how long does it take to break in speakers?

[mtrycrafts]

Industry luminaries such as Brian Ding, Ed Mullen and Tom Vodhanel have all posted about the audible changes in their respective products once they've been broken in. Every one of those guys have probably forgotten more than any of us even know, so I'll stick with what they're saying myself.

I don't know about the 1st two who they are but know a little about Tom when he was a poster on another web site many years ago. Don't think he has formal training in electronics or acoustics nor human psychology issues in testing.
But, I would certainly like to know how they compared their speakers, what protocols used to determine audible differences.

Oh, don't be overwhelmed by people in any industry as they are not infallible by any means and are affected by human psychology.
But, you are free to believe whomever and whatever you like to believe. Just try not to create your own personal truths.

 

[lsiberian]

Industry luminaries such as Brian Ding, Ed Mullen and Tom Vodhanel have all posted about the audible changes in their respective products once they've been broken in. Every one of those guys have probably forgotten more than any of us even know, so I'll stick with what they're saying myself.

I think you greatly underestimate the knowledge our forum contains on the subject. If you've never heard the work some of our members have done you owe yourself that chance. A good start IMO would be at Benedict Lake in Minnesota.

 

[j_garcia]

I don't know about the 1st two who they are but know a little about Tom when he was a poster on another web site many years ago. Don't think he has formal training in electronics or acoustics nor human psychology issues in testing.
But, I would certainly like to know how they compared their speakers, what protocols used to determine audible differences.

Oh, don't be overwhelmed by people in any industry as they are not infallible by any means and are affected by human psychology.
But, you are free to believe whomever and whatever you like to believe. Just try not to create your own personal truths.

Brian of Rythmik I presume, whom I've talked to a few times also and found him to be quite knowledgeable. Ed is just a good all around guy who happens to now work for SVS I think most of us know of Tom


Now we will have to come up with a good methodology so Mythbusters will take an interest in and confirm/bust and hopefully that involves blowing things up. They busted the "brown note" so why not this?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Lets look at all the aspects of a driver:

Suspension (both mechanical and electrical). The Voice coil. What else is there to break in? Once the VC is at temp it's at temp. Once the speaker is traveling through it's stroke it's traveled through it's stroke.

There is nothing special you have to do with a speaker or cable. Just use the thing eventually it will be 'broken in' if that is your desire. No need for pink noise for 40 hours. That is just patently ludicrous.

I have a bet for you: I'll build a high quality set of speakers. I'll pink noise one for 40 hours, and pink noise another for 1 hour. You tell me which is the 'Broken In' speaker and you can have them. 9 out of 10 coin flips.

Hey, that is a good statistical bet. And, of course you will keep them (or sell them) when he fails.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Which for normal street use with modern engines has only a little more basis in fact than speaker break-in. One nice thing about cars is that there's just as much marketing nonsense as in audio, so one can feel at home in both hobbies.

You mean the car hobby is not immune to urban legends, myths, voodoo, etc? Oh, my...

 

[mtrycrafts]

..that a small and measurable amount of mechanical change does occur in loudspeakers as they are first used, ...

But don't forget that said speakers do return to almost the same numbers after it is used and has time to rest. So, the next day, this starts again.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...
Now we will have to come up with a good methodology so Mythbusters will take an interest in and confirm/bust and hopefully that involves blowing things up. They busted the "brown note" so why not this?

Mythbusters could hire Tom Nousaine for the protocols

 

[lsiberian]

You mean the car hobby is not immune to urban legends, myths, voodoo, etc? Oh, my...

You mean nitrogen enriched air doesn't make my tires go faster.

 

[j_garcia]

You mean nitrogen enriched air doesn't make my tires go faster.

"Enriched" would be key there. If you don't have pure nitrogen in there, meaning oxygen has been vented and replaced with nitrogen, then the benefit of the nitrogen is lost. The only real benefit being that pressures fluctuate less with pure nitrogen vs oxygen.

 

[shadyJ]

Supposedly the fs of a driver drops a little bit after awhile, due to the surround and spider loosening up. This would only be audible if you knew exactly what to listen for. I think break-in has more to do with imagination than anything actually heard.

 

[walter duque]

Seems to the OP fed into some internet hype and is waiting for some miracle to happen (it's's not happening) this is it. What sounds good to others might not sound good to you. That's why it's so important to audition anything before you buy, especially speakers. Don't listen to the masses. If the shoe fits it fits, if it doesn't it never will. Maybe the OP got less then he bargained for.

 

[mtrycrafts]

You mean nitrogen enriched air doesn't make my tires go faster.

Well, it might. You feel invincible afterwards and peddle to the metal effect takes over.

 

[zhimbo]

"There's no science experiment capable of proving either vantage point right or wrong." Of course there is. There's a century and a half of carefully developed methods for perceptual research. While not trivial to implement, I could rattle off a solid research design to test it in a few minutes (I'm trained in perceptual research).

 

[Irvrobinson]

There are specific methods for breaking in a new motor because there is a definite reason for it, and it is proven to work and yield results long term. There is NO proven method for breaking in a speaker. I've heard a LOT of ridiculous things, rarely the same thing, and never any evidence of them actually providing any benefit or even a reason why there could be a benefit.

About speakers we are in complete agreement, about modern automotive motors, not so much.

 

[zieglj01]

[h=2]How long does it take to break in speakers?[/h]Less time than it takes for one to read through this thread.

 

[macddmac]

How long does it take to break in speakers?

Less time than it takes for one to read through this thread.[/QUOTE

+1! I did an install yesterday of a Denon 1913 with a pair of Sierra-1's.. Ran Audessy, etc. I came back today to demo a sub for them and it sounded better than yesterday- and that was before hooking up the sub!
IMO, it's all about your brain getting right with it (as long as your listening to a quality product in the first place)
BTW, customer texted me later saying she had to have a sub
Cheers, Mac

 

[Ampdog]

"There's no science experiment capable of proving either vantage point right or wrong." Of course there is. There's a century and a half of carefully developed methods for perceptual research. While not trivial to implement, I could rattle off a solid research design to test it in a few minutes (I'm trained in perceptual research).

Ah! I have been waiting for this evidence. I have also tried to dig into hearing psychology; the reading matter is endless!

Most has been said. Perhaps just to add: Driver manufacturers would be aware of this 'phenomenon' and either design it out or take care of it in the factory. The few tests I have read confirm that measured changes of a few percent sometimes did take place; it might as well partly have been in the enclosure. (Coming to mind: Fs going from 35Hz to 33 Hz, response graphs changing 1 dB here and there, quite inaudible. That compared to dialy changes, temperature of the air inside the cabinet and thus its density, humidity et al.)

Also coming to mind are tests by a well-known manufacturer indicating that manufacture tolerances between the same model driver can be as much as +/- 5%. Further: Depending on how loud one plays, the change in driver voice coil resistance and v.c. former dimensional change as a result of heating can be far greater than any assumed running-in will accomplish, ie. it will always be present.

One respects hearing experiences; I have not been there to support/debunk. But as Zhimbo said, the perceptual element can never been ruled out - there are reams of research on that. Also one must keep in mind, such usually occurs when listening to a 'new' sound; you have just purchased the loudspeakers and will in all likelihood be experiencing a 'new' sound compared to what you were used to. Ergo, as Zhimbo implied: 'Running in' vs. 'getting used to'.

 

[j_garcia]

Another factor quite simply, will be your emotional state at the time you listen, and what you listen to. Very subtle factors that have little to do with the speakers that WILL influence what you hear because of how you perceive, or rather expect it to sound.

 

[darien87]

And yet John Danny at GR Research, (a well respected speaker designer), has a page about it on his website.

http://www.gr-research.com/burnin.htm

 

[j_garcia]

And yet John Danny at GR Research, (a well respected speaker designer), has a page about it on his website.

http://www.gr-research.com/burnin.htm

Danny came on here and discussed it as well, and I trust his findings. We could never come to the ultimate conclusion that what he found translated into something that would alter what one hears. The numbers suggest that it should, but does it?