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Thiel CS 3.7 is unlistenable below 400 hours. Getting much better around 500 hours or six months
Reader Ron Satterly wonders whether other audiophiles consider component break-in necessary before critical listening. How long should a component be broken-in before it reaches peak performance?
I have not had enough experience with listening to a wide variety of equipment to be able to answer. My recollection of the few pieces of equipment that I have purchased over the years is that they sounded as good right out of the box as they did after some period of use. Some might say that I just couldn't appreciate changes that actually occured or maybe the fact that I don't have super high-end equipment means not much change happened. I wouldn't argue with them, but neither would I agree with them either. I'd like to have more experience with more equipment but most likely won't in the future. A good question that might go hand-in-hand with this one is "Do really expensive cables make any difference?" I think I will just not worry about it and enjoy the music.
Usually good after several weeks, however expect several months before achieving peak. Also warm-up time is always critical ... at least 30 minutes & better several hours (regardless of tube or solid-state). Lastly, always play Ayre's signal conditioning CD at least weeklyyes it makes a big difference! Combined results are guaranteed to greatly enhance a good system's performance.
Of course, every component is different. What I have a problem with is the "burn-in" in general. For heaven's sake, just listen to and enjoy your component. If it gradually gets better over the intervening weeks or months, good jolly luck to you. Enjoy it, don't stress over it.
Most of the components shouldn't need break-in. It's understandable about loudspeakers, but it always surprises me when some electronics sound better after a while. Or it's just the brain that's getting used to the sound. Who can tell for sure?
I believe that most of the "burn-in" that we experience, is our ears adjusting to the sound of a component. The more time you spend listening to a system, the faster your senses will get accustomed to the sound. That's just my viewpoint on the matter.