alanc1
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Post by alanc1 on Jul 4, 2024 14:05:22 GMT -5
I just purchased an XDA-3 DAC/preamp. Is there a recommended break-in period for this equipment? Should I leave it on and running continuously for a few days, or does it matter? I'm comparing it to my Rotel 1590 MKII, which I've been happy with, to see if there's an appreciable difference in sound quality, and I want to make sure the XDA is operating at its peak performance.
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jul 4, 2024 14:10:42 GMT -5
If there’s any significant (or even noticeable) audible difference, I’d be surprised, but some will likely disagree.
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LCSeminole
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Res firma mitescere nescit.
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Post by LCSeminole on Jul 4, 2024 14:41:13 GMT -5
What AudioHTIT said, I can’t remember a solid state audio component that I bought ever needing a “break-in” period. Tube amps and their tubes need warming up and to some degree speakers need some breaking in, but otherwise IMO, solid state electronics need nano-seconds if that. If it helps the OP, my Emotiva DC-1 DAC never needed break-in or warming up, and thus I’ve not noticed any difference in sound from the first minute of listening compared to hours later.
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ttocs
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Post by ttocs on Jul 4, 2024 15:59:39 GMT -5
Well, there are some solid state items that are meant to operate within a range of temperature. My Krell S-1500 amp used to run really hot, too hot according to Krell. So I used an AC Infinity fan on top to suck out the heat, and over time I learned that the amp didn't sound as good if the temp of certain parts on the output boards was less than 130º. So I let them run hot enough but not over 150º. Later, I sent the amp to Krell for a mod that kept those parts from getting over 145º, so no more fan needed.
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Post by geebo on Jul 4, 2024 18:29:41 GMT -5
My XDA-3 sounded great the first time I plugged it in a year ago and it still sounds the same. Same with my DC-1 (which I still use) and my previously owned XDA-1 and XDA-2.
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LCSeminole
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Res firma mitescere nescit.
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Post by LCSeminole on Jul 4, 2024 19:52:54 GMT -5
Well, there are some solid state items that are meant to operate within a range of temperature. My Krell S-1500 amp used to run really hot, too hot according to Krell. So I used an AC Infinity fan on top to suck out the heat, and over time I learned that the amp didn't sound as good if the temp of certain parts on the output boards was less than 130º. So I let them run hot enough but not over 150º. Later, I sent the amp to Krell for a mod that kept those parts from getting over 145º, so no more fan needed. Do you even use a furnace/heat pump during those Chicago winters? All joking aside, as a generality most solid state electronics don't need break-in, but I do realize that there are exceptions to my blanket statement. I know Krell's current iBias Technology is most certainly one of those. By the way, nice power amplifier you've got there, if I'm remembering correctly isn't the S-1500 a fully balanced design?
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ttocs
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I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with. (Elwood P Dowd)
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Post by ttocs on Jul 4, 2024 20:35:31 GMT -5
Well, there are some solid state items that are meant to operate within a range of temperature. My Krell S-1500 amp used to run really hot, too hot according to Krell. So I used an AC Infinity fan on top to suck out the heat, and over time I learned that the amp didn't sound as good if the temp of certain parts on the output boards was less than 130º. So I let them run hot enough but not over 150º. Later, I sent the amp to Krell for a mod that kept those parts from getting over 145º, so no more fan needed. Do you even use a furnace/heat pump during those Chicago winters? :D (rofl) All joking aside, as a generality most solid state electronics don't need break-in, but I do realize that there are exceptions to my blanket statement. I know Krell's current iBias Technology is most certainly one of those. By the way, nice power amplifier you've got there, if I'm remembering correctly isn't the S-1500 a fully balanced design? Yeah, there are exceptions, so I was nit picking. Your statement is pretty accurate in general terms. The Krells have a BTU rating, so, yeah, some can cook hot dogs. That S-1500 is the one that took a hit from the power going off-on-off-on-off-on in a couple seconds a couple years ago, which fried the output boards as well as something else we didn't bother to nail down. Since they don't make the boards for it anymore it would've been a time and material fix with no guarantee of long term success. So I replaced it with a DUO 300 XD. The S-1500 is fully balanced, Class A/B output, but was not an iBias design. It was a very good amp, but not a great one. It still works, but the remaining two channels don't sound the same since the incident. The DUO 300 XD is a great amp!! This one is Class A, iBias but with the newer XD circuitry (XD was released in 2019 I think) which is a vast improvement in sound.
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Post by 405x5 on Jul 5, 2024 7:04:11 GMT -5
My apologies…… It’s just that somehow, this particular topic never ceases to have me crack, a little smile…… oops (wrong break-in)
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Post by PaulBe on Jul 5, 2024 7:25:07 GMT -5
Electro-mechanical audio devices may need a small break-in period. Power supplies may need up to a minute to stabilize. If a piece of solid-state electronics needs more than a few minutes or egg frying temperatures to sound good, it is flawed.
My XDA-3 required NO break-in period, sounds consistent and very good from first turn-on, and it never gets warm.
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Post by 405x5 on Jul 5, 2024 8:55:51 GMT -5
“Breaking in” has always been somewhat interesting to me, with respect to what exactly it is you’re talking about breaking in……
Does anyone here have experience with any electronic components where the manufacturer specifically states about breaking in regarding that product and what you should do or not do?
I can go back to things which are mechanical most commonly the car and Recall at least from the dealership and even in the manual, actually a mileage break-in. Because we’re talking about mechanical rather than electronic for things have an opportunity to “seat” themselves and so forth.
But with electronics, it seems that these components are so intricately complex that I don’t understand how you can qualify the term break-in with respect to an electronic component
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Jul 5, 2024 9:30:10 GMT -5
In response to that last sentence... a LOT depends on what sort of component you're talking about... and what "characteristics" you're talking about. For example, with output transistors, the transfer characteristic of the device will vary a lot with temperature. (For a given device you can look up the graph of "how much current in the base results in how much current out of the emitter - graphed against temperature". And, because of this, the amount of bias it requires to operate properly will also vary. (The bias is automatically varied in such a way as to keep the important operating parameters "as close to what they should be as possible".) This is why the output circuitry in power amplifiers automatically varies its bias as the devices warm up to "normal operating temperature". However this is a relatively short term "warm-up" (usually over a few minutes or so)... And not a change that will occur over several hundred hours of use. (And, yes, some devices are very subject to this, while others are barely affected by it.) But now look at a VERY complex device, like the main CPU chip in a computer, or most of the digital circuitry in a DAC... Those operate with "ones and zeros"... and their circuitry is specifically designed NOT to be affected by variations in its analog operating point... The computer I use for complex graphics operations uses a lot of power "when it's working hard"... and makes a lot of heat while doing really complex operations... But you certainly would NOT expect your Excel spreadsheet to produce different numbers "as the computer warms up" OR "as the computer gets older and gets broken in"... (The whole point of digital computers is that the result you get is ONLY determined by the data you put in and the program you run against it.) There's also something that needs to be clarified about that... Your laptop computer may SEEM "to run slower when it gets too hot"... but that's really a sort of illusion. The individual transistors and ICs don't "run slower because they're hot" or "produce different results because they're not running at full speed". What has happened is that temperature sensing circuitry has detected the excessive temperature... And it has instructed the circuitry in the computer to run at a lower speed to reduce the amount of heat produced... But each and every actual calculation performed by the circuitry itself will continue to produce the exact same result... (2 + 2 = 4 no matter what temperature you calculate it at; it does NOT equal 4.1 at lower temperatures or 3.9 at higher temperatures...) “Breaking in” has always been somewhat interesting to me, with respect to what exactly it is you’re talking about breaking in…… Does anyone here have experience with any electronic components where the manufacturer specifically states about breaking in regarding that product and what you should do or not do? I can go back to things which are mechanical most commonly the car and Recall at least from the dealership and even in the manual, actually a mileage break-in. Because we’re talking about mechanical rather than electronic for things have an opportunity to “seat” themselves and so forth. But with electronics, it seems that these components are so intricately complex that I don’t understand how you can qualify the term break-in with respect to an electronic component
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