Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
Manufacturers should break-in components. So when bought, it is ready to use. I don't believe in "break-in" periods with the exception of tubes.
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?
Burn in is not as important as stable operating temperatures. If it's got tubes or moving parts, a good rule is to warm it all up for 30 minutes before making any judgment calls. Speakers too. As coils warm they become slightly less magnetic, and as amps warm up they become slightly more efficient. Warm it up.
Depends on the component, no surprise there. My Audio Definition Duets reached peak performance after six months. Some interconnects and speaker cables seem to need weeks. NB: keep contacts clean, source components on all the time and demagnetise the system regularly.
Speakers need both extended break-in and regular use to keep up their best. Electronics' need for break-in varies a lot. Digital may need some days, analog low-level may also need a day or two to perform their best. Cables, though, just need to have their connections "setled" to do their best. Any new connection will sound different from an older one, otherwise cable burn-in is, IMHO, just fantasy, or getting used to the sound psychologics.