Break-In: A Barrier To Audiophile Gratification
I want my audio equipment to provide FULL performance, and I want it now! Call me a complainer if you want to, or heck, don’t call me at all if you can’t deliver what my fellow Audiophiles and I are asking for!
Let's begin with a basic definition that can help TRUE Audiophiles. Break-In -- it's the manufacturer's suggested (or required) usage time for the component to achieve FULL performance. I've seen a few recommended Break-in periods as high as 400hrs. Are you kidding me? I need to wait up to 400hrs or 17 straight days before I can hear what I’m supposed to on equipment that I paid for? Get the heck out of here!
True Audiophiles seek maximum performance within our systems or ANY components we select for audition or inclusion. We don’t want to spend significant time and energy selecting SUSPECTS, then PROSPECTS before making a final PURCHASE just to ‘audition’ it and make a impaired/ poor selection.
Why a poor selection?
- False negative:
You perform your critical listening/ audition before the break-in period expires. You don't like the sound and move on. This isn't overtly painful because "you don't know what your missing." Regardless, you miss out on a wonderful component because it didn't display it's full performance during your audition period.
- False positive:
After 300+ hours of audition/ critical listening, you become ACCUSTOMED to or ENAMORED with the component in your system and keep it. Later, if you haven't sold off the component it replaced, you swap the old component back in and...Wham! You realize you shouldn't have made the purchase. You were "snookered". Then REGRET sets in...for the time, money, and listening pleasure wasted.....
And if you already sold off the older component, you may have expended significant resources going in the WRONG direction (i.e. more poor, but complimentary equipment purchases). I've seen audiophiles spend YEARS trying to back-track and figure out where they went wrong. Ugh!
Fellow Audiophiles, I have a fix for you.
By design, ALL CH Acoustic products deliver 100% of their designed performance at first use. There's no delayed gratification and no diminished performance while waiting for the Break-In period to expire. That’s why I have these cables and cords listed on my site. You connect the CH Acoustic cables and cords, press play, and listen -- no need to wait 10 seconds, let alone 400 hours!!!
If you are a TRUE Audiophile (no phoneys are welcomed here), please recommend other equipment for me to check out. If I like it, I’ll also consider adding it at theaudiodork.com. For now, CH Acoustic products ONLY! LOL!
Alright, this week’s lesson is over for now…
Stay Dangerous,
AudioDork