how long does it take to break in speakers?

[YourDhass]

i just got a pair of ascend sierra 1's and a hsu vf2 mk4!!! so fawking stokedddd

I tried searching break-in time on previous posts but didn't have much luck, except that one guy said that break-in is only in your own mind. it makes sense to me that break-in is a real physical thing though, but yeah what do you guys think?

 

[markw]

That depends on many things. Your ears will tell you when they are fully broken in.

 

[j_garcia]

Just listen to them and don't worry about it.

 

[zhimbo]

If break-in isn't entirely in one's mind, it largely is. There is fairly limited objective evidence that *audible* changes occur in a driver due to break-in, but no doubt at all that psychology plays a role. In the course of setting things up and testing, you'll be playing plenty enough. You'll want to give some time to get used to the system, anyway, and spend time making sure your setup is how you want it (placement, crossover, etc.). Don't worry about a dedicated "break-in" period.

 

[zhimbo]

Oh, and congrats on the system! Nice!

 

[Anieba]

I put two sets of Polk mm601 components in my old car with an amplifier and after about a month of playing them at really high volume they seemed to get louder and dig deeper. They just seemed to sound fuller in general. We're they breaking in, or was my brain just acclimating to the characteristics of the speakers? Who knows I sure don't, however, I do know that over time they did start to sound better to me the more I listened to them. On the other hand I used to have some vintage advent speakers that had presumably already been "broken in" considering their age. I never really liked the way they sounded. They just seemed a little bright to me but everyone that listened to them said they sounded good so I gave them a few months to see if I got used to them after awhile. I never did. So I personally do tend to think speakers do actually break in. As far as how long it takes, I'm sure this time is relatively unique for every speaker and I wouldn't really spend a lot of effort trying to listen for when they do. When they do you will here it and hopefully just be presently surprised.

 

[Pyrrho]

There is no need to speculate about this. It has been measured. It is basically a non-issue:

Speaker Break In: Fact or Fiction? | Audioholics

There are tiny, tiny measurable differences, but they are not going to generally be audible.

A couple of choice quotes:

From the foregoing analyses, it's reasonable to conclude that suspension compliance changes arising as a consequence of initial driver burn in has little effect on the performance of a loudspeaker system.


​

And:

Normal production unit-to-unit driver spec variances can affect final amplitude response of a system to a larger degree than that expected from normal pre- post-burn in driver suspension compliance changes.
​

In other words, if you are not ROUTINELY hearing differences between different speaker drivers of the same model, you are NOT hearing differences from speaker "burn in."

In other words, the idea that "burn in" affects the sound is essentially pure BS.

 

[YourDhass]

Just listen to them and don't worry about it.

lol.

good stuff guys, thanks a bunch. forums are seriously the best. especially this one whatwhat

 

[theJman]

i just got a pair of ascend sierra 1's and a hsu vf2 mk4!!! so fawking stokedddd

I tried searching break-in time on previous posts but didn't have much luck, except that one guy said that break-in is only in your own mind. it makes sense to me that break-in is a real physical thing though, but yeah what do you guys think?

In the past few years I've had literally dozens of speaker sets and subwoofers pass through my hands, and in every case there was a break-in period. The audible variations will differ -- some become "richer", others less shrill, changes such as that -- but I haven't had anything yet that didn't require some time. Measurements are great for many things, and are completely indispensable for audio equipment, but they can't show everything I'm afraid. Sometimes it's your ears that will tell you. At least that's been my experience.

 

[j_garcia]

In the past few years I've had literally dozens of speaker sets and subwoofers pass through my hands, and in every case there was a break-in period. The audible variations will differ -- some become "richer", others less shrill, changes such as that -- but I haven't had anything yet that didn't require some time. Measurements are great for many things, and are completely indispensable for audio equipment, but they can't show everything I'm afraid. Sometimes it's your ears that will tell you. At least that's been my experience.

I disagree; if it is audible, it is measurable, but the same cannot be said for the opposite: you can measure something that can't be heard. In the case of break in, I do believe there is some sort of mechanical break in, but that it is NOT so much that it is easily or meaningfully audible. It has been shown that a driver's measurements will change slightly with use, indicating some form of break in, but it has not been shown that this change resulted in anything audible. My opinion is also that I don't want speakers that change over time. I buy them because I like the way they sound NOW, not because how they will sound in a day or a week.

 

[Pyrrho]

I disagree; if it is audible, it is measurable, but the same cannot be said for the opposite: you can measure something that can't be heard. In the case of break in, I do believe there is some sort of mechanical break in, but that it is NOT so much that it is easily or meaningfully audible. It has been shown that a driver's measurements will change slightly with use, indicating some form of break in, but it has not been shown that this change resulted in anything audible. My opinion is also that I don't want speakers that change over time. I buy them because I like the way they sound NOW, not because how they will sound in a day or a week.

Indeed. One may also add that thoughtlessly trusting one's hearing perception on this and mistaking it for reality is as sensible as trusting one's visual perception and mistaking it for reality. Think about a stick half-way in water. Do you trust your sight, and believe that the stick is really bent? If human hearing worked perfectly, stereo would never be acceptable, as then one would notice that all of the sound is coming from two places, with nothing coming from in between. The simple fact is, one's subjective hearing is not an accurate representation of reality, and everyone should know this.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I was once at an audio show, and a somewhat well-known writer was telling a show-goer how he wired a pair of speakers in opposite phase and pointed them at each other playing pink noise for hours to accelerate break-in. I couldn't control myself, and laughed impulsively, annoying the writer. He looked at me like my mother did when I was a kid and did something inappropriate. I was forced to defend myself, saying that the only effective speaker break-in process I was aware of was slicing the tape sealing the top of the shipping container. Funny, but I got another one of those looks.

 

[walter duque]

Once you have convinced yourself that you didn't waste your money then they're broken in. At present time are you satisfied how they sound or not?

 

[DannyA]

The speakers I have were factory recommended to be broke in for 20-40 hours but I never did anything but listen to them. Some may have the perception that they will damage the speakers if they do not properly break them in. IMO break-in is applicable in a more mechanical situation such as a fuel powered motor. Even in those case manufactures recommend break-in as a precaution. An example would be a top fuel dragster motor. You would not break it in. You would just run it!


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[Ponzio]

I was once at an audio show, and a somewhat well-known writer was telling a show-goer how he wired a pair of speakers in opposite phase and pointed at them each other playing pink noise for hours to accelerate break-in. I couldn't control myself, and laughed impulsively, annoying the writer. He looked at me like my mother did when I was a kid and did something inappropriate. I was forced to defend myself, saying that the only effective speaker break-in process I was aware of was slicing the tape sealing the top of the shipping container. Funny, but I got another one of those looks.

How can you sell the Kool-Aid if you don't drink it yourself.

 

[j_garcia]

How can you sell the Kool-Aid if you don't drink it yourself.

Plausible deniability.

 

[Irvrobinson]

How can you sell the Kool-Aid if you don't drink it yourself.

You lie about drinking it.

 

[Ponzio]

The speakers I have were factory recommended to be broke in for 20-40 hours but I never did anything but listen to them. Some may have the perception that they will damage the speakers if they do not properly break them in. IMO break-in is applicable in a more mechanical situation such as a fuel powered motor. Even in those case manufactures recommend break-in as a precaution. An example would be a top fuel dragster motor. You would not break it in. You would just run it!

Most motorcycle brands tell you to stay below a certain speed & rpm, so as to not damage the engine, for the first 1K miles and then change the oil, for a new bike. About 150 miles in on my new bike I meet a motorcycle mechanic, who I had known previously, at an event and I queried him about it. He started laughing and recommended I do the exact opposite. He recommended driving the bike really, really hard for the first 500 miles and then get an oil change. And the repeat the process one more time. When I asked why, he stated that you needed to knock off all the internal engine shavings loose during that period so they don't come loose later and do some real damage and plus if there are any other issues (loose electrical, frame, etc.) with the bike, he said now was the time to find out. I took his advise and to this day my 2002 Triumph Sprint ST (37K miles) hasn't given me a lick of trouble, outside of the usual oil changes and replacing the fork oil every 12K miles.

Oops, this is an audio forum. Same difference.

 

[DannyA]

Oops, this is an audio forum. Same difference.

I was a race mechanic for many years. I can't seem to resist the motorhead analogies!

 

[mtrycrafts]

.. They just seemed to ....

Yep, that all that happened. Should not underestimate the power of human imagination.