Audio Myths

A lot of knowledge is what people say, and what people say is not necessarily the truth. This is where we separate fact from fiction.

In the audio technology world, the amateur and professional alike are subjected to a multitude of adages that have become common knowledge thanks to mindless repetition. This has more to do with the nature of our consciousness and our brains than actual objective fact. Many times the subjective experience overrules and adds distortion to the reality and subsequently, myths are born.

Myth #1 - Earphone burn-in periods

A very common myth among today’s audio tech consumers is that a new pair of earphones need to be “burned in” for a certain period of time to deliver the optimal audio experience that they were designed for. Burning in a set of drivers refers to continuously playing music/white noise/frequency sweeps, and prescribed burn-in periods can be as long as a few hundred hours. As with most conventional knowledge, there isn’t any exact universally agreed upon method. Proponents of this myth rationalise their claim with the logic that the cones are stiff when new and the burn in period helps them gain the flexibility needed to deliver a complete aural experience. However, they seem to neglect the fact that if the headphones were designed to be burned in, the manufacturers would do that at the factory itself. There is also the possibility that this myth is perpetrated as a marketing tactic, or to get users to keep the product past the return period.