Music files for warming up headphones. Warming up headphones: everything you wanted to know about warming up

Remember

Many modern audiophiles are interested in whether they need to warm up their headphones before use. After all, some experienced users It is recommended to do this procedure regularly. In order to determine its necessity, it is worth finding out what experienced engineers have to say about this.

Many music connoisseurs are sure that headphones can only be used after they have been fully “warmed up”. Music lovers also claim that high quality sound appears only after prolonged use of headphones. If you read the information that is located on the forums of high-quality sound lovers, you can see a lot of advantages of using heated devices. According to users, good heating will ensure the development of the membrane, as well as the gradual adaptation of the mechanism to a certain rhythm of operation.

Skeptical users want to know for sure whether heating is actually beneficial or not. In fact, both one and the second option are correct from a technical point of view.

Naturally, there is no special “softening” of the headphone membrane during their warming up. In addition, none of the instructions for using the equipment contain recommendations for “warming up” the headphones. Then where did the fashion of “warming up” headphones come from? It turns out that there are some reasons that make modern music lovers think.

Perhaps the most compelling argument in favor of warming up the device is personal experience user. As a rule, in such cases, the owner of the headphones says that the sound in “run-in” devices is much better than in unwarmed ones. This effect can occur for the following reasons:

individual psychoacoustic factors of the user;
personal subjective assessment and features of the auditory organs;
different designs of headphones of the same model, released in different years.

Features of your own ear: who hears what?

As you know, each person has a different sound threshold of perception. Accordingly, any sensations from listening to music are subjective. When a user expresses a personal opinion about specific device, he is guided by his personal opinion about what sound is good, of high quality, and what is not. Quality criteria also vary significantly.

Experienced equipment sellers are faced with the fact that some buyers prefer balanced sound, while others want as much lower frequencies as possible. Such taste differences arise due to different auditory perceptions. Experts have proven that the auditory frequency range begins to narrow in all people over 25 years of age. It is for this reason that many people have difficulty hearing sounds above 17.5 kHz. As for 20 kHz, this range can be clearly heard by 16-17 year old music lovers.

In addition, the sensitivity of the human ear begins to gradually decrease as it approaches the threshold value. Therefore, when listening to the sound at very high or low frequencies ah seems much quieter to the user. Some music lovers are probably familiar with cases when in some works a very low bass appears in a specially designated pause and it seems much quieter. In addition, some lovers of high-quality sound, in order to determine new features of a familiar composition, specifically listen to it on other headphones.

Naturally, with other equipment it is possible to clearly hear sounds that were previously invisible. In this case, the secret of the appearance of a new sound is very simple. The fact is that a new device may have an frequency response with a raised curve in those areas that coincide with the limit of audible frequencies.

These features often lead to a double situation. After all, one person is delighted with the sound, the second calls the sound unnatural. Therefore, there is a misunderstanding between music lovers. Despite the fact that each user is right in his own way.

As for the hearing limit, it can also vary from person to person. For some listeners, 18 kHz is the beginning of the region high frequencies. A person with more acute hearing considers 15 kHz as such. When describing the same piece of music, two listeners are unlikely to come to the same conclusion. Despite the above facts, many music lovers prefer to “warm up” their headphones for as long as possible. After all, in their opinion, the deformable membrane that creates sound should change its properties over time and become more flexible.

If we consider this option from the point of view of physics, everything is correct. However, the scale of this phenomenon is very overestimated. After all, there are no technology users who “warm up” microphones. If you follow the same principle as with headphones, this method should work. However, he does not find support from specialists.

Design features

Many keen listeners purchase new headphones that are similar to the ones they had before.

However, users claim that the sound is significantly different. Is the reason for this feature due to the high-quality “warming up” of the old device?

In this case, headphones from the famous manufacturer KOSS are a striking example. Music lovers know that they have been produced since the 80s of the last century. It is quite obvious that the earcups of this model contain new speakers, and not the same ones that were installed 30 years ago. Over the years, manufacturers have improved the production line, the assembly process has become fully automated, and the quality has become high. In addition, the manufacturer replaced the materials used to create the body and the “filling” itself.

Most users purchasing new product, throw away paper documentation, considering it unnecessary. Moreover, few people read the notes and various footnotes. If you carefully read the product catalog, you will notice that the manufacturer has every right change appearance manufactured products, as well as packaging, specifications headphones. This approach can be called a legal trick, which allows you to disavow the marriage and justify the sale of low-quality goods.

Of course, a reputable manufacturer, such as, will take care of producing devices with unchanged characteristics. Harmonic distortion coefficient in the next batch of headphones in mandatory will correspond to the indicators indicated on the box. Naturally, the sound of headphones released 20 years ago and today is significantly different. However, some users attribute the differences to the fact that the new model is not “warmed up” enough. After this, the music lover will get used to the sound and will claim that the unique “warming up” process is bearing fruit.

The above-described features of the technology refer to well-known and popular models. Practice shows that even in the most expensive headphones, the filling changes regularly. As for the differences between the fixed drivers, they can be seen even with the naked eye. As a rule, those models that famous German manufacturers work with have an open design, their speakers are clearly visible.

More attentive music lovers have already seen that they are complemented by a new material of a special color. This marketing ploy, which modern manufacturers resort to, allows you to attract everyone larger number buyers. The speaker parameters remain the same as in older models. However, minor changes in the design of the headphones contributed to the fact that the sound in the updated and old version is different.

Should you warm up your headphones or not - what will the manufacturers say?

Music lovers who doubt the benefits of “warming up” headphones are eager to know the opinion of the manufacturer himself. And this is true, since only he can give a clear answer. After analyzing the representatives' responses various companies Regarding the “warming up” of the headphones, it becomes clear that opinions differ in this case.

The theory about warming up headphones is beneficial to those manufacturers who produce portable devices. In other words, the sound quality in this case can be improved after a good “warm-up” of the devices.

It must be said that loud statements regarding the “warming up” of headphones, most famous manufacturers they don’t want to do it. After all, every specialist understands that if the effect of such an approach were high, there would be certain technical standards, which would have to be referenced. However, no such specifications exist. If the manufacturer supports the theory of “warming up” the headphones, it is not directly, but in a veiled manner.

Opinion of famous experts

The chief designer of Beyerdynamic, Gunter Weidmann, took part in the development of a unique line of Tesla headphones, which are now known to every music lover. At one of the presentations, experts were asked a question regarding the duration of warming up the headphones.

To which Weidman replied: “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." As for the well-known and beloved headphone manufacturer Grado Labs, he openly talks about the need to warm up devices. However, the specialist does not recommend “warming up” for too long.

Our compatriot, engineer Yuri Shulman works in famous company Shure for many years. The specialist claims that the need for warming up is a myth and not an important necessity. Shulman is confident that sound quality depends on the listener’s perception. Numerous studies conducted by the engineer himself indicate that Shure headphones sound the same throughout the entire period.

Opinion of leading specialists from MEElectronics

On modern market MEElectronics can be considered a newcomer in the field of manufacturing these devices. At conferences, visitors ask all kinds of questions O correct use devices.

Naturally, experts were unable to avoid the issue of pre-heating devices before listening.

Manufacturers stated that warming up is not a necessary procedure. MEElectronics headphones already have high-quality sound. However, many users have reported improved sound after warming up. If the user decides to proceed with this process, it is important to remember that the warm-up period should be 50 hours.

As a rule, people with very different taste preferences take part in debates about sound quality. Among them there are not only specialists with a technical education, but also ordinary onlookers, lovers of discussion the most interesting topics. Thile Hertsens is one of these music lovers.

This is the editor-in-chief of the famous website InnerFidelity. He loves very much high quality sound. New items, innovative technologies and unusual disputes are Tyle's favorite hobby. The journalist decided to approach the problem of “warming up” the headphones with the utmost seriousness. He didn't want to trust his own ears to tell the difference. Hertsens approached the issue much more seriously - from a scientific point of view.

He began measuring sound levels before and after listening. Throughout the experiment, Thile had to repeatedly change his mind about the advisability of “warming up.” The measurements showed minor changes in the parameters of the headphones. After this, Hertsens decided to conduct a “blind” test, during which he instantly distinguished new model from “warmed up” headphones. It is noteworthy that the “blind” study left even more questions. After all, the sound of different headphones of the same model can vary significantly.

Sennheiser's opinion

When asked by one of the music lovers about the need to “warm up” the headphones, a Sennheiser representative replied that headphones, like the loudspeaker, are used in normal mode after the device warms up. As for the effect, warming up allows you to weaken the environment. Thanks to this approach, the diaphragm begins to move more easily. Naturally, the model that just came off the assembly line has a stiffer diaphragm.

The music lover also asked how constant the warming up process is and whether it is already going away. achieved effect after the headphones have been at rest for some time. To this question, Sennheiser employees answered that the heating process softens the “filling” of the device. However, they do not have information about the duration of the effect. Based on the answer, we can conclude that Sennheiser seems to recognize the effect of heating devices. However, Sennheiser representatives claim that headphones from this brand reproduce music remarkably well even without preparation. “Warming up” the device is a personal matter for each equipment owner.

Perception of sound by the brain

When it comes to the perception of sound, we must not forget about such a concept as psychoacoustics. Many people, for inexplicable reasons, ignore this phenomenon, undeservedly calling it far-fetched. It turns out that the perceived sound depends not only on the characteristics of the human hearing system. In addition to this, on final result affects many other conditions. Experts have proven that if a person, while staying in in a great mood, acquires a long-awaited pair of high-quality headphones, and his hearing becomes sharper. This is probably due to the great desire to hear new details in one or another musical composition.

The joint work of organs has been proven by scientists a long time ago. At the end of the 19th century, an interesting experiment was demonstrated in Moscow by the famous physicist and physiologist Lazarev. To conduct the experiment, the specialist prepared a dark room with big screen located on the wall. Lazarev first turned on the buzzer, which created an even signal. Everyone present had to listen carefully to this sound. After that, he opened and closed the curtain on the projection camera. smoothly directing it towards the screen. Thanks to his actions, those in the room saw bright flashes of light.

After completing the study, the scientist asked those present to describe what they saw. They unanimously stated that the sound became louder with bright flashes. Thus, Lazarev proved the interacting work of human senses. Scientists have extended this logical chain. They suggested that the results of sound assessment may be influenced by the shape of the headphones, their color, model, person’s mood, and so on.

To summarize, you can be sure of only one important factor. Over time, the sound of headphones undergoes changes. However, they are quite insignificant. In some cases, the difference is so small that it cannot be noticed even with specialized measurements. As for “warming up” the equipment, it is not able to improve the quality of the device. All that can be achieved with its help is to ensure natural alignment and stabilization of device parameters. In most cases, a change in the sound coming from the headphones is a deviation. However, they fit within the permissible error range of the parameters of such a device.

Website editor's opinion on warming up headphones

Warming up headphones - what topic could be more controversial than the ability to make the sound of long-awaited headphones better, deeper and clearer? Every music lover and audiophile knows that headphones need to be warmed up, no matter for what reason, that’s all. This is what everyone does, has done and will do, so why am I worse? However, this is a controversial issue.

There is an opinion that the headphone membrane needs time to get into working mode and start playing as it should. But how to determine that very cherished moment? How to determine what's in this moment the headphones are not warmed up and play poorly, but the next time they are already warmed up and play well? I'll tell you little secret- there is no such moment. Moreover, there is no cherished ideal state of the headphone membrane, there is no ideal sound.

What is warming up headphones from an audiophile's point of view? This is the process that allows the headphones to open up and sound perfect. But my opinion is that the process of listening to headphones always, inexorably and inevitably leads to degradation of the membrane. As a result of work, the membrane is gradually destroyed, while you listen to music and enjoy it, the headphones gradually become worse and worse. Any mechanism during operation is subject to destruction, deformation, and degradation. The same thing happens with headphones.

And if you think that leaving the headphones to work for 200 hours high level volume you will make them better, then you are mistaken, you will only waste 200 hours of the headphones’ operating life. 200 hours of life of the headphones will pass you by, while you could listen to the headphones for 200 hours and have fun.

The very fact that there is no clear answer to the question of whether the headphones need to be heated makes us think about the complete subjectification of this effect. This means that the placebo effect and psychoacoustics come to the fore, rather than the physical properties of the developed membrane.

I agree that the membrane in a dynamic driver changes its properties over time and the headphones begin to sound a little different than when they were new. But this is not a heating effect, it is an effect of degradation and aging.

Sound is generally a very subjective substance, we can talk about it endlessly, each of us likes the special character of the sound of headphones, speakers and music. Some people like their headphones to have more bass, others prefer their music to have more treble, and others don't care at all as long as the battery life of the headphones lasts longer than a week.

It is impossible to objectively assess the improvement or deterioration in the sound quality of headphones after warming up.

My opinion is the following: stop bothering yourself with nonsense and just listen to headphones. You bought them to listen and enjoy music, but instead you are wasting membrane life, wasting electricity and time, and then trying to hear that tiny difference that may not exist at all to justify these magical actions.

Just listen to headphones, magic has nothing to do with it.

Why do headphones sound different after warming up: the principle of the headphone warming up effect

Dynamic headphone drivers use a membrane that creates sound. The membrane is attached to a coil, which, under the influence magnetic field comes into motion. The entire membrane is pushed by the coil, but the coil cannot occupy a large area of the membrane; it is quite narrow. The membrane also has a flexible suspension at the edges, which is attached to the stationary part of the driver.

The process of warming up the headphones implies that the material of the suspension and membrane undergoes a slight mechanical change in properties, which subsequently allows them to respond more sensitively to the movement of the magnetic coil. According to legend, the membrane suspension becomes more flexible, due to which it has less influence on the movement of the membrane, thereby improving the sound quality of the headphones.

It is believed that after heating, all the materials from which the membrane and suspension are made acquire their final mechanical properties and only then do the headphones achieve the intended sound character.

How to warm up your headphones with music or white noise

Great, we figured out that warming up is not particularly necessary for any headphones, be they cheap or expensive models.

But if you still want to try this operation, I will tell you how to do it correctly, because even in such a simple situation it is possible to damage the headphones. It would be a great shame to lose your new expensive headphones because of your belief in unrealistic happiness.

If you bought inexpensive headphones, then there is no point in warming them up; they won’t play better. If the headphones are average price segment, then heating them makes sense, of course, if you believe in a miracle. I can say the same about expensive headphones.

It makes no sense to heat cheap headphones because their driver is not sensitive and accurate enough to be affected by this procedure; it will play exactly the same, and will only degrade over time.

In the case of good and expensive headphones, the driver is already sensitive enough so that when playing music you can hear the difference in sound. But, as I wrote earlier, this is not a miracle of heating, but only a consequence of the degradation of membrane materials.

Warming up headphones with music

The easiest way to warm up your headphones is to leave them playing music for 10-20 hours straight. Music should contain everything audio frequencies, from lowest to highest. Of course, you can leave any music playing, but then, according to believers, the driver membrane will not reach the required amplitude when moving and the warm-up cannot be considered complete.

The headphones need to be connected to the device that you planned to use to listen to music in the future.

The volume level should be slightly above average. It’s easy to determine, put on headphones and start playing music at a comfortable volume level at which you usually listen to music. Now turn it up loud, but not too much. The volume should be higher than comfortable, but you should be able to tolerate it without difficulty. Fix this level and leave the headphones for 10-20 hours.

This is how the headphones are warmed up using regular music.

Warming up headphones using white noise

Audiophiles weren't sitting idly by in search of golden-sounding headphones, they were looking for ways to improve them by warming them up. For these purposes, several sets of special sounds were generated on the computer, which, according to the music community, are ideal for warming up headphone membranes. I suggest using white noise.

White noise is stationary noise, the spectral components of which are evenly distributed over the entire range of frequencies involved.

The idea is that this noise includes sounds across the entire audible spectrum, which means that when the headphones warm up, the membrane will move in all ranges, which leads to an improvement in its characteristics when further listening to music. You can find many sources of white noise on the Internet, for example on YouTube

. Or you can go to your favorite torrent tracker and download white noise to play it locally without an internet connection.

Remember The volume level of white noise should be exactly the same as in the case of warming up with music - slightly above average. : warming up the headphones high volume

may cause damage to the membrane, do not set the volume to maximum for long periods of playing music or white noise.

How long should it take for headphones to properly warm up?

The heating time of the headphones depends on the properties of the material from which the driver membrane is made. Today, there are many materials that are used to make membranes: mylar, paper, polyethylene, beryllium, titanium coating on a special substrate, some others and various combinations thereof. Also, the warming up time depends on the size of the membrane; the larger it is, the longer it takes to warm up the headphones.

I already wrote that I don’t believe in the heating effect at all, but if you want to calm yourself down, then heat for about 20 hours. If you don’t notice any effect after 20 hours of warming up, then there won’t be any effect after 40 hours. If after 20 hours you notice that the sound has changed slightly in any direction, then it makes sense to warm it up a little more. But don’t heat it up for too long, the effect in the sound will no longer be there, and you’ll waste the driver’s resource down the drain.

Which drivers make sense to heat, and which are completely useless to heat? At least somehow they react to the warming up process only those headphones in which.

dynamic drivers If the headphones are installed reinforcement drivers

, heating them is absolutely useless, there will be absolutely no effect, because... These drivers do not have a membrane. It is also useless to heat(magnetic-planar) drivers, because Although they have a membrane, they work differently. There are many very thin wires running across the entire area of the membrane that react to changes in the magnetic field and push the membrane to create sound. The membrane here is almost not subject to deformation, so it cannot be heated.

Electrostatic There is no point in heating the drivers either; there will be no effect due to the peculiarities of their design.

Bottom line: it only makes sense to heat headphones with a dynamic driver. It is absolutely useless to heat headphones with any other type of driver.

What type of headphones need to be warmed up: earbuds, on-ear, full-size, vacuum, earbuds, droplets?

Any type of headphones is subject to warming up:

Earbuds
Intrachannel (plugs)
Invoices
Full size (monitor)

If you decide to warm up your headphones, then first of all you need to find out what type of driver is inside the headphones. It only makes sense to warm up a dynamic driver. It doesn’t matter what form factor the headphones have: earbuds, on-ear or full-size.

The whole difference in warming up any type of headphones with a dynamic driver is that the time it takes to warm up will depend on the size of the driver.

For example, in-ear headphones 10 hours is enough, while full-size models with the diameter of the membrane it will take at least 20 hours, or even 40.

I would like to remind you once again that I question the feasibility of the warming up process, but if you decide to do this, then you need to start warming up gradually. Start with 10 hours, if you hear a difference, increase the heating to 20 hours. In normal cases, it is not necessary to warm up for longer than 20 hours.

Few people have heard about warming up headphones, let alone how to do it and why. Warming up allows the headphones to produce more powerful, loud noise. Of course, this process is necessary for high-quality accessories, which are exactly what all models belong to. Monster Beats. Experts do not recommend warming up budget headphones.

The essence of warming up

Correctly warming up the speakers, many people also call this process as overclocking, ensures long term operation, subject to use at maximum power, without loss of sound quality.

There are also skeptics who consider warming up the device a myth. And they are wrong, because a simple process allows you to improve the characteristics of the sound, both its high notes and bass. You can compare acceleration to running in a newly purchased car.

The overclocking will pump up the speakers beyond belief, after which they will begin to produce a richer, brighter sound.

Special music

A person who decides to warm up is asked the question: what composition is most suitable? It’s not at all difficult to answer; you need a track in which the frequencies will jump very often, i.e. the maximum and minimum points are affected. There are specialized noises called pink noises. They can be downloaded from many sites.

What you need to know about warming up

The overclocking process does not differ depending on the model, be it Bits or another brand manufacturer. The difference lies in the modification - overhead or vacuum. The plugs are overclocked according to one scheme, but the overclocking of the overhead ones depends on the model.

Overclocking program:

It is better to carry out the process through a media center, PC or other powerful device. A smartphone or tablet may not be enough for high-quality heating due to low power;
Warming up usually takes twelve hours - this is an average value, there are no hard limits in this process. The best solution is to leave the accessory on maximum level volume all night long. When you wake up, you will be pleasantly surprised. If the changes seem insignificant to you, you can repeat the procedure, the main thing is not to overdo it;
Overclocking is carried out only on high quality models, or at least average. Cheap headphones will not sound better, no matter how many warm-up cycles you perform. It will even be possible to notice a clear deterioration in their sound. The phenomenon is very simple to explain. Monster Beats products are designed to last for a long time, and accordingly, every detail is of high quality. Therefore, by warming them up, you will not harm them in any way.

We were inspired to create this material by questions from some users asked in l/s, as well as in the comments to a recent publication about choosing headphones. Various online resources and big amount Information about the “benefits” of “warming up” electrodynamic emitters is also being distributed to people on the relevant forums. By “warm-up” the authors mean continuous long-term use acoustic systems and headphones in order to change their physical properties and, accordingly, sound, often using the so-called. pink and white noise.

For those who need quick answers to the question “how to warm up speakers or headphones?”, as well as “how will warming up affect sound quality?” I will give simple and quick answers: “not at all” and “will never or almost never affect.” To make it even more convincing, we will cite statements from employees of manufacturing companies and experts in the field of sound.

Analysis of the information and some comments from experts allow Newton to say with confidence after being hit by an apple that “warming up” the headphones is a useless exercise. But still, so that it becomes clear to all people what we're talking about, let's start with the myth itself. The following will be an argument in favor of the conclusions drawn.

Myth

The following information is the author’s invention and has no real prototypes.

As “everyone” knows, “warming up” speaker systems and headphones has been known since antiquity. One of the authors who lived in one of the Greek city policies (his name, as usual, history has not preserved), wrote the following about the “warming up”:

Having bought phones for the ears, which are called headphones,
Or large speakers with spiritual sound
Don’t you dare break the immutable law that was given by Apollo the Great -
Don't listen to the sound that filled Hades with the cold!
Don't listen to the fools who shout about earthly laws,
Warm up the speaker quickly to cleanse it of cold filth!
Only the gods are able to fill the membrane with pure energy that passes through the pink noise for hours.
By warming up a great goal you will achieve!

Modern followers of an unknown ancient author present the following arguments in favor of warming up the speakers:

"All mechanical systems it is necessary to “break in” as new car» - especially typical for specialists in the field of car audio;
“Warming up allows the speaker to acquire permanent mechanical properties”;
“Warming ensures that the elasticity of the acoustic emitter membrane increases so much that it radically changes the sound”;
“To warm up, you need to use pink noise, which, when played for a long time, changes the properties “correctly”;
“The “warm-up theory” has been proven by modern physical science; changes after warm-up are reflected in the frequency range of the acoustics and the frequency response”;
“Any acoustics must be “warmed up” for 50 to 200 hours, and in some cases for a longer time.”

Reality

The “theory” of “warming up” dynamic loudspeakers, and even more so drivers of other types, does not stand up to criticism, both from the point of view practical application, and from the point of view of materials science. Only a number of manufacturers of low-frequency acoustics include warm-up recommendations in their manuals, indicating a time of 50 to 100 hours, but the latter does not apply to headphones. It is also unknown whether this is a tribute to tradition or has a technical basis. Moreover, it is not clear why these manufacturers do not “warm up” during the pre-sale preparation process.

Almost unequivocal counterarguments testifying against the “theory” of warming up, and especially headphones, are the following:

First– materials used to create dynamic and other emitters do not require additional increase elasticity. Significant changes in density, elasticity and other properties responsible for electromechanical characteristics acoustics do not undergo “warming up”;

Second– the design of drivers and headphones as a whole does not imply additional pre-operational preparation such as “warming up”, since the engineers designing it create the device ready for immediate use;

Third– theoretically possible changes in the properties of materials that occur during “warming up” ( long-term use), are not actually reflected in the sound and do not in any way affect the quality of the product, since in the vast majority of cases they are within the permissible error of the device parameters or are not recognized at all by either equipment or blind tests.

There are currently no scientific work, there is not a single pure, from a scientific point of view, experiment that confirms the opinion of supporters of the “heating theory”.

The cautious statements of some headphone manufacturers regarding “warm-up” are demonstrative. For the most part, they are very contradictory, which, with a high degree of probability, is due to the reluctance to offend the feelings of those audiophiles who are groundlessly convinced of the truth positive influence this manipulation on sound quality.

Lead designer at Beyerdynamic Gunther Weidmann who was involved in the creation of the legendary Tesla (Beyerdynamic T1) evasively answered the question about warming up, saying the following:

Representatives of MEElectronics also carefully answered the question about warming up:

Warming up is not necessary procedure to enjoy your MEElectronics headphones. However, many people report improved sound after warming up.
Regarding the warm-up duration, we note again - it is not necessary to warm up the headphones, but if you decide to do this, then, according to most enthusiasts, this time should be 50 hours. If you do not notice any changes after warming up, this is normal.

Other representatives of large brands more categorically state that “warming up” is not needed, there is no data on its effect, and no one releases specifications for warming up.

Scott Houston from the German company Sennheiser, when asked about the need and time for warming up the speakers, stated the following:

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.

"The need for warming up is more of a myth than fact. It's a matter of perception. Shure headphones sound the same throughout the entire period of use.”

Shure conducted the following test: several pairs of E1 headphones, manufactured in 1997, were re-tested after several years of use and determined to be current technical specifications. Bottom line: all characteristics remained unchanged and fully corresponded to those that were present during the first use.

From the above, it becomes clear that “warming up” does not have any significant effect on the characteristics of the headphones or their sound quality, and therefore this procedure is practically useless.

We can only partly agree that the warming up procedure can lead to changes in the frequency response, as a rule, in woofers with a so-called “paper” membrane. The last statement is based on the experiment of circuit engineer Alexander Bolshakov, who in 1987 noticed a change lower limit frequency range of 1.5 Hz on Soviet 75GD1 speakers after 80 hours of “warm-up” using an LFO, while auditorily noticing any changes in the sound of the emitter.

The engineer himself questions the purity of the above experiment due to possible errors in the equipment, as well as differences in conditions (temperature, humidity).

The opinion of the author of the material is not official position company PULT.RU, which maintains neutrality in matters of “warming up”, based on insufficient research into the issue in acoustics and solid state physics.

You will need

A set of sounds of different frequencies
Kit musical compositions different genres to emphasize certain frequencies
Recordings with white and pink noise - optional

Instructions

What does the term “warm-up” mean? The fact is that new ones often have a diaphragm that is not sufficiently developed to correctly convey the entire range of reproduced frequencies.

Yes, many may say that “warming up” is a myth, and in fact there is no difference. Firstly, it is worth considering exactly what condition they were in before purchasing. It happens that there are no more unpacked products left, and sellers offer headphones from the stand. It is in cases of purchase from a stand that there will be no difference, because... Quite a lot of people have listened to them before you, and the diaphragms have already been sufficiently developed.

Surely there are those who think that first headphones They sounded bad, but then he got used to them. This version, of course, has a right to life, but the concept of addiction in itself is purely subjective and cannot serve as a valid reason to refute the meaning of warming up as such. Perhaps it was not habit that played a role here, but the development of the working surfaces of the headphones.

Why don’t developers bring speaker membranes to optimal condition from the very beginning? It is difficult to answer this question and here, most likely, you should contact either experts or the manufacturer.

In order to warm up headphones, there are many in various ways, but choosing one and saying what it is is impossible. There is simply no scientific basis for the superiority of one method over another, and therefore you can choose any one you like.

The first way is to simply listen to music in them without interruption. Preferably louder. A few hours of this practice is enough for most models.

The second way is to find a collection of sounds to test your audio equipment. Typically, such collections are used by audio technicians to check the sound of certain frequency ranges. Today, finding such collections is not a problem, the main thing is to make sure that there are both high and low ones. This is how you develop headphones in all ranges.

The third method - some people prefer to use sinusoidal signals for warming up, as well as white noise. These are sounds generated by a computer according to certain rules. The sound is uniform noise with small inclusions of low frequencies in the case of pink noise. White noise is perceived by the human ear evenly, without emphasizing any noise.

In general, whichever method you prefer, use it. There's no need to think too much about it.

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Why and how to “warm up” headphones?

For many, tinnitus is not just a way to kill time, it is also a great opportunity to get your own space, which is so often lacking. Headphones were invented for this purpose. To create a comfortable and cozy space for yourself, you need to choose the right headphones. And this can be difficult due to the fact that there are countless of them on store shelves.

Instructions

By type they are divided into invoices and . The earpieces are placed on the ears, they big size and are divided into two subtypes: closed and open. Closed ones completely cover the ear, and this helps best transmission sound and high sound insulation. Open ones cover only part of the ear. The sound insulation in them is somewhat worse, but they are more compact. The difference between in-ear and on-ear earphones is that they are inserted directly into the ear. Such headphones are often barely noticeable, which cannot be said about over-ear models. Of these two types, earbuds are best used for listening to music while playing sports or going out socially. In other cases, it is better to use over-ear headphones, as they cause less harm to a person’s hearing.

Headphones vary in connection type. There are wired and. Wired ones have high sound quality, but the presence of a wire limits the area of movement. The same cannot be said about wireless ones. They provide absolute performance, but the sound is much inferior to wired ones. On the contrary, the cost is much higher. Having decided to buy

Warming up headphones is the process of "adapting" a recently released pair to improve the sound. The diaphragm of the headphones, which was absolutely not designed during production, improves the quality of its work after some time of sound. To speed up this process, warm up the headphones. Sennheiser, Sony, Philips, Panasonic... models from absolutely all companies need this procedure to ensure high-quality sound.

The easiest way to ensure your headphones warm up is to simply listen to loud music continuously through them. After a few hours, you will notice a significant improvement in sound quality, which indicates the development of the working surfaces of the equipment. Such warming up will probably happen on its own sooner or later, but it is in your best interests to help this process and speed it up.

Another way to warm up your headphones is to use special tracks for testing audio equipment. Such records have been developed by specialists to ensure that equipment is checked in all frequency ranges. Therefore they provide good opportunity quickly develop new headphones across the entire audio spectrum.

There is a third way to ensure the headphones warm up. You can use white and pink noise, as well as sine waves. They are technically generated sounds. They are perceived as monotonous, uniform noise.

Some people don't believe in warming up their headphones and attribute the improvement in acoustic quality to their "habit" of using them. Also, many people purchase models that have undergone numerous checks in the store, and therefore do not notice any changes in the sound. But the fact that any headphones go through a warm-up period is a technical fact and does not depend on opinions. Therefore, it is better, after all, to carry out this operation even if you doubt its necessity.

It is unknown why manufacturing companies do not warm up the headphones directly during the assembly process. Perhaps this is due to energy costs or the expectation that the models themselves “adapt” during operation. In any case, the task of warming up the headphones falls to the person using them, so it will be useful to keep in mind the three methods listed above. They are equivalent to each other and none of them is superior to the others, so you can simply choose any one to your liking. Listen to your favorite music for a couple of hours or download a special track and leave the headphones to develop - the decision is yours.

It is best to warm up the headphones immediately after purchase, so as not to subsequently experience discomfort due to an insufficiently developed diaphragm. Of course, to people with modest musical and audio technical knowledge, the difference may seem insignificant. But for those who have good hearing, it has great importance. And, in any case, it never hurts to have headphones with a sound that is a little more High Quality. We've told you about several ways to achieve this. And all you have to do is decide whether you need to warm up your headphones or whether you are already satisfied with their sound.