Most people assume that their new headphones are ready to go right out of the box, and don't think twice before throwing them on and giving them a good critical listen. For true audiophiles, this could be a mistake, as your headphones don't actually reach optimal performance right away.
Have you ever experienced less than optimal sound quality while using headphones? The lack of clarity in the sound, like missing out on the crispness of a tambourine or the fullness of an upright bass, may not necessarily be due to the headphones themselves but rather a lack of proper preparation. It's best to hold off on any judgement until the headphones have been used for sufficient time to reach their optimal performance. This can take quite a few hours as the drivers slowly shift over time.
Fortunately, there is a solution to speed up the process. It's called "burn-in."
Burning-in your headphones or earbuds is not a requirement, but it can improve your overall listening experience. This is because each headphone/earbud in a pair consists of an outer shell, magnet, diaphragm, and coil that make up the driver, which is responsible for producing the sound that is sent to your ear canal.
These drivers, also known as transducers, are similar to those found in speakers but on a smaller scale. They convert electrical energy into kinetic energy through the movement of the cone or dome attached to the speaker. There are two key parts of the driver: the "surround," which connects the frame of the driver to the cone, and the "spider," which is the flexible component underneath the cone that keeps the coil centered in the magnet structure. After burn-in, these two points loosen, allowing the driver to move more freely, leading to an improvement in audio quality, which may become gradually noticeable over time.
As the internal structure of your headphones is the same as larger speakers, this concept also applies to bigger speakers, and you can use the same method to burn them in as well.
The Burn-In Process
There are two commonly accepted methods for burning-in headphones or earbuds. Both methods involve playing audio through the device for an extended period, with 40 hours of continuous play being considered the optimal time frame. The two methods are:
- Using a burn-in playlist that includes music and noise tracks covering a range of frequencies from high to low. These playlists are available from various websites, including Spotify.
- Utilizing loops of various noises and frequencies through a "burn-in disc" or online white noise playlist. One such product that is highly recommended is CASCADE Noise from TARA Labs, which can be played for free from their website or through the embedded video at the end of this article. (Please be sure to read the instructions at the beginning of the video for proper safety measures and correct burn-in execution.)
Once you have obtained the burn-in audio, ensure that your headphones are fully charged (if wireless), and then connect them to the computer or mobile device that will be used for playback. Please be advised that burning-in your headphones or earbuds should always be done at a moderate volume to avoid damaging or destroying the drivers. Also, if you're using a burn-in file, you don't have to listen to it -- it's not going to sound very good.
As previously mentioned, the recommended total burn-in time is 40 hours, but this can be completed in multiple 4-5 hour sessions, such as while you sleep.
After completing the burn-in process, it is recommended to listen to some test tracks. We offer a variety of hi-fi testing tracks from Chasing the Dragon at Selby. This will allow you to experience the full audio quality of your headphones or earbuds after they have been properly "stretched" through the burn-in process. You'll be able to enjoy listening to any type of music or podcast with optimal sound fidelity.
