I'm calling out the "burn in" myth that keeps getting repeated in every headphone thread

Honestly, I see people all the time saying you need to run your new headphones for 50+ hours on pink noise before they sound right. I've tested this on three different pairs over the last two years - a set of closed backs, open backs, and some cheap IEMs. I did blind A/B tests with fresh out of box vs 100 hour burn in samples. Couldn't tell a difference on any of them. My buddy Mike swears his LCD-X changed after 80 hours, but I think it's just your brain getting used to the sound. Does anyone here actually have proof or is it just placebo?

2 comments

2 Comments

jasonp711mo ago

Haha yeah I gotta hard disagree with you here man. I've been through this myself with a few different headphones and I've definitely heard noticeable changes after a good burn in period, especially in the bass response. My HD 600s sounded kinda tight and flat out of the box but after like 60 hours of use they really opened up and got that smooth, warm signature everyone talks about. I get that blind tests are tricky and placebo is real but I've had friends listen to my gear without knowing the hours and they pointed out the same differences. The science might not be fully there yet but real world experience tells me it's not just in my head, you know?

james5331mo ago

It's the same thing I see with people who buy expensive whiskey or wine. You hand someone a glass and tell them it's a rare single barrel and they'll rattle off all these notes about oak and vanilla. But pour them the same bottle out of a plastic jug and they'll say it's harsh. Brains are WEIRD like that, they want to believe the thing they spent money on actually changed and improved.