New speaker volume question

[ematthews]

I’ve not asked this before as I have always played new speakers at any volume and it’s always gone well, I guess. With that said, can you run brand new speakers after warm up at some higher volume levels? I ask this since
My new and final speaker selection are Dynaudio Excite X44. They sound ok at low to mid volume. But if I start to crank the volume a bit thay start to really wake up and sound great. So is it ok to play new speakers at higher levels. Dynaudio only says to warm the speakers up a bit when you first start them up.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

The owner's manual should answer this.

 

[lovinthehd]

They actually change character with increased volume or are you just noting the way your hearing works with certain frequencies at lower vs higher volumes? I'd think you'd already have achieved any mechanical break in needed by now since you've had these speakers for a bit....and I wouldn't worry about volume level accordingly. Unless Dynaudio has strict warnings about something bad will happen if you listen to their speakers loudly?

 

[ematthews]

They actually change character with increased volume or are you just noting the way your hearing works with certain frequencies at lower vs higher volumes? I'd think you'd already have achieved any mechanical break in needed by now since you've had these speakers for a bit....and I wouldn't worry about volume level accordingly. Unless Dynaudio has strict warnings about something bad will happen if you listen to their speakers loudly?

Nope. I had an issue and damage prior to these. So I auditioned these Dynaudio’s and bought them. I’ve had them since Tuesday. I have put about three to four hours on them. But what I am saying is when I crank the volume a bit they come alive. At low volume they seem a little lifeless is all I can say.

 

[ematthews]

Or. Putting some juice to these really makes me hear what everyone has been saying about Dynaudio. Control and dynamics is great.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I’ve not asked this before as I have always played new speakers at any volume and it’s always gone well, I guess. With that said, can you run brand new speakers after warm up at some higher volume levels? I ask this since
My new and final speaker selection are Dynaudio Excite X44. They sound ok at low to mid volume. But if I start to crank the volume a bit thay start to really wake up and sound great. So is it ok to play new speakers at higher levels. Dynaudio only says to warm the speakers up a bit when you first start them up.

Should be okay. The issue is always how much Volume and power the speakers can handle. But they should handle 90-95dB from 10FT.

 

[Out-Of-Phase]

Nice speakers. Congratulations.

 

[ematthews]

Should be okay. The issue is always how much Volume and power the speakers can handle. But they should handle 90-95dB from 10FT.

So turning up the volume a bit while a speaker is new is Ok.

 

[ematthews]

Nice speakers. Congratulations.

Thanks. They won out over the Revel F208 and the Monitor Audio MA300. They are wonderful. However if I had a really big room I would have kept the F208’s.

 

[Out-Of-Phase]

Thanks. They won out over the Revel F208 and the Monitor Audio MA300. They are wonderful. However if I had a really big room I would have kept the F208’s.

How do the low frequencies compare between the Dynaudio and the Revel F208?

 

[lovinthehd]

I wouldn't have worried about the volume level at all for break-in, the louder the quicker IMO. Here's the whole excerpt from the manual which indicates nothing about volume:
The moving parts of a newly manufactured Dynaudio loudspeaker have been acousti-
cally checked after production, but nevertheless are not as flexible as they need to be
for optimum results to be realized. The higher the quality of any driver system, the more
demanding the loudspeaker will be regarding time for running-in the system.
A newly unpacked Dynaudio loudspeaker therefore requires several weeks running/
playing to reach its optimum performance capability. After that period, a couple of
minutes before every listening session will be helpful to “warm up” the loudspeakers.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

So turning up the volume a bit while a speaker is new is Ok.

Yes. Absolutely normal to do that. Every speaker sounds much better at normal higher volume than low volume.

 

[ematthews]

How do the low frequencies compare between the Dynaudio and the Revel F208?

Much more controlled and quick. The Revel’s low end seemed to have more output but was boomy in the smaller room. Both speakers are fantastic to be honest but the Dynaudio’s low end works better in my room however.

 

[Verdinut]

I wouldn't worry except I would make sure that they are not over driven beyond their power limit.
Actually, it's good to drive them a little loud to break them in. After several hours of operation, they should perform at their full potential.

 

[TLS Guy]

I’ve not asked this before as I have always played new speakers at any volume and it’s always gone well, I guess. With that said, can you run brand new speakers after warm up at some higher volume levels? I ask this since
My new and final speaker selection are Dynaudio Excite X44. They sound ok at low to mid volume. But if I start to crank the volume a bit thay start to really wake up and sound great. So is it ok to play new speakers at higher levels. Dynaudio only says to warm the speakers up a bit when you first start them up.

This whole speaker break in is largely bogus. Studies have been done measuring the Thiel/Small parameters before and after periods of use. The T/S parameters do change slightly due to increase compliance of the suspension and surrounds, however the change is so small under no circumstances would it be audible.

You were not responsible for the damage to the Revels, and you are well shot of them. I suspect returns of Dynaudio drivers are none to very, very few.

You will not damage your speakers by playing them at your desired volume now.

With good speakers there is always an optimal volume for every recording. This correlates with the spl and dynamics in the recording venue. You of course never know what that was, unless you made the recording. However if you have a good ear and are experienced you can judge pretty well the optimal volume to play back a given recording.

 

[snakeeyes]

Congrats on the new speakers!

 

[Verdinut]

This whole speaker break in is largely bogus. Studies have been done measuring the Thiel/Small parameters before and after periods of use. The T/S parameters do change slightly due to increase compliance of the suspension and surrounds, however the change is so small under no circumstances would it be audible.

You were not responsible for the damage to the Revels, and you are well shot of them. I suspect returns of Dynaudio drivers are none to very, very few.

You will not damage your speakers by playing them at your desired volume now.

With good speakers there is always an optimal volume for every recording. This correlates with the spl and dynamics in the recording venue. You of course never know what that was, unless you made the recording. However if you have a good ear and are experienced you can judge pretty well the optimal volume to play back a given recording.

I agree with you with the fact that the breaking in of a speaker, mainly a woofer, is largely bogus. I knew that, during the break-in period of several hours only, and not for a couple hundred hours, the Fs most of the time is only slightly reduced, so is the Qts. The Fs/Qts ratios remain rather constant before and after break-in, so any change in operation is marginal and inaudible.
Some speaker builders proceed to a breaking-in before installing woofers in cabinets, but I soon found out by testing that this procedure was a waste of time because of the Fs/Qts ratios and abandoned the procedure many years ago. I corrected the info in my previous post with regard to the break-in period..

 

[ematthews]

Nice. So I’m gonna crank them a bit tonight. With some volume these things sound amazing. They just sound so much different than any other speaker I’ve listened to. There is a sweetness to them. Hard to describe. The Revels are fantastic too. And if not for the boomy bass and bad driver, they would still be here. But kinda glad it happened. Everyone was right about Dynaudio speakers.

 

[ematthews]

Oh. And by the way I put on some London Grammer last night and was brought to goosebumps and big grins. Again. These sounded like they were in my room with a sweet sense of that center voice spot.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Nope. I had an issue and damage prior to these. So I auditioned these Dynaudio’s and bought them. I’ve had them since Tuesday. I have put about three to four hours on them. But what I am saying is when I crank the volume a bit they come alive. At low volume they seem a little lifeless is all I can say.

My Revel F30's (definitely broken in, considering their age) are probably the lowest efficiency speakers I've ever owned, and I've noticed the same. I think there's just a certain decibel threshold where the multiple drivers really begin to blend together and you're hearing the whole sound.