Break in Time for CD players.

[C.A.P]

Well after some talk with Gordon Gray in another thred about Break in time on CD players, I will ask this in a new spin off thred.

1.What do you all consider a real world break in time for a CD player?
2. How do you go about breaking yours in?
3. Is it tube or solid state?
4. Any other tweaks that you use and have found to improve the sound !


I usually try and demo new equipment 1 piece at a time with other known equipment that you are familiar with and has been in your system for a while . That way you are not wondering if it was the warm sound from the new pre-amp or the new CD player.

As for CD players I have found that most Solid state players will sound very close to their longterm sound by running them for 24 hrs on repeat mode . It gives the laser mechanism time to move about and get settled in. It heats up all the circuits and electronics . It gives a long term heat cycle to the capacitors and such. This is what I have done with every CD player I have demoed. I have been right on about 90% of the time. Now that being said . If you run a outstanding CD player through poor upstream electronics and such nothing will help it.

Here and lies the other side of the fence where a longer break in may be needed. TUBES ! I have personally not had a Tube CD player. I have had a few tube pre-amps and they did require a bit more time to get that soft mellow tube sound. So what do you TUBE guys do?




What methods and tweaks do you all use ? Lets hear it!

 

[eknuds01]

A quantity like break in time is very difficult to measure, and has a wide range: maybe 24 hrs up to several hundred depending on who you are asking.

When I got my sony 900v modified, I bought the player from someone else, so it already had a fair amount of hours on it. However, after the modifications were laid down, I put the player on repeat for 2-3 days in a row.

Tweaks? Aside from sending out your player to have parts swapped out, or using a new DAC, or tube output stage, I don't think there's a whole you can do that doesn't involve some internal tampering. Some people like vibration isolation devices. I know Dan (DTB300) likes you use felt pads that he places on the disc before putting the CD in the player. I suppose this provides a tighter fit.

Regarding tubes, I want to say some companies make tube buffers. So you can introduce tubes into the signal chain, but you are adding extra components to your set up. This could be slightly less expensive than having your player modified to include tubes in the output stage.

Erik

 

[Gordon Gray]

Thanks CAP

Hi CAP,

Thank you for starting this thread. I will be very curious as to other member's insight on this issue.

I, like you, listen to one new piece at a time so I'm confident I am hearing the impact of one variable.

Regarding my Cary CD player and for those who didn't read the previous thread about players under $2,500, my dealer Ron Hendrick / Marigo Audio told me that from his personal observation, the unit took 500 hours to break in. I received the unit after Ron had played for about 430 hours. I burned in for another 3 days and I believe, after applying the product "HEAD ON" over my entire body , I did hear a difference in mid range warmth and improved mid bass, lower bass articulation.

On a more serious note, Ron confirmed that Cary's position on this issue was that 100 hours is sufficient. I have no idea as to why this may or may not be valid. Maybe it's all vodoo / techno babble :devil: but all I can tell you all is what I heard.

Thanks again CAP.

GG

 

[risabet]

I think my tube DAC took about 40-45 hrs to break-in with brand new tubes. When I changed to a pr. of OS used RCA 12AU7 "cleartops" they didn't change at all. Caps, etc. seem to need the break-in as do new tubes. IME used tubes don't lose their break-in when not in circuit. YMMV

 

[DTB300]

Tweaks? Aside from sending out your player to have parts swapped out, or using a new DAC, or tube output stage, I don't think there's a whole you can do that doesn't involve some internal tampering. Some people like vibration isolation devices. I know Dan (DTB300) likes you use felt pads that he places on the disc before putting the CD in the player. I suppose this provides a tighter fit.

I use Herbie's "Black Hole" CD Mat - A great tweak for improvement in sound for disc's (CD/SACD/DVD) for little cost.

Vibration devices or weights on components also help. VPI Brick was a common item a few years back, but something similar can be made for very cheap using somthing as simple as sand inside for weight.

Wood blocks under components, not touching the factory feet, also makes a difference with each type of wood (maple, pine, popular, oak, etc.) having a different signature.

In terms of "break-in", the only way to truely know if it exists, is to have a similar component/cable and compare a new one (not used) to a used/broke-in one. Then and only then can one tell if an item changes, or if you are the one changing to become accustom to the sound.

Dan

 

[twich54]

In terms of "break-in", the only way to truely know if it exists, is to have a similar component/cable and compare a new one (not used) to a used/broke-in one. Then and only then can one tell if an item changes, or if you are the one changing to become accustom to the sound. Dan

Well put Dan, my sentiments exactly. As I said before while I believe in 'break-in' I don't believe in the 'mega-hour' ones for all that your doing is subscibing to the last sentence in Dan's quote above.

My favorite 'break-in' tale is the one surronding those mega-priced AC power cords..........pleaaaaaase !! is there a doctor in the house !!

With respect to the original question on CD players and for that matter anything that is presently in my audio chain... 100 hrs, tops, and that's only if there is some electro/mechanical involved (speaker voice coil for example).

 

[Jeff Zaret]

As a general shot in the dark, I would say anywhere from 40 to 100 hours would be typical. There are so many variables, like Dan said, that even though you may reach that "magic" number of hours there are so many things one can do to change or even alter the sound. I have done some recent DIY projects that have made noticeable improvements for little money. A lot of them Dan has mentioned with excellent results. I just got tired of posting things every time I made a change. I guess when they add up to a "bunch" then I will post more pics.


Jeff

 

[twich54]

I have done some recent DIY projects that have made noticeable improvements for little money. I guess when they add up to a "bunch" then I will post more pics.Jeff

Jeff, Good evening, speaking of DIY projects, how's the 'sand box' coming along ??

Looking forward to your comments and pics !!

 

[sebrof2000]

I bought a new CDP (Primare CD21, SS) a month ago. I still had (still have) my Jolida JD100A in the system. The Primare sounded pretty bad the first few hours. I directly compared the two players, and the Jolida sounded way better. I was pretty nervous thinking I bought a stinker, and got on the net and read what everyone had to say about break in. After about 6 hours or so the Primare started to sound good. I left it on overnight and the next day I think it had settled in to where it's at now.
So - I didn't do anything special to break it in, and it took about 24 hrs.
And btw: After what I heard there is no doubt in my mind that there is a break-in period.

 

[kwr]

Plinius CD101 from brand new.

Definite initial warmup of approx. 6 hrs. In direct comparisons with Audio Aero Capitole 24/192 (with thousands of hours on it) was still improving a month later with better definition of bass lines i.e you could hear every note particularly left hand of piano in complex passages Other issues of soundstage and smoothness seemed also to improve.

Turned me into a believer with respect to burn in. Most of our gear has been demo or secondhand. It was particularly useful referencing the Plinius to the Audio Aero.

Kevin

 

[tonepub]

a lot of the break in is usually due to the caps inside. anything with teflon will take a few hundred hours, but a lot of mfrs that use them are starting to put hours on the boxes before they ship....

 

[Jeff Zaret]

Jeff, Good evening, speaking of DIY projects, how's the 'sand box' coming along ??

Looking forward to your comments and pics !!

Dave,
I have one more I may do but everything has been a success. I built a copy of Brightstars' early isolation devices. I built one for my turntable which turned out better than I thought. It looks like Tim's (Mitt). I have built custom size and weights for my Krell SACD and now just finished an isolation stand for the Depth. The difference in the Depth with the isolation stand was not a subltle change but definitely a change for the better. I am thinking about building a top weight for it.

Anyway I did not want to hijack this thread with my trivial stuff.


Jeff

 

[David Matz]

a lot of the break in is usually due to the caps inside. anything with teflon will take a few hundred hours, but a lot of mfrs that use them are starting to put hours on the boxes before they ship....

One power manufacturer, Essential Sound Products, claims that the power supplies of the components that are plugged into his power distributor or connected using his power cords go through a break in period. Great product, by the way.

http://www.essentialsound.com/reviews/The Essence Reference Owners Manual_2-2007.pdf

 

[jtwrace]

the question is does the source need to be playing with the volume up or not? From what I've been told, the CDP just needs to be playing non stop with no volume and that's ok. Do you guys/gals agree?

 

[sebrof2000]

Seems to me that the volume on the preamp (integrated, receiver, whatever) would be irrelevant. The CDP will be outputting the same signal once you hit play regardless of what the downstream components are doing.