In reply to:

so there must be a scientific explanation as to how listener break-in can occur without the presence of the listener.


Hope. Everyone wants to do the absolute best thing to squeeze that extra .01% out of their equipment - everyone buys the same stuff off the shelf, you want to believe your 3805/M60/QS8s are just SLIGHTLY better than the next guy's.

Somehow, anyhow... get those electrons in line, break in your speakers, Put a slab of the Rock of Gibraltar on top of your CD-P to scare off the pratas. Anything.

Bren R.