Bosso:
I leave my 950 on continously (not in standby) and it gets warm, but not too hot to touch, like a power amp might be. It is dissapating 45 watts of power (from the spec sheet) so I would make sense that it would get warm. Having a DVD playing on repeat I would think would make no difference in the heat, but I've never tried that either. I leave it on continously because:

1) I'm basically lazy.

2) If it _is_ going to sound better by being left on, then I'm covered.

3) There's the stability thing. Electronics generally like being left on continously, avoiding thermal cycling. The circuits get nice and stable, especially things like the DACs, and as a result, the longevity is enhanced, and that can't hurt the sound either.

4) I'm basically lazy.

This isn't just spin. Neuronal adaptation at many time scales to changes in auditory stimuli has been demonstrated in many areas of the brain (primary auditory cortex, medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, inferior colliculus, etc.) in several species (from mice to monkeys, just considering mammals). Whatever else your electronics may be doing, your brain is definitely "burning in."

Great,

Now when I get my new gear I'm going to need a whole lot more lighter fluid. How long to I have to burn my gear to get it to sound good...and where should I go in the city to burn my gear in. I know of a few public parks with bar-b-que pits, but I dont know if I want a $3,000 system out in the open like that...especialy if I need to burn it in for a day or two.

Jason

Just _please_ stay away from our National Forests when you decide to 'burn in' your equipment!! (-:

"I know that the car dealers used to advise breaking in a car for the first so-and-so many miles. But the last car I got, the dealer said that wasn't necessary."

Will - that dealer is a wanker. While mfg tolerances are probably better on cars than 30 years ago, it still pays to break them in nicely (limit revs, vary speed, etc.)

If you go talk to a decent mechanic or a dealer of higher end performance cars, they will tell you it's worthwhile (although, yes, I guess it's not "necessary"). Your engine will work better. I have broken in every new car (or engine) I've had (at least a dozen) and my mileage has consistently been better than other people I talked to with similar cars, and it sure wasn't from my driving style.

Back on topic - I asked my dad what he thought about burn-in on SS audio stuff, expecting his "what a stupid question" face (he's a PhD in solid state physics), but to my surprise , nope. He mentioned that the radar arrays on the naval ships he served on were left on for days before final calibration (far longer than just warmup) as they would otherwise drift, and the process had to be repeated after even a brief power-off. Sort of an argument for both leaving your stuff on and for burn-in.

BB

edit: Oh and he doesn't give a rat's *** about high end audio, the years in the Navy left a string of big holes in his hearing response.

[This message has been edited by Brandon B (edited October 10, 2002).]

For those of us that have had the Red Dot experience, its been an unusual opportunity to prove or disprove the whole break-in thing to ourselves. How many times will you get a component to break in, and then later get a (nearly) identical unit to start over again with?

Personally, I was able to notice both types of break-in occuring - my ears AND the 950. Being used to the warmer (and maybe bloated) sound of my old Rotel Prepro, I initially found the 950 to be harsh and sterile. After a month in my system, I found the harshness to pretty much go away.

When the Red Dot unit arrived, I expected again to hate the sound for a few weeks. And I did - though not as much as the first time out. And now that I've had the Red Dot in my system for a few weeks, the perceived harshness has again gone, and I prefer it to the sound of the original for music especially.

Lesson? Most audio components do in fact noticeably (and some times remarkably) benefit from a break in period, and the 950 is no exception. But also I've had as objective a lesson as I'll ever have in how much the ear also needs to break-in and re-orient itself.

I would say when going with equipment of completely different sonic character, the break-in breakdown might be something like 70% ear and 30% component.

[This message has been edited by HT crazed (edited October 10, 2002).]

Can do...

As a matter of fact, I'l probibaly use one of the classrooms that I teach in when I "BURN IN" my equipment. The marching band that I teach had an over night trip to SD. We held an overnight movie viewing (5 movies...12 hours...). I hauled my entire system over to the local college, and set it up in a 30-30 foot room. Needless to say a few of the gents became some pretty big HT buffs after the "demo".

I wouldn't mind doing it again when my outlaw gear comes in....although I may need some help with the 770...heck, I may need to re-inforce the suspension in my car for that beast.

Jason

Good Luck! Maybe invest in a fork lift??

Nah...

I'll just have a moving company stop by.

Why is it that people who believe electronics actually burn in always believe they sound better after a burn in period, and never worse?