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How would you describe the noise? I've not heard of any kind of noise going away after headphones are broken in. The sound quality will change somewhat, sure, and usually improve, but I don't know of a noise emanating from the headphones themselves related to "break in." If that's what you're hearing my guess would be that the drivers/headphones themselves may be vibrating/rattling a bit from the volume. Is it a rattle? If that's the case, please turn down the volume. (And in general, you have to be careful with headphones to not listen to them loudly enough to cause long term hearing loss, and that's especially true when using with live instruments). If it's not a rattle you may be hearing something from the piano you hadn't noticed before, such as the intentional damper pedal noise.

It's a rattle noise yes, but only if I play like the bass notes or very high notes. I'll try and turn down the volume a bit.

Yeah, that sounds like the low frequency is causing the drivers to rattle. Turning down should help. That's probably due to the design as well; some headphones rattle at low frequencies. I'm not sure why high notes would cause any noise, though. I think a lot of manufacturers don't really design many models with live instrument use in mind.

I use the HD 598 every day on my N3; I practice only with headphones. I've never encountered the problem that you've described. If the store has another pair of the HD 598 headphones, ask if you can try another set.

Also, headphones do not need to be 'warmed up' or 'broken in'. That's nonsense promulgated by golden ears who always seem to fail double blind listening tests.

I do feel a need to say that break in is a thing, although I've noticed with speakers more than headphones. I thought it was kind of a myth as well and don't think of myself as a snob; in fact I often cringe at many audiophile myths. For an example, I once earned a living as a mastering engineer, and the studio in which I worked got new near field monitors (the small bookshelf ones). I had helped select them and had been impressed with the demo set, but the new set sounded harsh and the frequency response was no where near good enough to use for mastering. In some frustration and at the owner's suggestion I isolated them (to not concern security/other businesses) and ran pink noise through them at a fairly high volume overnight. I didn't expect much or really any change, but the next day they sounded dramatically different and the frequency response changed quite a bit (and was usable). I came to like them so much I later bought a pair for home use. But I've really digressed from the thread's subject. (Edit: And as I said earlier it wouldn't involve a rattle).

In any case, the suggestion to try another set of headphones is a good idea. I Googled "low frequency rattle in hd 598 headphones" and did find some others having the issue. (And I've heard that happen with other headphones, especially in recording session use). I'm mainly concerned with how loud they are being played, though.

Not entirely, this is from a reputable source by the way.

http://www.tested.com/tech/accessories/459117-science-and-myth-burning-headphones/

Now I don't claim I could tell because

a) I never had a used and new of any model to compare side by side.

b) I don'think with owning just one and listening to it few days or weeks whether one can distinguish between getting use to a sound signature, versus it actually having changed over time.

I think also it depends on the headhone design, materials used etc, some designs are more prone to need break in. A lot of them don't need it AFAIK.

I had some grados which state in the manual of not over listening to them too loud for 1st x hours saying break in one was needed. but I did not notice them change. No way I am going to listen to the same tunes and test for that long to find I could even tell.

If I could tell at all, to feel more certain about it to be a valid blind test, I would need several of the same model new and used and swap them out and see.

I do believe whatever amount of break in there is, it probably very subtle at best in most all cases in how the sound is actually affected. Then, there may also be just very minor variations in the same model in some cases anyway. versus it being an actual break in issue.


I am very sceptical of people that say things like, oh, I think they are opening up a bit now after a few days, more likely, they are simply just getting used to the headphones sound signature instead.

Likely, it also true that if you really don't like a phone before break in, you'll not like it after with whatever very minor differences that may bring.

Seems funny people will part wi mucho shekels without being able to try em first. Mind you, folk do that with BMWs too. ..

From Audio-Technica's website:

SHOULD I ‘BURN IN’ MY HEADPHONES?

Headphones do not require ‘burning’ in, however over a period of time the sound of headphones naturally change by a very small margin.

To make these slight changes happen sooner you can play music through your headphones for 50+ hours at normal listening levels. This ‘burning in’ process can have the following effects:

A smoother frequency extension in the bass and treble
Better instrument separation
A more open sound stage

I've experienced changes in headphone and loudspeaker performance in exactly the ways mentioned by AT. But, unlike Dave, I do indeed have golden ears. There's none more golden than my lugs. So of course I hear it whereas most of you plebs just wouldn't

I also suggest you try another pair, because that behavior doesn't sound normal, especially not for expensive, quality headphones. Even in the case of my cheap headphones that I mentioned a couple of posts ago I don't encounter this.

And concerning the volume, it may be high, but I don't think it can be high enough to be the source of the problem. My Roland HP504 headphone output can't produce high enough a volume to make my headphones distort. Nor can my rather expensive DAC with software instruments. An they both get uncomfortably loud, without even playing fortissimo. Try a different pair of the same model. Yours may have a problem.

Now concerning the break-in talk.

The drivers are electro-mechanical if I may call them that. Moving parts at high speeds. Even from a logical perspective, it doesn't sound so unlikely that there is some break it. And to follow with some examples: the JBL LSR 305 which I have go through a 100 hour break in, in factory, at high volume, which besides doing some actual "break in", also acts out as a very efficient QC. I've read about other top manufacturers of speakers that include some break in period during the manufacturing process. The same may go for headphones.
Of course, the break in process may make a bigger difference in some cases rather than others, and I wouldn't expect spectacular 180 degree changes.
As for the getting used to the sound, certainly, it may also be a factor. But if you do an active break in, such as running pink noise for a couple of days, then you can actually compare how they sounded before and after as opposed to just listening to them for a couple of weeks, which can't make for an objective evaluation of said break in. For both my headphones and my brother's, there was a noticeable difference.

It's the same as getting old. If you see yourself in the mirror every day, you won't be able to tell, but if a high-school mate sees you at the 20-year reunion, it's a whole nother story.


LE. EssBrace posted as well meanwhile. He said it best, and Audio-Technica before him :P I've experienced similar impressions to those described by them.

Shame the audio technica ath m50x ( a phone I like myself and own for many traits I like) but, it does not to do soundstage well, its a very small stage indeed, and mine have been broken in looong ago, the stage is still tiny

You want sound stage and space in music, go open back, or shell out big cash for a closed that perhaps marginally improves that.

Good try Audio technica, but its doesn't change the reality of this phone.

One of the first basic things you should decide on is whether you want open or sealed headphones. In general open headphones sound better but sealed headphones give you more isolation from outside noises and make it less likely anyone else will hear any sound leaking from your headphones. The ath m50x is an example of a sealed headphone. All the Sennheiser models mentioned are open. For piano practice at home, I would think open headphones would be a better choice most of the time.

A good site for seeing the best in each category is Inner Fidelity:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-full-size-open

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-full-size-sealed

--
Steve

I guess it's now time to introduce Monster Cable to the discussion ...

For the golden ears who can hear a difference after headphones have been broken in. A very easy test would not even have to use test equipment.

We could use two exact headphones ... one that is new from the manufacturer and another that has been 'broken in' ... 50 hours of pink noise? ... 300 hours of pink noise? Whatever.

The golden ears should be able to consistently identify one from the other.

I'll supply the blindfolds. Best of luck to you. Thanks for playing along.

I'm sure you'd have more success of you would supply the headphones instead of the blindfolds. It's not so frequent that somebody gets 2 identical pairs of headphones.
Even so, your suggestion still leaves the matter of sample variability open.
The only accurate test would actually measuring the hp out of the box, then doing 50h-100 h of break-in in, without moving the headphones from the test rig, the measure again.

It's not so frequent that somebody gets 2 identical pairs of headphones.

That should make it even easier for the golden ears to consistently identify A or B, right?

http://www.tested.com/tech/accessories/459117-science-and-myth-burning-headphones/

+1 !!!

And I wouldn't even believe "blind" listening tests. I'd like to see if they _measured_ differently, after break-in.

As I said above, I used to work as a mastering engineer and did test a pair of speakers before and after break in, and there was a difference. Now that particular pair of monitors was the only time I've heard or measured such a dramatic difference, and it surprised me. With other speakers and headphones there have been only subtle changes in break in, at least some of which could also be attributed to getting used to them. I've also never measured the before/after frequency response of headphones.

And since the evil cable issue has been brought up; no, I never heard nor measured a difference in frequency response with different cables.

Since we're on the subject (although I'm regretting wading into it) the most dramatic change in frequency response and overall characteristics I've heard and measured came from moving objects around in a room. Furniture, seats, dividers, speaker position, placing something over a reflective surface, etc. So I'm saying throwing some big pillows around will have more of an effect than changing a couple cables.

But we've gotten pretty far off the rails when a person asked about a rattle noise in his/her new headphones and if it could be due to break in (and definitely not).

Piece of cake, Dave. Now you just need to make a nice present consisting of 2 pairs of brand new headphones of the same model to one of the golden ears, and I'm sure they would happily oblige and test them :))
This is just to be clear on what 'identical' referred to, seeing how you wished to misinterpret the wording.
But I, for one, would like frequency plots, just as Alex, în the manner that I described above. That would make it a lot more obiective.

'Identical' ... two of the same models from one manufacturer. We could buy two Sennheiser HD 598 ... or two of any model\manufacturer.

We subject one of the models to a break in period, say 300 hours of pink noise.

We don't need to plot frequency or do any measurements, we only need for one pair of golden ears to be able to consistently identify which of the two headphones is which. The headphones are marked A and B.

Seems simple enough to me.

I thought you were being ironic, indicating towards sample variance within the same product.
If I ever get the chance to do a proper blind test of the same two headphones both brand new, and then putting one through a break in routine, while leaving the other untouched, I certainly will. Even though I've experienced it with my headphones, that could always be merely an impression, while the blind test would eliminate the variables.
I'll post the results if I ever get to do such a test, but I'm certain even with that, everybody will stick to their beliefs.

mcoll, if there is in fact sample variance with the same product, that would make it even easier for a golden ear to correctly identify one headphone over the other.

Measurable doesn't always equate to identifiable.