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Re: How do new players break in? What caues the sonic improvement?

First, you made an assertion that is not true, so your question cannot be answered. Electrons do not "wear a path" through circuitry.

I believe what you're really asking is, what physically changes in a piece of electronic equipment over time that may affect its performance? That is possibly answerable if you are willing to stipulate a particular measurable performance parameter.

A circuit drawn is a theoretical concept which cannot be rendered perfectly in the physical world. Schematically, all components are perfect. Wire has no resistance, and does not radiate or absorb energy. Inductors have no resistance or capacitance, capacitors have no leakage or inductance. But actually, in keeping with the law of entropy, the physical materials of all components degrade with time. This should cause a drop in performance, not the other way around.

There are some exceptions: the dielectric in some capacitors is chemical based and requires voltage to form. Mechanical parts tend to be tight upon assembly, and may need use in order to "break them in," i.e., mating parts loosen up and "wear in" for a better fit and lower friction. Speaker suspension materials become more flexile after a break-in period. Age and operation tend to relieve the physical stresses in materials due to the manufactuing process.

The more interesting question is this: Do the naturally occuring changes in physical components cause measurable changes in a device's performance? I'll guess that 99% of the time, the answer is no. It is at this point that the masses will rise up and claim their 30-40- or 50-year old ears can detect unmeasurable changes in sound. We have now left the world of science so any opinion is valid.

GPB




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