual degree] undergraduate and aerospace (thermal design)] and a car guy :) i've studied engines keeping material science [from the purview of one of my favourite subjects] in mind including aging of large assemblies in conjunction to physical simulation and modelling or prototyping using computer science softwares. i can safely say burn-in periods of car engines is a bygone era thing and it's not as important/pertinent issue mechanically speaking anymore unless you abuse your engine. whether burn-in adds or subtracts from an engine's performance output is not up in the air, it is accepted that the effect is beyond human perception [a few decimal points or more & no one cares or should care since arbitrary factors of safety are involved in design processes]. can humans notice a marked difference beyond 1%-5% on a set of cans tho? i don't think so; you might be blessed with extraordinary hearing i.e. one of a kind gent/lady, imo it's just placebo and buyer's remorse & expectation bias kicking in. Nonetheless i'm off to research more on this now, will check-in later. Cheers, Stuart.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks for the comment man! Let me know your findings!

[@Leo.501]

True , when I heard of this BS of burn-in the "drivers" I correct the person and always state that you "burn-in" the pads and nothing more...

[@MCSquidward]

What do you think about putting vegan pads on the LCD x or Lcd 2C?

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Haven't tried it man!

[@zeeMuniStacksBundles]

thank you for this, audioholics is on the same page as you as well. Appreciate bringing back facts and critical thinking instead of catering to people's mild mental illnesses

[@J.D3NNIS]

I disagree. My dad had some cans with over 150 hours. I bought the exact same cans.. listened back to back with the same song. His sounded far better than mine. After 100's of hours of use I did the same test. You could not tell the difference this time around. So no, it's clearly not B.S

[@hierox4120]

Let me propose an idea about burn-in. It is something that was quietly started by industry players, and allowed to grow. Think about it. The audiophile hobby can be very expensive, and this leads to the trend of people buying various expensive headphones to test them out. Then, after finding the perfect one, they return the other headphones within the timeframe provided by the return policies. Audio companies must seriously HATE that policy. So, by introducing the idea of burn-in, they can mitigate at least a part of that problem. "Give it time, your headphones will break in, and then it will start to sound real good. Give it about 6 months." Just in time... For the return window to close.

[@Frannis]

I was on the fence but had a pair of rha T20's. Had then for about 8 months. Lost them. Went in the next day bought another pair of rha t20's. They sounded harsher. Didn't even pick up another pair of headphones so it wasn't my brain getting used to it. It's probably not as big a deal as some make out but there was a noticeable difference and I didn't even expect it.

[@kirillpavlenko7317]

Great topic. For me its just buy it and use it. Dont overcomplicate things.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Don't OVER THINK IT!! 😂

[@jennaralissima]

Very interesting. I just got a pair of AudioEngine 5+ speakers to help with my working from home life and in the manual it specifically says "Your speakers....will get better over time...allow at least 40 - 50 hours break-in (not 'burn-in!) time before any critical listening". I now feel sure that they really mean that the listener's brain will figure out how to hear them better! BTW, they are pretty good, but only for sitting on my desk I think.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

LMAO. It should say, your brain will get used to it, don't fret!

[@glasshousefuture6836]

A super kind friend just bought for me the JLab JBuds Lux Active Noise Canceling Over-Ear Bluetooth Wireless Headphones (received 12.16.2024 for my hyperacusis). There is a "Burn-In Tool" included in the app. Step 2 says: "Remove the headphones from your ears, set the volume at about half of maximum, and press play." Step 1 has you connect headphones to your phone and step 3 has you play for desired time...Recommended total 40 hours. I guess these particular headphones burn-in feature is not about the cushioning, but something else, since you're instructed not to wear them during burn-in. I was already planning to do the burn-in, I just wanted to see what it was about. I still don't know, but I'm sure it won't hurt. If the sound improves, then that's great, if not, then they already sound great, so it won't be a loss for me!😅🤷🏾‍♀️

[@glasshousefuture6836]

Oh, also, initially they were on sale for 39.99 usd on Target website then for some reason, when I revisited the site to let my friend know these were my final selection, it had dropped another 10 bucks to 29.99usd. Lol today is 12.22.2024 and I see the price is 55.99!😅

[@glasshousefuture6836]

Okay and last thing: Information in the app about burn-in says, in part, it's "to wear the drivers and diaphragm in." Still don't know what any of that means but, like I said before, I'm sure it won't hurt the headphones or my listening (or, not listening) experience. 😊

[@jungleking9703]

You say burn in is bullshxt because the pads change over time, then what would you say about ear buds I have noticed the same on earbuds and no the silicone tips never Change with time and they were never replaced either. Even for the headphones I have, I replaced the earpads with new originals and they still dont sound the same since I bought it. I even bought a used headphone of another person and a brand new version for the same headphone from a shop and found that they had a lot of difference in sound and the pads were as good on both. Then I bought new pads for the old one and still there was a difference between the old and new headphones. So your idea that burn in is bullsh×t is bullshxt.

[@anomalousresult]

Nobody is saying that the experience you have doesn't change over time, but it's much more to do with how we as human imperfect listeners get used to sounds and how that perception changes, rather than any material difference in the headphones due to burn in. AB testing is also imperfect and audible differences between units due to poor manufacturing tolerances are not uncommon.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Another fella mentioned IEMs so def check out that thread as I'm genuinely curious how he came up with the hypothesis that driver material can cause the sound signature to change. I also think that's kind of counterintuitive especially if you're making your own IEMs (as he is), but that's a different discussion.

[@jungleking9703]

@@anomalousresult You haven't read my comment properly. I said that I had done a side to side comparison of old and new both with new earpads and had found a drastic difference in the way they sounded. So the earpads changing the sound signature over time is not true. It has also been prooven that dynamic drivers can change over time. The 100 hours thing may be true never tried that, but I know when you subject the drivers to a much higher volume you can achieve the same results in about half an hour. I have done this to several headphones and no during that time I was not listening to them for my ears to get used to the sound. So they were brand new when I first tried them and then I tried them again after half an hour after letting them burn in on their own therefore no compression on the pads either. Sometimes I made the mistake of too much volume for too long and ended up making certain headphones more bassy and muddy when they were first sharp and tinny., but this bur in works on some drivers more than the other and does not influence some drivers at all. Why don't you try this yourself before you judge bases on the assumption that sound will not change since the physical components don't change.

[@jungleking9703]

@@HomeStudioBasics Hey! I never said I was making my own IEM's! I agree that replacing the tips can drastically change sound, but I did the same burn in as I did for my headphones and found the sound drastically different even with the same eartips, in fact I once had a Skullcandy smokinbuds and I used a little too much power and ended up making one side louder than the other. How can this happen if the physical components all the same. Eh? I'll admit that not all divers are the same since some can be burnt in more than the others and some get temptoraly influenced because they got heated up dur to the higher power input, and some just don't get influenced at all.

[@rajendrabiswas]

Burn in is real my new headphones got taste of amplifier and it woke up

[@HomeStudioBasics]

awesome!

[@juniperl1336]

I using gloss over the parts of reviews when they talk about burn-ins and also cable material..

[@HomeStudioBasics]

XD

[@H8RMAKR_]

Let's goooooooo!

[@HomeStudioBasics]

WOOP WOOP!!!

[@bennyride]

Those 2 dislikes are those guys who say headphones need 200hrs to sound good 🤣. It's definitely that its your brain just being like "hmm, maybe, Holy fuck these are good"

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Yeah because even if you could prove to me that it was real and you used actual evidence I still wouldn't care because it doesn't even matter lol.

[@humorss]

audiophile don't just burn in drivers, burn in extends to solid state components.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

🙂

[@FatNorthernBigot]

It's 98% in your head? Then, there's a 2% burn-in. That's a big deal to an audiophile. Maybe, I'm kidding myself, but, my Audio Technica AD1000X's top end sounded sweeter after a day-or-so, although I'm impressed you're covering this topic, as the comments section is bound to get spicy. I was once called a "fascist" in the comments section for saying the Sennheiser HD650's were overrated. A fascist! Hitler wasn't at war over headphone comparisons.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Haha lmao. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6DJXq2XoaZphZI

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Nah it just goes to show how pathetic some people's lives are if they have to resort to that.

[@FatNorthernBigot]

@@HomeStudioBasics I will never get tired of BL clips. 😂

[@Slipsch]

If you keep blasting your speakers for a long period of time, like years, it will not be as loud. Don't believe me? You know when you get your new phone or laptop, it sounds louder, after awhile, it will not be as loud. So naturally if we're the kind who listing at a loud volume, we will turn the speakers to even louder volume than usual to get to the "usual listening volume". Hence, using more power to listen. Perhaps the combination of this is what the actual burn in really is. I think there's a such thing as headphone burn in, but it's not something that is done in just 40 hours. It has to be way way way longer than that.

[@r2d3vadar92]

The only thing that works after 650 hrs with the Peter pumper is exactly that. Spend you time on gains people real gains even it its an inch or two...Have a wonderful day and count your blessings Stu saved you money and time. I drink olive oil everyday for good hearing - not proven but my uncle is an olive farmer in Greece and he said so.

[@quincyfreeman2901]

I think you sort of skirted around it, but didn’t clearly discuss both kind of burn in claims. It’s pretty common knowledge and easy to understand that “head burn in” or “getting used to” happens. The point is if proper burn in is real, the kind that quite a few long term hobbyists and headphone makers (Dan Clark Audio and Abyss both speak on the topic) suggest. Their claims are that some level of measurable and audible difference will show even without head burnin (so test for an hour, leave on a rig for 50, test again). Does it seem likely that burn in is real or significant? Not really, but siting someone just claiming “drivers wouldn’t, aside from the first few minutes” is even less scientific than someone like Dan Clark giving specific reasons why it will.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

I talked about that in Tyll's findings but it still may just come down to the pads, headband, or just his brain. It would be interesting to measure a brand new headphone vs. one I bought and used for many hours (for instance 2 K702s), except this time replace the pads on the old one and then measure both side by side. I think that would almost certainly be one of the best ways to gauge if there were any true measurable differences.

[@quincyfreeman2901]

@@HomeStudioBasics agreed! And perhaps the fact that there aren’t readily available examples of people performing that exact test is an indication that even if burn in is real, it’s too minimal for measuring tolerances to prove anything, which suggests it’s at best insignificant… maybe one day we’ll get some well tested, thorough answers. Cheers

[@ccdani2]

I think you are completely right and the burn in is just our brain getting used to the new sound signature . I have had all sennheiser headphones from hd540 to hd800 and none of them changed over time . When I got k702 recently I have read people on forums suggesting 200-450h of burn in which is ridiculous . I still like to let new headphones play for 24h but that's just me .

[@Borednlonely]

speakers do burn in so id imagine headphones do too

[@davdidit6]

I take everything that anybody comments on hifi gear with a huge grain of salt. Yes, even you. Everyone is different. As for me and burn in, well, I can say that my initial experience with a new hifi item has been a little different than the the experience after time and more usage. What can I attribute it too, I don’t have enough empirical evidence to say. I just wish I knew everything in this world tuns into a “ he said this but he said that” issue.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Yeah pretty much man. As George Carlin once said, "It's all Bullshit. And it's bad for ya." 😂

[@jamestorres5582]

I understand. Thank you

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Welcome, James!

[@almagcope3569]

Your gear gets better after 100-200 hrs of burn in. They tell you that so that you can't return the item within 1 week return policy if you still don't like it. Note: In my place, most of the sellers only offer within 1 week return policy.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Nice point, and likely a marketing tactic they use that I didn't really think about. That would have been a great piece to add to the video as well. In reality, you can judge the sound of headphones fairly quickly especially the more experience you have.

[@MrTunes333]

Makes sense, as the whole reason you need nutural speakers for mixing is if you don't then your brain adapts to the tones you hear, be it room echo or too much bass, you will adapt until it sounds normal, then you hear the final mix elsewhere and think oh shit!. Unless you are very experienced and know the environment very well and how to adjust how you listen. So your take on so called "burn-in" is quite logical to me. Plus the amount of audio snobbery there is, it's not the only bollocks you hear out there from the supers who think they can hear a nats fart from Mars.

[@shul5684]

Yeah I called it BS the first time I heard it. Audio mixing is my hobby. NO PROFESSIONAL EVER mentions anywhere anything about a pair of speakers or headphones to "BURN IN" because it is BS.

[@matiasfleker4804]

I think that headphone "burn-in" is a lame audiophile excuse for ear exhaustion ahaha.

[@onlyspace9813]

So 150 hours of hifiman products are a joke?

[@HomeStudioBasics]

?

[@CanIHasThisName]

Something I always notice when getting new headphones is that they sound kinda alien. And that's especially the case in videogames where sounds can become iconic because they are used to signify certain events (reloading, footstep, door opening etc.) The sounds which you are used to feel wrong until you get used to them. For this same reason, after changing headphones, I also sometimes find myself being unable to make sense of the soundstage and can't properly tell where sounds are coming from. The thing is, ears do not pick up spatial sound, it's the brain which is making sense of it, which is also why someone who plays games often has a better sense of space in them - the brain will actually train to make a distinction in the small differences and create an impression of space. It's not the headphones burning in, it's all in the head. And I think this also touches the common complaint about headphones having different sound signature when you position them differently over your ears. Human ears are shaped like that specifically so that sound coming from different directions actually sounds different. The thing is, the difference is yet again something you get used to, so ultimately the position does not matter in most cases.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

This is interesting as I've been sound whoring quite a bit in Call of Duty lately with the K702. I would say most of the time I know exactly where the enemy is coming from, but there are times when it's not quite as clear and that could be due to many different factors: too many sounds at once, mixing up someone else's footsteps, etc. Some people say the K702 isn't good for directional cues and I would have to strongly disagree although no, it's not perfect but I don't think any headphones can perfectly portray everything to you 100% of the time.

[@jeanm1383]

💯 percent

[@HomeStudioBasics]

:)

[@fe3bal]

Nice use of a wee "red flag" when someone says a set of headphones needs 200 hours of burn in 😂

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Lol the video editing was wrapping up and I wanted to see how fast I could design a red flag in Illustrator. Took all of 2 minutes 😂 I love that you caught that.

[@dasi2383]

got my k702 f-99$ :MFriend stupid deal of the day 😀

[@ramalingam108]

In my head both it’s working ! Ahahaha

[@godspeedfilthypeasantblack1968]

Wowza!, you have long hair now!

[@HomeStudioBasics]

:)

[@fatdoi003]

i sincerely disagree with you... for headphones and iems i first listen to them for few minutes then put them into a box and connect them to a source and let them run for 1-2 weeks.... there're marked differences after, not night and day but definitely on sound signatures... and don't call me a beginner as i'm audiophile for over 20 years...

[@HomeStudioBasics]

if you say so

[@quban79]

Fact people debate this just proves at best it is very very minor.. surely there at tests, won't find any?... weird.

[@dasi2383]

Chris Hansen here- Have a seat.... 😂

[@autofocus4556]

Sure. Sounds like a lot of time not utilizing something you just purchased. How can you tell there’s a difference if you listened for only a few minutes then put them away for two weeks? Lol

[@js4135]

Maybe you should do some actual research and contact manufacturers. You will learn something new, rather than relying on your own preconceived notions.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

As if a manufacturer would actually tell me the truth about a product they want me to keep and not return because it actually sounds like shit lol. Your first impression of a headphone is pretty much always the correct one. The problem is that people don't trust their ears and have no basic understanding of frequency response and tuning because they've likely never mixed a track. Thus, they convince themselves that their purchase is justified after getting used to bad sound. This is basic stuff man. A manufacturer is pretty much the LAST person I'd ever consult about "Burn-in."