RB-1080: How long is the break in period to reach maximum potential?

[The_A_V_Guy]

I just bought a new RB-1080 (black) on Wed. and it sounded like total crap out of the box. It is starting to get nice and sweet now but i know it has a long way to go still yet. At least the panic has subsided now. haha. My dealer tells me it takes a month leaving it on 24/7 and listening to it an hour or two per day to max out. Was wondering what other owners have found their break in period to be, and exactly how it was used during that period? Also, i would love to know what you guys opinions of how much better the 1080 is than the receivers (rsx-1056 to be exact). Thanks.

[jim777]

Don't forget that "right out of the box", the amp is cold. For the best experience, you should have it running an hour (or at least 15min.) before "using" it. Sound quality will also depend alot on your pre, etc. The sound of my amp when cold is 15% of what I get after an hour or so of running it at moderate volume

[The_A_V_Guy]

well when i said "out of the box' i really meant the first few hours of play. but even after warming up it sounded pretty lousy. Now after about 30 hours or so of play time it sounds 50 times better but still i think it has a way to go.

[thyname]

I would say that my RB-1080 sounded better after a week or so, playing it 5-6 hrs a day, 5 days a week (that brings it to 25-30 hrs total). All this is an estimate however. It actually gets better and better everyday.

And yes, Jim, it sounds better after the first 30 min of play approx. every time I have it on.

[bigburner]

My RB-1080 took about 15 minutes to break in. That was the time it took to warm up. Since then it has sounded exactly the same, following a warmup each time of course.

[Azeke]

Ahhhhh, the break-in theory, I believe it took approximately 60 hours total for me. Your break-in mileage may vary.

Regards,

Azeke

[mjb]

IMO, break-in takes as long as you need to get used to it. Solid state amps don't need to warm up either, if the sound changes when they're warm its because component tolerance is poor enough to drift with temperature. /IMO

[bigburner]

mjb, I can't argue with that. I generally give my speakers a 15 minute warm-up before listening to them at volume so of course the amp gets a warm-up too. I don't know whether it's necessary; it just makes me feel like I'm treating my equipment with respect!

[Jeff]

I enjoy watch a movie before listening to music. That way the system has a least 2 hours + of warm up time. However, using the amp for 4-6 hours before critical listening is best. I know that's a long time, but certain songs with sound more refined later that earlier. My Proceed amp works the same way.

In a nut shell, the more time it's playing the better off it'll be.

It also can be said the better/more revieling your speakers are the easier it is to tell when all componants are operating to their maximum potential. When I moved up to B&W Nautilus 802's this became more discernable than my prior pair of speakers.

Before the 802's I thought my system was warmed up much sooner. But the 802's showed me that wasn't the case. Just my 2 cents.

Jeff

[bigburner]

That's interesting Jeff. I've always felt that the sound improves as the evening progresses, but I'm not sure if that's the gear warming up or the alcohol warming my brain.

[bigburner]

The_A_V_Guy, what did you actually mean by "total crap"? What disappointed you?

[The_A_V_Guy]

it sounded very closed off. the sound was not open. Harsh. basically my receiver sounded much better in some ways, with the exception of a bit more slam from 1080. However, I leave my gear on 24/7 to get the maximum potential from it. Now after about 48 hours or so it is sounding fantastic and according to my dealrer there is still more to come. And I whole hearted believe anything this guy says when it comes to the equipment. He is my idol as far as gear goes. He has $250,000 setup in his shop that is beyond anything i could have imagined.