Speaker Break In: Fact or Fiction?

[cam]

I used my sub, my spl, and my seated position, and oh ya some time. My subs sound level continually got louder as time went on. At about the 20 hour mark no further changes with my subs volume in relation to the rest of my system were needed. I did notice a further smoothing out of my sub for about the next 20 hours but that just might have been my ears and my brain getting use to the sound.

With my main speakers I have never had a change in spl's as they were being broken in. The tweeter to me has never change with regards to sound, the only difference I have ever heard with my main speakers was that when new, the bass/midrange woofers would emit a snap or a pop sound with the bass notes being played. When driven fairly hard but not cranked. As time went on, somewhere after 10-20 hours that pop sound would be gone and a more smoothed out bass note would be played. I'm on my second batch of 5 speakers and this popping sound was consistent with all. I believe a woofer needs to be broken-in to reach it's full excursion, and when it does, there is a change.

 

[gene]

I'm on my second batch of 5 speakers and this popping sound was consistent with all.

If your woofers are "popping" its b/c you are bottoming them out. No amount of break in will resolve this issue, at least until you blow them out or the voice coil becomes dislodged from the spider

I recommend turning your bass down or crossing them over to a sub to eliminate this problem and avoid damaging your speakers.

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

Good article, if a bit dense for non-techies! It basically parallels the Tom Nousaine article on speaker break-in that I have on my page (see sig). Nousaine did measurements of drivers pre and post "break-in" and found the differences to be negiligable -- within the normal manufacturing variations of off-the-line drivers.

As for crossover break-in mentioned above: nope. Capacitors "form" in a matter of seconds or even milliseconds. Resistors either work or don't. Inductors likewise reach their rated performance in a negligable amount of time. In an active crossover you add integrated circuits (op amps). Those don't break in either -- fuhgeddaboutit!

Some components can, of course, vary with temperature. But a designer would have to be incompetent to use, say, capacators with the wrong temperature coefficient in a circuit. A look at a large electronics catalog like Digi-Key shows that components are readily available to meet any number of temperature and other environmental requirements far beyond what is needed in a crossover!

 

[JoeE SP9]

Magneplaners need a break in. The film in the panels stretches in use. The sound of Maggies changes significantly over the first month of use. This is freely admitted by the Magneplaner factory people themselves. With electrostatics the application of heat from a hair dryer will change the sound by tightening the film diaphragm. I use a hair dryer on my ES's once a year or so.

 

[cam]

If your woofers are "popping" its b/c you are bottoming them out. No amount of break in will resolve this issue, at least until you blow them out or the voice coil becomes dislodged from the spider

I recommend turning your bass down or crossing them over to a sub to eliminate this problem and avoid damaging your speakers.

Thanks for the good advice, but it is not needed, my speakers have long since stopped popping at higher volumes.

 

[cam]

Good article, if a bit dense for non-techies! It basically parallels the Tom Nousaine article on speaker break-in that I have on my page (see sig). Nousaine did measurements of drivers pre and post "break-in" and found the differences to be negiligable -- within the normal manufacturing variations of off-the-line drivers.

As for crossover break-in mentioned above: nope. Capacitors "form" in a matter of seconds or even milliseconds. Resistors either work or don't. Inductors likewise reach their rated performance in a negligable amount of time. In an active crossover you add integrated circuits (op amps). Those don't break in either -- fuhgeddaboutit!

Some components can, of course, vary with temperature. But a designer would have to be incompetent to use, say, capacators with the wrong temperature coefficient in a circuit. A look at a large electronics catalog like Digi-Key shows that components are readily available to meet any number of temperature and other environmental requirements far beyond what is needed in a crossover!

I believe that the woofer and/or the surround material is what needs to be broken-in.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I used my sub, my spl, and my seated position, and oh ya some time. My subs sound level continually got louder as time went on. At about the 20 hour mark no further changes with my subs volume in relation to the rest of my system were needed. I did notice a further smoothing out of my sub for about the next 20 hours but that just might have been my ears and my brain getting use to the sound.

With my main speakers I have never had a change in spl's as they were being broken in. The tweeter to me has never change with regards to sound, the only difference I have ever heard with my main speakers was that when new, the bass/midrange woofers would emit a snap or a pop sound with the bass notes being played. When driven hard only. As time went on, somewhere after 10-20 hours that pop sound would be gone and a more smoothed out bass note would be played. I'm on my second batch of 5 speakers and this popping sound was consistent with all. I believe a woofer needs to be broken-in to reach it's full excursion, and when it does, there is a change.

Well, I will believe the instrumented data above all. That tells me something was not tested properly at your home.

 

[Privateer]

If your woofers are "popping" its b/c you are bottoming them out. No amount of break in will resolve this issue, at least until you blow them out or the voice coil becomes dislodged from the spider

Classic, if someone cannot tell if their woofers are bottoming out it is because they are deaf.

 

[soniceuphoria]

Planar and ribbon speakers have an even more dramatic difference out of the box vs. broken in. Magnepan speakers for example (if not abused) sound better with age. My set of magnepan MGIIIa's are over 15 years old and they still sound amazing. There is even a dramatic difference in the sound when the speakers are "cold" when you first turn it on vs. when the speakers are warmed up. Happy Listening.
Greg

 

[MBauer]

Electrolytics can deteriorate

.....J_Garcia, I just took your question about possible crossover break-in to someone by IM, and he said the capacitors in the crossover go through a break-in period, but there is no heat involved.....

But it takes a long time

 

[mulester7]

But it takes a long time

.....MBauer, I know next to nothing about the internals of a crossover past things mechanical....maybe Rip Van Woofer can comment....his post above in this thread impressed me he knows pretty much about the matter.....

 

[cam]

Classic, if someone cannot tell if their woofers are bottoming out it is because they are deaf.

I know when a speaker is bottoming out, what I am talking about is a snap sound. Not a loud snap, just a slight one. I misspoke early by saying it only happens at loud levels, I didn't mean that to be cranked full blast.

 

[MacManNM]

Well, I will believe the instrumented data above all. That tells me something was not tested properly at your home.

And this article had measurements? So what do you believe?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

And this article had measurements? So what do you believe?

Mac, measurements and specs mean little. Did you read my post about the EPA's city mpg specs on cars in the steam vent? Didn't we have a discussion about the FTC, the FDA, and now this B.S. from the EPA?

The only two things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. OH, and high fuel bills.

 

[MacManNM]

Mac, measurements and specs mean little. Did you read my post about the EPA's city mpg specs on cars in the steam vent? Didn't we have a discussion about the FTC, the FDA, and now this B.S. from the EPA?

The only two things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. OH, and high fuel bills.

Sorry

True measurements must mean nothing, we can just project the future. I guess we can all just quit and rely on code for everything. We are in the Matrix.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Sorry

True measurements must mean nothing, we can just project the future. I guess we can all just quit and rely on code for everything. We are in the Matrix.

Are true measurements from our government agencies really true? You believe everything you read, don't you. All those drugs that get passed from the FDA have definitely proven to be safe, right? Politics I guess has nothing to do with it. I'll predict your future if you agree to take some of Merc's drugs they've pulled from the shelves over the last few years.

As for code - doesn't Bush follow a code of ethics? LOL. The governor of Ohio is touted as being of the highest ethics, and has spent millions following up on this within Ohio's governmental jobs. Just recently, he apologized to all the Ohio workers, and citizens for accepting golf outings and not reporting them. Code.

 

[philh]

Are true measurements from our government agencies really true? You believe everything you read, don't you. All those drugs that get passed from the FDA have definitely proven to be safe, right? Politics I guess has nothing to do with it. I'll predict your future if you agree to take some of Merc's drugs they've pulled from the shelves over the last few years.

My all time fav, statins! They are very effective at what they are advertised to do, lower cholesterol, but they don't affect your risk for heart attack or heart disease

As for code - doesn't Bush follow a code of ethics? LOL. The governor of Ohio is touted as being of the highest ethics, and has spent millions following up on this within Ohio's governmental jobs. Just recently, he apologized to all the Ohio workers, and citizens for accepting golf outings and not reporting them. Code.

Do as I say, not as I do. At least he apologized, instead of blaming the media

 

[wael]

it is true

hi guys ,

this is wael ,

im a new member , depending on a lomg personal first hand experience with home theater equipment ( over 7 brands bought and replaced ) i tell you that the first time i heard about a break in period for my sound system was when i was putting a new 200 watts clarion 4 way speaker system in my car , when i was testing them after i installed them it didn`t rise to my expectations , but the technitian told me that i should give it some time and then see what happens especially for the bass part which was the important part you can always get extra tweeters but for the subs it is a lot harder , then it became a habit every time i bought a new sound system or a hometheater i always gave it time before passing on the final judgement , it realy takes time and if you take notice the first time you operate your sound system with it`s full capabilities and then wait say for 2 or 3 weeks you will notice the difference , that is way i don`t always go loud at the first few times i use the system i go slow specially with the sub i increase the bass gradually bcoz the material os the woofer at first is very let`s say tight but after a while of using and due to the movement of the woofer the material becomes alittle bit softer , so you will find an improvement of about 5 to 10 % , that is my experience it is not scientificaly proven or anything hope that it helps.

wael

 

[enigma1406]

hi guys ,

this is wael ,

im a new member , depending on a lomg personal first hand experience with home theater equipment ( over 7 brands bought and replaced ) i tell you that the first time i heard about a break in period for my sound system was when i was putting a new 200 watts clarion 4 way speaker system in my car , when i was testing them after i installed them it didn`t rise to my expectations , but the technitian told me that i should give it some time and then see what happens especially for the bass part which was the important part you can always get extra tweeters but for the subs it is a lot harder , then it became a habit every time i bought a new sound system or a hometheater i always gave it time before passing on the final judgement , it realy takes time and if you take notice the first time you operate your sound system with it`s full capabilities and then wait say for 2 or 3 weeks you will notice the difference , that is way i don`t always go loud at the first few times i use the system i go slow specially with the sub i increase the bass gradually bcoz the material os the woofer at first is very let`s say tight but after a while of using and due to the movement of the woofer the material becomes alittle bit softer , so you will find an improvement of about 5 to 10 % , that is my experience it is not scientificaly proven or anything hope that it helps.

wael

Refer to post #5 in this thread. Also, try using a period.

 

[wilmeland]

It's good to know what you know

Let me see. I read the article and discussion thoroughly and understand that the measurements tell the tale. The mechanical differences and period of time for them to occur in are so miniscule that any perceived difference is more in the realm of psycho acoustics.
My ears and possibly my tastes become acclimated to the sound I've been listening to for the past 40 to 80 hours. This sounds entirely plausible - kinda, sorta - as a partial explanation.

Yet I'm a stubborn bastard. I note that since I listen regularly to several different sound systems on a regular basis and still note subtle changes in most speaker systems during the first several hours of use, that there most definitely is a "break in" for those of us with an ear capable of hearing it.

The rest of you can shake your heads & point to the indisputable measurements which are so minute that "no one could really be hearing that effect". If you really believe that, next time just by your speakers from a website based on "specs".