Do Emotiva Amps Require Burn-In?

[gcannon]

I purchased an Emo UPA-200 to drive Hifiman HE-6 headphones through the speaker connections, based on the advice from many on the Head-Fi forums.  I had purchased the matching Hifiman EF-6 amp for $1,600, but I was told the Emo Mini or the UPA-200 would be better.  I just got the UPA-200 connected and right out of the box it is not as good as the EF-6.  I know there is a big difference between $1,600 and $350, but there is definitely a difference in detail.

I so want the UPA-200 to be THE amp and I am hoping there is a burn-in factor at work.  The HE-6's have about 80 hours on them and they have definitely improved with the EF-6 from the beginning. 

Have others experienced the Emo amps getting better with use?  If so, are we looking at 50, 100, 150+ hours?

Thanks for your help!

[bootman]

You have 30 days to return it.

When manufacturers voices an amp for their own products you won't get the same sound with something else.
Now without measuring I have no clue if the EF-6 measures flat or not.
My guess is that is doesn't but given that it was designed for the HE-6 that may just be by design.

Only you can decide if one is worth an extra $1250.

Good luck.

[thepcguy]

May 29, 2014 20:53:27 GMT -5 bootman said:

You have 30 days to return it.

When manufacturers voices an amp for their own products you won't get the same sound with something else.
Now without measuring I have no clue if the EF-6 measures flat or not.
My guess is that is doesn't but given that it was designed for the HE-6 that may just be by design.

Only you can decide if one is worth an extra $1250.

Good luck.

30 days = 720 hours burn-in

[bitsandbytes]

I felt my xpa1's and xpa5 amps sounded good right out of the box - about 90% burned in after 10 hours and fully burned in after 20 hours. It's important Emotiva amps are connected directly into the wall or in a non-current limiting conditioner.

[GreenKiwi]

I wouldn't think that there would be any large fluctuations in sound with any amount of burnin.

I'm guessing that they are voiced differently and/or the speaker connector is potentially changing the sound. What speaker connector do you have? Or is it simply a wiring harness?

[deltadube]

May 29, 2014 21:27:08 GMT -5 bitsandbytes said:

I felt my xpa1's and xpa5 amps sounded good right out of the box - about 90% burned in after 10 hours and fully burned in after 20 hours. It's important Emotiva amps are connected directly into the wall or in a non-current limiting conditioner.

so are you suggesting he moves up to the xpa 1 mono blocks for better sound and member ship in the mono block society?

[Deleted]

May 29, 2014 20:42:49 GMT -5 gcannon said:

I purchased an Emo UPA-200 to drive Hifiman HE-6 headphones through the speaker connections, based on the advice from many on the Head-Fi forums.  I had purchased the matching Hifiman EF-6 amp for $1,600, but I was told the Emo Mini or the UPA-200 would be better.  I just got the UPA-200 connected and right out of the box it is not as good as the EF-6.  I know there is a big difference between $1,600 and $350, but there is definitely a difference in detail.

I so want the UPA-200 to be THE amp and I am hoping there is a burn-in factor at work.  The HE-6's have about 80 hours on them and they have definitely improved with the EF-6 from the beginning. 

Have others experienced the Emo amps getting better with use?  If so, are we looking at 50, 100, 150+ hours?

Thanks for your help!

It will not change in sound. It is what it is. The HE-6's are planar magnetic, it's literally impossible for them to break in. Just some food for though, the Head-fi guys can be pretty nuts. I've had pretty much every high end headphone on the market, including the HE-6 and still do. I drive mine with a Ncore class D amp. They are awesome headphones!!

[GreenKiwi]

You use nCores for your headphones? Damn! Nice and dead silent... i just be scared that one might turn the volume up accidentally and blow the drivers right out of a set of cans.

There was someone else here who posted about using his mini-x and was very happy with that. Maybe he can chime in to see if something isn't quite setup right.

[garbulky]

For me it's not so much burn in as in warm up. Your experience may differ. Mine sounds best after about a day of being left turned on.
Edit: you wanted to know if there is a BIG difference? Well, no. Not enough if it is very obvious to you the hi fi man amp is better. It's a subtle difference.
Now the hifi man amp has some pretty prodigious class A output.
Schiit audio has some pretty powerful headphone amps. You may want to check them out - they are cheaper.

[USNRet]

Never mind, I do not believe in this nor do I believe that wires are directional.

[Deleted]

May 29, 2014 22:35:32 GMT -5 GreenKiwi said:

You use nCores for your headphones? Damn! Nice and dead silent... i just be scared that one might turn the volume up accidentally and blow the drivers right out of a set of cans.

There was someone else here who posted about using his mini-x and was very happy with that. Maybe he can chime in to see if something isn't quite setup right.

Oh for sure you have to be careful! The HE-6's are super hard to drive and there are only a handful of headphone amps that can do so properly, i had an extra Ncore laying around and gave it a try! It's awesome! I know a few guys that do the same.

[Nodscene]

I found a difference with my UPA-7 sounding better after some burn in. Less bright and more bass so I was pretty pleased about that. Not too sure what causes the improvement but I've found some stay the same and some get better so hopefully you will find a difference after a while.

[Kent]

Hello,

Burn-in is a much debated subject as we all know. This is my experience based on what I heard. My XPR-1's sounded "muddy" if you will when they were new. The sound did improve as they accumulated several hours and eventually became magnificent sounding. I've also experienced this with other brands and types of components I've owned so I don't believe it only pertains to Emotiva. 

After logging many hours sometimes the improvement is quite noticeable. Other times there's a subtle improvement you can't necessarily put your finger on but know it sounds "more right" or "closer to reality"……..IMHO.

[Boomzilla]

May I chime in to echo Garbulky's comment. Provided the amp is warm, it's as good as it'll get. I notice a big difference in the first 30 minutes. There may be a further subtle improvement after a day, but I don't so much notice it. That first 30 minutes to an hour, though, even my wife hears.

Maybe your ears work the same way? Try one of these & melt your ear wax before listening! LOL

www.meritline.com/north-american-healthcare-lighted-ear-wax-remover-jb-5446---p-84999.aspx

[GreenKiwi]

May 29, 2014 23:26:37 GMT -5 @n8dogg said:

May 29, 2014 22:35:32 GMT -5 GreenKiwi said:

You use nCores for your headphones? Damn! Nice and dead silent... i just be scared that one might turn the volume up accidentally and blow the drivers right out of a set of cans.

There was someone else here who posted about using his mini-x and was very happy with that. Maybe he can chime in to see if something isn't quite setup right.

Oh for sure you have to be careful! The HE-6's are super hard to drive and there are only a handful of headphone amps that can do so properly, i had an extra Ncore laying around and gave it a try! It's awesome! I know a few guys that do the same.

I guess in the grand scheme of things, a stereo nc400 with on psu is about the same as the above amp. And it's going to have super low noise.

[bluemeanies]

I bought a pair of XPA1s' a couple of months ago and they sounded excellent coming right out of the box. A perfect match for my B&Ws'.
I have had many set ups since the late 70's and I do not believe in the break in time effect except in speakers. The idea of breaking in amplifiers, wires, etc to me is foreign to say the least however their are many members here on this forum that subscribe to that theory.

You do have 30 days of free listening...if not satisfied don't wonder why make the decision to try another combination.
It's important what you hear and what sounds right to you not anyone here's opinion will change that factor.

Good luck.

[Cogito]

Personally, I would hesitate to buy any gear that would change audibly over a period of "burn-in" time. To me, it would be indicative of poor engineering and/or design. With that said, I would be VERY surprised if any Emotiva amp even measured differently(Within mfg. tolerances)from brand new to 1000 hours of use, nevermind being AUDIBLY different.

Are there exceptions? Well... In my case, I find that Magnepans "seem" to enjoy an ever so slight increase in bass extension after a few dozen or so hours of use. I say "seem" because I'm not entirely sure this is the case. It might be attributed to becoming familiar with the sound of the loudspeaker rather than an actual measurable change. I have seen articles testing this with more conventional drivers and the results showed extremely little or no measurable difference in drivers after relatively long periods of break in. Again, if there was any significant change over time, it could be reasonably attributed to a poorly engineered and/or designed system.

[Priapulus]

I noticed no difference in my EMO amplifiers, between their virgin stage and being thoroughly broken in. If I did notice a difference, I'd send them back.
/b

[GreenKiwi]

I think that mechanical devices can have changes due to burnin. So speakers etc

Though I think that it is unfortunate that the manufacturer doesn't run them with test signals to break them in prior to shipping.

I have some Cardas IEMs that everyone, including the manufacturer claim need 200h of burn in. Well just f-ing do this before you package them.

[DYohn]

Turn it on and enjoy the music.