How to properly warm up headphones with special pink noise or music

50% of headphone owners consider warming up the headset a pointless task - and, alas, they are wrong. A freshly baked device requires running-in in acoustic mode in the first 50-200 hours (depending on the modification). This improves the sound quality of the music. However, warming up the headphones is carried out in strictly defined ways.

What does it mean to warm up your headphones?

Warming up the headphones means the procedure for converting sound during the first working hours. It doesn’t matter where the gadget is at the moment - on the listener’s head or just lying to the side - overclocking is carried out all the same. Modern “ears” are a set of elements whose material changes properties during the first hours of use.

Sound engineers are confident that to operate at full power, grinding in of the parts that make up the device is required for further smooth operation under the given conditions. Elements of the “ears” such as holders and a cap with a diffuser change their characteristics over the next few hours of operation, as a result of which the sound is somewhat distorted. Warming up helps solve this problem, bringing the sound to perfection.

How the sound changes on different device models after warming up:

• on devices with large membranes, changes are not visible at all or occur rarely;
• on full-size ones it changes slightly;
• on the in-channel ones there is a strong change.

Gadgets costing up to $50 do not need to be warmed up - after 6-7 days of use they will acquire full phonation quality.

⇡#Approach from science

Heated debates about sound quality involve people with different personalities. Among them there are a lot of those who, without having any significant arguments in hand, try to defend their point of view. But, as you know, truth is born in a dispute. Among the large number of “onlookers” and “holivars” there are individual enthusiasts who strive to get to the bottom of the truth, and not to defend their opinion. One such audiophile is Tyll Hertsens, editor-in-chief of the website InnerFidelity, an advanced audio expert and a great fun guy.

This guy is making quite a splash in the portable audio community. He is one of the few who approached the problem with all seriousness. Abandoning the unfounded “I heard a difference,” Tile began measuring the parameters of the headphones before and after using them. Throughout the many experiments that Thile conducted, he changed his mind several times regarding the presence of the heating effect and its significance. His measurements showed very minor changes in the parameters of the tested pair of headphones, which, by and large, should not have left any doubt about the pointlessness of warming up. You can read more about the results of his research here.

But then the researcher conducted a so-called blind test, as a result of which he was able to accurately separate the new AKG Q701 headphone model from the “warm-up” one. This blind test not only did not clarify the situation, but also confused it even more, leaving a lot of questions and suspicions. Firstly, the headphones are still different; the sound of different copies of the same line may vary. In addition, if you look at the documented video of this experiment, you can find a lot of errors that could lead to this result.

For example, the ear pads of a new model and one that has been used for several hundred hours could be different, there could be differences in the firmness of the headphones, and so on. All this could have affected the fact that Thile could guess with a “sixth sense” whether the couple was new or old.

Warming up headphones - myth or reality?

Nobody knows whether warming up is necessary for new “ears”. No studies have been conducted on this matter; therefore, there is no evidence. There are only opinions of people with their own observations and comparisons that refute the myth about unnecessary overclocking.

Those who are in favor of testing the new device are sure:

• Manufacturers of bluetooth headphones and conventional models (Chinese Bluedio, American Jbl, Japanese Audio-Technica Corporation, etc.) do not deny, but, on the contrary, recommend warming up the headset to improve sound quality;
• after pumping, the squealing from ultra-high frequencies disappears, the volume increases, new notes and “guttural” bass appear;
• heating “softens” the membrane, made of a plastic but hard material, thereby improving sound quality.

Opponents of the run-in argue:

• headphone manufacturers will not launch unfinished products;
• personal experiments of “ear” owners in reality did not bring evidence of improved sound;
• There are no scientific studies to substantiate the increase in the sound characteristics of the headset after break-in.

Those who are against warming up are sure that the supposedly improved sound is a psychological factor, self-hypnosis, the “placebo effect.” Listeners convince themselves that warming up has a positive effect on the sound properties of the headphones. It's all about getting used to a new thing. A newly purchased device gives the same sensations, but in a month the same sound will be perceived differently, and without any break-in.

The best headphones for listening to music

⇡#To heat or not: opinions of manufacturers

What about the manufacturers themselves? Indeed, who, if not the speaker manufacturer, should give the answer - whether it is necessary to “heat” it for long hours or not! But even here opinions differ.

The myth about headphones warming up plays into the hands of companies that produce portable audio devices. “If you have purchased a product and it does not suit you in terms of sound quality, do not rush to conclusions, it needs to be warmed up thoroughly” - this is the idea suggested by the manufacturer, who supports the legend of “softening the membrane”. They say, if after the warm-up procedure the sound has not changed, perhaps you warmed up the device “wrongly”.

However, most manufacturers do not like to make loud statements regarding the heating of headphones. After all, they all understand perfectly well that if this effect were significant, then there would be technical standards that would need to be referred to. However, there are no such specifications, and carelessly thrown words must be answered. It turns out that behind the scenes, portable audio manufacturers support this legend, but this is done in an evasive and veiled manner. This is what it usually looks like.

What types of headphones need to be warmed up?

Only headphones with built-in dynamic drivers respond to warming up. If armature drivers are embedded in the headset, there is no point in testing them - they do not have a membrane that affects the sound properties.

Headphones with electrostatic drivers will also have no effect during break-in. This is also explained by their design feature. They need to be warmed up before each use. For example, it is recommended to turn on the headphones, listen to the song, then leave them turned on for half an hour. After that, you need to listen to the same song again - it will sound different.

It makes no sense to warm up magnetic-planar or isodynamic products. They have a membrane, but it works according to a different algorithm. The area of ​​the membrane is covered with a large number of tiny wires that are “excited” when there are changes in the magnetic field. This reaction pushes the membrane, creating a sound signal. But since it does not deform, it is useless to heat such a membrane.

You can warm up different types of headphones.

1. Invoices.
2. In-canal (“plugs”).
3. Monitor (full size).
4. Inserts (vacuum).

Before warming up the device, it is necessary to clarify the type of drivers embedded in it. The type of headphones does not matter - what matters is the presence of built-in dynamic drivers. The difference in the run-in will be that it will take more or less time to warm up, depending on the type of device.

For example, in-ear ones will require 10 hours, and full-size ones – 20, or even 40 hours minimum. It is recommended to warm up for 10 hours, listen: if no changes are detected, then increase the time by another 10 hours.

⇡#Audio-technica: “No need to heat it up. They’ll warm up on their own.”

The fact that music lovers bombard headphone manufacturers with similar questions is quite understandable. An audiophile spends a lot of time carefully collecting the opinions of colleagues in various communities and analyzing reviews of a particular model. Then he finally buys headphones and, of course, is tormented by the question of whether they can sound even better. And who should I ask such a question if not the support service of the company that released them? On the official website of the Japanese brand Audio-technica, this problem is listed as a separate item in the list of answers to the most frequently asked questions. Here's what Japanese audio engineers say:

The devices do not require a warm-up period, but the sound from the headphones will naturally change slightly over a period of time. To speed up the process of this change, you can play music through headphones for at least fifty hours at a medium listening volume. This “warming up” can have the following consequences:

• the reproduction of frequencies in the lower and upper ranges will be leveled out and expanded;
• the separation of instruments into recordings will be improved;
• the soundstage will become more open.

Next, the manufacturer makes an important note: “Remember that these changes (which may occur during warming up) are very minor and will occur naturally over time.”

It’s hard to disagree with Japanese marketers - the longer a person listens to headphones, the more he gets used to the sound offered to him. I listened to it for a week or two - and the lack of bass or treble is no longer felt. It seems like they warmed up “naturally.”

How to properly warm up your headphones

Proper warming up of a music headset is carried out in compliance with special methods and rules.

1. Break-in time. An indicator depending on the parameters of the membrane. The larger it is, the longer the warming up takes, although experienced sound engineers dispute this fact. They believe that the dimensions of the headphones do not have any effect on the break-in time. Massive samples heat up faster than compact models. This happens because the diffuser of oversized headphones has a larger stroke and becomes elastic faster.
2. The quality of the device. The more expensive the headphones, the more “demanding” the material is embedded in them. Such models need to be “warmed up” for about 200 hours, while the budget option will last 12-40 hours.
3. Carefully monitor changes in sound. Skeptics claim that if after 20 hours of warming up there are no changes in the sound quality, then further warming up the headphones is useless. And, on the contrary, if after 20 hours of running-in the sound becomes better, the warming up process is prolonged. At the same time, it is important to monitor the sound quality - as soon as it has become sufficiently smooth and satisfies the listener, the run-in must be stopped. If this is not done, the device will be subject to unnecessary consumption of useful resources, and this will significantly shorten its service life.
4. Warm up only suitable models. It is not recommended to warm up headphone models that are not structurally designed for this. Run-in can only be carried out with devices equipped with dynamic drivers with a membrane, for example, Marshall mode eq, Sennheiser cx 300.

Brief instructions on how to download your device after purchase look like this:

• open on the website or download a special track;
• connect headphones to the track source (full-size monitors with a resistance of over 32 ohms are not friendly with phones, and up to 32 ohms have excellent contact even with smartphones on the Android platform);
• play the track by adding volume;
• if the noise is unpleasant, put the “ears” in a closet or box;
• periodically check the sound;
• When the sound becomes smooth and clear, stop warming up.

At what volume to warm up the headphones?

Headphones don’t need to “yell” at full power, but you shouldn’t play barely audibly either. The guideline is a volume higher than what the listener uses every day, because everyone chooses it for themselves. While warming up, it is better to move the device away from your ears so as not to cause damage to your hearing.

The recommended volume level is indicated on the CD packaging and media. Acoustic stationary or hybrid systems require running-in only when playing special tracks. If you hear clicks, crackles, or distorted sound during warming up, this is a sign of damage to the membrane. If defects appear, the volume should be reduced. The recommended level for boosting is up to 75%.

How long does it take to warm up the headphones?

The duration of warm-up depends on factors such as:

• speaker dimensions;
• signal volume;
• device model;
• type of track used for acceleration.

The minimum warm-up time is 6 hours (for testing inexpensive modifications of “ears” using white or pink noise to warm up the headphones). If songs are used, increase the time to 8 hours. Headphones left on overclocking overnight will sound new in the morning.

The instructions for acoustic equipment or “ears” do not contain recommendations on how long warm-up time is required, so you choose the clock yourself. The average is 50 hours. After obtaining a suitable sound, the device is disconnected from the music source - for some time it will “get there” on its own.

It is recommended to test the headphones with the device (for example, computer, speakers) with which they will be in contact in the future. This rule also applies to cables, plugs, adapters, etc. It’s like with a car - some car owners believe that the car “gets used” to one oil or gasoline. The same thing happens with acoustic equipment.

⇡#Shure: “More myth than fact”

Engineer Yuri Shulman has been working for the American company Shure for many years. Here is his comment from the company's official blog:

“The need for warming up is more a myth than a fact. Some people consider the argument in favor of warming up to be that only the released emitters do not have a stable suspension (probably referring to the mount - authors' note ). At Shure, we believe that what is true for acoustic drivers (which can take 100 hours to warm up) cannot be translated literally to headphones. It's a matter of perception. Shure headphones sound the same throughout the entire period of use.”

And Yuri Shulman’s words are not just a subjective opinion. Several years ago, specialists from an American company conducted a small experiment. Several pairs of E1 headphones released in 1997 have undergone a re-test of technical parameters. To the delight of the engineers, it turned out that all the characteristics of the headphones remained unchanged after years - the same as they were when they were first taken out of the package.

Here's Matt Engstrom, Shure's director of product monitoring, weighing in. He believes that "a similar effect should be observed in the case of over-ear headphones, and in theory the headphones can change their sound after some time." The words of Yuri Shulman seem more convincing to us, but this opinion also has a right to exist.

Will there be any harm if you don't warm up the headset?

What happens if you don’t warm up the headphones after purchase? Answer: there will be no harm, nothing will happen. During the operation of the device, its owner will still receive the phonation that will suit him 100%. However, this will require more time. You can calculate the time to reach the level.

For example, if a listener uses a gadget for an hour and a half during the day, the volume is average. As a rule, this happens while traveling on public transport, jogging, etc. In this mode, it will take more than one month to build up the “ears”.

Given the short “life” of gadgets in the hands of their owners or in retail outlets, such a long life is an unforgivable luxury. For this reason, it is recommended to spend 6-7 nights rocking and soon enjoy the clear sound of your favorite melodies.

⇡#Grado Labs: “Warm up and everything will be okay”

The American manufacturer Grado Labs, beloved by audiophiles, openly speculates on the topic of warming up headphones. Neither more nor less than the owner of the company, John Grado, answered the question “Do I need to warm up the headphones?” confidently answers: “Any mechanics require running-in.” And then he gives a recommendation for warming up: “Just don’t warm up the headphones for too long, 50 hours will be enough. Just listen to them and after a while everything will be okay.”

There is slyness in his words, don’t you think? If just 50 hours of device operation makes its parameters better or more stable, then why shouldn’t the manufacturer take over the operation of warming up the headphones? There are almost no costs for this, but the benefits are (seemingly) enormous.

Special music tracks and programs (applications) for warming up

There are a couple of options to overclock a new gadget - by playing melodies or specialized noises (pink, white, a mixture of both). If music is used to warm up the headphones, it should capture all audible frequencies. That is, the track captures both the lowest and highest points. This is how, for example, the specialized noise of the Tara Labs program works, accelerating the membrane to full speed.

It makes sense to download if you plan to leave the headphones to warm up for a while. If during the running-in process the device is on the head, then it is recommended to turn on music rather than noise.

If a listener, after purchasing headphones, plans to enjoy everyday music or study an online English course, “surprises” await him. In the first hours, days and even weeks of using the device, the sound will be “floating”. For example, the bass will begin to hum, or high frequencies will skip, or the middle will “fail”. Don't worry - this is normal; with regular use, the sound will soon level out.

Download “warming up” music and pink noise here: Cascade Noise (torrent) and magnet link for downloading (“warming up” file) to Flac. It also downloads in MP3 (135.5 MB).

Step by step:

• download or listen online to Cascade Noise;

• set the volume to 70-80% (or leave it at the level at which everyday audio files are played);
• loop the track in the player so that when the melody ends, it plays again;
• enable Cascade Noise;
• leave the “ears” alone for 12-48 hours (depending on the modification);
• Periodically check the quality of phonation and turn off the equipment at the desired level.

There are specialized warming compositions, for example, IsoTek (IzoTek) from Full System Enhancer & Rejuvenation. A proven test method is to connect the “ears” to a vinyl player or a battered cassette player for 2-3 nights. Warming up occurs when listening to classical music, saturated with all frequencies.

It is not recommended to turn on headphones purchased during the cold season and just brought home from the street. It is recommended to keep them at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and only then start them.

⇡#Sennheiser: “There’s no need to heat it up, but we sometimes warm it up, just in case.”

Meticulous seekers of the right sound are not satisfied with the arguments for and against the use of warming up headphones, which abound in forums and communities of audio lovers. Many stubborn users directly contact company employees and try to find out all the secrets of the “hot” topic.

Here is the response from a Sennheiser representative to a letter from one of the music lovers:

Headphones, like loudspeakers, are used normally after a certain warm-up period. For example, we use the headphones for 24 hours before sending them out for review.

I hope I answered your question?John WilletTechnical Applications Manager - Sennheiser

But how can this effect be explained? John Willett also answered this question:

It's just that the warming up process loosens the surroundings and the diaphragm moves more easily. Directly from the assembly line it is more rigid.

Next, the music lover asked how constant the warming effect is, does it go away as the headphones are not used? To this John Willett responded as follows:

We do not have such data. It's a little like a book - when you're dealing with a new book, all the pages are stiff, but as you turn them over a few times, they become more flexible. And this is a minor difference; some people may not notice anything at all.

So, Sennheiser seems to recognize the effect of warming up headphones (at least with models from the German manufacturer). It would seem that the issue can be closed, but then “colleague” Scott Houston appears on the scene and ruins everything. Here is his comment on a similar request about warming up the headphones.

We do not have any specifications regarding warm-up time. This is not necessary, and the headphones can play music perfectly at any volume - right out of the box.

Sincerely, Scott HoustonTechnical [email protected]

Was this the manager Willett was talking about? It is possible that Scott is just one of those who “may not notice anything.”

What do we end up with?

Warm it up - and you will be happy. Or at least peace of mind (“I did everything I could”). Nobody excludes psychoacoustic moments of addiction, but good headphones require attention and a caring attitude. The best thing to do (to feel the real effect) is to listen to new headphones “cold”, put them on warm-up, guided by the information above, and listen again after warming up. If done correctly, even the most unbelieving will hear the difference. Actually, if you’re going to heat it up, then do it this way.

⇡#Beyerdynamic: “Heat as much as you want and whatever you want”

Take, for example, the undisputed authority in the field of portable audio - the German brand Beyerdynamic.

Gunter Weidemann is the company's lead designer and is directly involved in the development of Tesla's fantastic line of headphones (Beyerdynamic T1).

He often represents the interests of the German company, appearing at exhibitions, presentations and similar events. In one of the interviews, he was asked a direct question: “What is the warm-up period for headphones or maybe you reject this philosophy altogether?” To which a Beyerdynamic representative responded with a terse comment, devoid of any useful information: “We do not recommend any specific period for warming up. Some audiophiles don't warm up their headphones at all, while others are happy with a few hours of warming up." In general, neither yes nor no.

Briefly about the “theory” of warming up

For those who are not yet aware of the “warm-up theory”, I will briefly outline its essence. Quite a few people believe that as a result of “warming up”, i.e. long periods of playing music or pink noise (12 hours or more) with headphones, their sound improves. Believers in “warming up” can be roughly divided into several types of denominations, depending on the time of warming up, as well as its methods (music, noise, or warming up the cords with special devices).

There is also a “scientific” justification. It is argued that, like any mechanical system, headphones require running in, grinding in, “shrinking”, “wearing out”, “development”. They say that working in a certain mode (for example, when playing pink noise) allows you to “increase the elasticity of the diffuser.” In practice, it has been noted that any changes that may occur in the headphones during “warm-up” cannot be determined by ear and are not recorded by measuring instruments (there are no changes in frequency response, THD, IMD and other significant characteristics).

Presumably, a similar effect was observed in old Soviet dynamic loudspeakers (for example, 75GD1), where “warming up” (running pink noise at high volume for 80 hours) allowed the boundary of the low-frequency range to shift by 1-1.5 Hz. However, such a change could be caused by changes in temperature, humidity and other external conditions affecting the cellulose diffuser and is almost impossible to detect by ear.

From time to time, videos appear on the Internet with measurements of changes in the frequency response after warming up, for example this:

The first thing that attracts attention is the insignificance of changes in the frequency response, and the second is the complete lack of information about the measurement conditions.

To warm up you need to know a few simple things:

• Dynamic (“normal”) - it is necessary to warm up. Moreover, the larger the diameter of the membrane and the stronger the material, the longer the heating is required.
• the aromatic plugs. Another technology. Without going into details, there is nothing to be “developed” in the fittings. But many neophytes of reinforcement sound report warming up after several days or a week of use. This is exactly the “warming up of the brain.” If you switch from dynamic sound to reinforced sound, it takes some time to just get used to it. It's very different. This is the warm-up: the sound doesn’t change, but the owner gets used to the new presentation.

• Planar . Isodynamics in theory is subject to the influence of heating. But it doesn't feel that strong.
• Electrostats . As far as I know, there is no particular point in heating them purposefully. They need to be warmed up at the beginning of each listening session . When you put on the “cold” ones, listen to the composition, then put them aside, there is something playing for about 15-30 minutes, then you listen to the same composition... It sounds noticeably different.

There is an opinion that warming up shortens the “lifetime” of headphones. In some ways, this is true, but only if you are going to use them to the maximum - for many, many years. Maybe over such a long life cycle the difference will be noticeable, but in general, warming up is precisely the process of bringing it into operating mode, so it is unlikely to cause much harm.

⇡#Warming up the brain

When we talk about sound quality, we must not forget about such a phenomenon as psychoacoustics. For some reason, many people ignore this phenomenon, considering it far-fetched and downplaying its significance. And if you start to delve into the subtleties of human perception of sound, the reality turns out to be amazing and incredible.

The sound you hear depends not only on the performance of your hearing aid, but also on many conditions. Imagine a situation where an audio lover purchases a pair of headphones, expensive and coveted. The owner of the new model is in an excellent mood about this, and his desire to hear new details in the sound sharpens his hearing aid.

If this example doesn’t seem too convincing to you, let’s remember how a person hears. His organs of perception work synchronously, and very often information from, say, the organ of vision is replaced by data that the brain received from the organ of hearing.

The joint work of the senses has been proven by scientists a long time ago. For example, at the end of the century before last in Moscow, at the Society of Natural History Lovers, a young Russian physicist and physiologist, future academician Lazarev demonstrated a very interesting experience.

The experiment took place in a dark room with a screen on the wall. Lazarev turned on the buzzer, which emitted a steady signal. The scientist invited everyone present to listen to this sound. He then began to open and close the curtain on the projection camera, pointing it at the screen. As a result of his actions, the experiment participants saw bright flashes. But the most curious thing was that when the scientist asked to describe the sound of the buzzer, those present unanimously stated that the volume changed during moments of bright flashes. Thus, Lazarev demonstrated the connection in the functioning of human senses.

If we continue the logic of this relationship, we can assume that the result of sound evaluation is influenced by the color of the headphone model, its shape, the person’s mood, and so on. Still don't believe me? Then take a look at this fun collection of auditory illusions and ask yourself whether you can completely trust your own ears.