Just got my Energy Reference Connoisseur setup

[NGL_BrSH]

Yay! got my Energy Reference Connoisseur system today, RC-70's, RC-30's, RC-LCR.. currently breaking it all in with my roommates power equipment since my rx-v2500 is in the shop.. gotta say i'm in love so far.. and from my understanding the center is a pretty long "breakin" and if it gets better i in the bonus as it is.
Breaking it in with a NAD 218THX and a rotel RB 993 so far so good i'll update you once they get a few days of straight play

 

[Sheep]

Um, there is no such thing as break in. Its just you getting used to the sound

SheepStar

 

[JES14]

Um, there is no such thing as break in. Its just you getting used to the sound

Not true. It's both.
Nice setup NGL, I was considering the same before I jumped to the Paradigms. What did you upgrade from?

 

[MikeyB]

Nice choice

I'm about to buy the same setup - except using the di/bipoles instead of the RC-30s for surrounds. Any reason you didn't do the same? Just curious. Still deciding on the sub... what did you learn about the wait time? Were you able to hear one first?

Thanks in advance
Mike

 

[NGL_BrSH]

I sell the Supercubes from def tech here at work(which are a very similar design to the rc-sub10).. and i also sell the energy S10/3's and the S12/3's and have been very impressed... I get quite a program from energy as far discount so i figure i really can't go wrong. My rep is very forward with me on what sucks and whats good when things are coming out since he wants the salesmen to be pleased and happy when they are selling his stuff.. so I trust the rc-sub10 to be a top performer.. i'd do the 12 but i think that it might dwell too deep for my music.
The reason I didn't do di/bipoles that match are i'd have to do stands first of all, (can't hang them) and i'm old school i just love the sound of towers all the way around.. i'd take a rc-50 and put it sideways on top my tv if I could fit it All channel stereo is much better this way.. lots of times those little guys just can't keep up with big towers.. plus the whole rc line is very detailed so I don't think i'm missing out on anything in the back.

on a side note I think while this program i still available i'm going to pick up another pair of 70's and put them in the back or 50's and get the NADT973 and be done for 7.1 and i'll move the 30's to the sides.. ah the luxury of not living with my g/f


p.s. I forgot to mention.. I LOVE my new system

I'm about to buy the same setup - except using the di/bipoles instead of the RC-30s for surrounds. Any reason you didn't do the same? Just curious. Still deciding on the sub... what did you learn about the wait time? Were you able to hear one first?

Thanks in advance
Mike

 

[Maximo]

Um, there is no such thing as break in. Its just you getting used to the sound

Not true. It's both.
Nice setup NGL, I was considering the same before I jumped to the Paradigms. What did you upgrade from?

This is a huge debate. The tests that I've seen have shown very little to zero change in sound after the so called "break in" period.

 

[NGL_BrSH]

as far as the break-in issue goes.. why not just break them in just to be safe regardless of the opinions? thats what i'm gonna do.. better safe than sorry.. they played half volume white noise last night while i slept and they're playing same thing all day today for the 11 hour work day while i'm gone.. i'll do the same for the next 3 days

 

[Sheep]

as far as the break-in issue goes.. why not just break them in just to be safe regardless of the opinions? thats what i'm gonna do.. better safe than sorry.. they played half volume white noise last night while i slept and they're playing same thing all day today for the 11 hour work day while i'm gone.. i'll do the same for the next 3 days

Your just wasting time, energy, and effort. Test have shown 0 to zero difference after break in. And anything that changed (which was mechanical) went back after the speakers stopped playing.

SheepStar

 

[JES14]

Yes break-in is a huge debate. But I was not implying that I agree that white noise needs to played for any amount of time. Only that speakers/subs loosen up and become more natural over time with regular use IMHO. Anyways nice system, enjoy.

 

[soundhound]

i agree with Sheep -- but those energy speakers -do- get better sounding with time.

why i personally don't agree with break-in is because when i got the energies i was used to another set of speakers and i didn't really like the energies. now that i've gotten used to them over a couple of weeks, i am really liking them more and more, while the other speakers no longer sound as good to me as they used to. if it were just "break-in," i would expect the other speakers to sound the same as they had before. i guess if i listened just to those for a couple of weeks they'd start sounding better again, and then i wouldn't like the energies as much. and around we go.

strangely though, nothing seems to help bose speakers.



nice setup, btw.

 

[warpdrive]

There was a very long thread on avsforum once that talked about physical break-in including comments from speaker driver and speaker designers. I got out of it that break-in is real. Whether it affects the sound, that is not definitive in any way. Any measurements done so far have not revealed any difference, but then again, the measurements done are primitive in nature.

I'm too lazy to look up the thread, but I'm a believer in break-in.

This is a hot debated topic, so it's really not use to try to convince anybody either way.

Nice choice in a speakers BTW

 

[NGL_BrSH]

thanks not only do i love the sound but as a plus i really like the fit and finish as well. They come with nice floor spikes little rubber "things" that go under the spikes for hardwood and also little rubber sticky's. Kevlar cones look sexy too.

Here's why i'm "breaking" them in.. here is what i read in the RC-70 manual and i quote :"It is VITAL that your new Reference Connoisseur speakers be allowed to break-in properly before you perform any precise set up procedures, system adjustments, and before you play them at higher volum levels. The best method of performing the break-in is to play a full range musical passage at a moderate level as long as possible. Utilizing the repeat function on your CD or DVD player can assist greatly. Optimum sound will not be achieved until approximately 100 hours of playing time. After break-in, the volume level can be increased. Do not play the speakers at high levels until the break-in process has been completed. The transducers need to "loosen up", and until this occurs, damage can result to the transducers."

So i'm not chancing it

 

[3x10^8]

Congrats on the new setup... very sweet sounding system, indeed. had a chance to listen to them recently and the rc line is truly superb.

in terms of break-in, it totally exists, especially on the energies.

 

[MikeyB]

I sell the Supercubes from def tech here at work(which are a very similar design to the rc-sub10).. and i also sell the energy S10/3's and the S12/3's and have been very impressed... I get quite a program from energy as far discount so i figure i really can't go wrong.

Cool. Thanks for that - any chance you can ship a few my way? I can make it worth your while!

on a side note I think while this program i still available i'm going to pick up another pair of 70's and put them in the back or 50's and get the NADT973 and be done for 7.1 and i'll move the 30's to the sides.. ah the luxury of not living with my g/f

p.s. I forgot to mention.. I LOVE my new system

p.s. you suck ;-)

Thanks for the info, and good luck. I'll probably be like you and break them in anyways when I get them, whether "they" say it does any good or not. If it's in the manual, it's probably there for a reason, even if it ends up being only a minor change.

Enjoy!

 

[NGL_BrSH]

haha.. i totally think it's in the manual cause it gets you thinking they aren't going to sound good out of the box and also it'll take almost 30 days to break them in.. so you're less likely to return them.. just a theory.

update: man i love these speakers.. detail galore, extremely wide sound field, and a non-threating tweeter, it's exactly what i like

Here a few pics.. currently they are upstairs hooked up to my roommates stuff.. while i'm waiting for my NAD T973 to come in His speakers are infinity crescendo speakers which i think are pretty nice for the money.. but in my opinion my new speakers sound much better and take up less room.

my center

center from the front

right main rc-70

right rear rc-30 w/ grill on

right rear w/o grill

kevlar driver (sexy )

whole thing on my roomies shiz

left front with electronics (NAD 218THX, Rotel RB-993)

 

[PENG]

haha.. i totally think it's in the manual cause it gets you thinking they aren't going to sound good out of the box and also it'll take almost 30 days to break them in.. so you're less likely to return them.. just a theory.

You may be right, but I do think it is reasonable to expect that after working for 30 days, those kevlar cones could stretch permanently a little bit and that may have an effect on the sound it produces. The crossover components may undergo some changes too after being used, but one would think they get broken in at the factory.

The part that I cannot imagine is, how do the manufacturers allow for such changes resulted in the "break-in" process. They could calculate the changes (e.g. stretch) in the material but how do they predict the difference in sound reproduction due to such changes. Did they do it by trial and error?

 

[warpdrive]

The part that I cannot imagine is, how do the manufacturers allow for such changes resulted in the "break-in" process. They could calculate the changes (e.g. stretch) in the material but how do they predict the difference in sound reproduction due to such changes. Did they do it by trial and error?

It's not that hard, they do measurements and adjustments to the design in the lab with well worked drivers. All speaker designers listen and adjust their speaker with their ears.