B

Bob2of3

Audiophyte
[Edit: Here is Audioholics' research article and findings on Speaker Break-in. - Admin]

<font color='#000000'>After reading a ton of reviews, quite a few stated something about speaker break-in. How long does this take and does it matter what is played through the speakers?

LAter</font>
 
Yamahaluver

Yamahaluver

Audioholic General
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Bob2of3 : <font color='#000000'>After reading a ton of reviews, quite a few stated something about speaker break-in. How long does this take and does it matter what is played through the speakers?

LAter</font>
<font color='#0000FF'>Just let them break in gradualy with variety of music. It ususaly takes a week or so and dont over do it by driving them at high volumes or clipping level. Make sure to tighten the driver screws once break in is done and then enjoy............</font>
 
D

dreadstar

Audioholic Intern
break it in.

Bob2of3 said:
<font color='#000000'>After reading a ton of reviews, quite a few stated something about speaker break-in. How long does this take and does it matter what is played through the speakers?

LAter</font>
If you have a pink noise generator play them at moderate levels but not loud. new speakers can be fairly stiff and excessive volume can damage the components. with a pink noise generator 24 to 48 hours will do the job if not.

What yamahaluver said will do the same. lower volume over longer time will do the job nicely you will notice the difference in timber in a few days of listening.
 
Johnny Canuck

Johnny Canuck

Banned
No such thing.

Your ears just get used to the speakers.

Period.
 
MacManNM

MacManNM

Banned
Johnny Canuck said:
No such thing.

Your ears just get used to the speakers.

Period.


mtrycrafts said:
WRONG!

Why do foam surrounds deteriorate? The molecular structure changes. It’s the same with all materials, as they move the molecules are re-aligned to change the physical attributes of the material. It’s much the same as a piece of metal that is bent; you can never get it perfectly straight again. They do break in. Is it audible? I believe so.
 
M

mazurek

Audioholic Intern
I played with a tone generator the day I got my new speakers, and several weeks after. Clearly it had very little bass response below 50 Hz when I got it, now I can hear below it. The speakers also had a big warning on the bag to let the speakers break in before critical judgement.
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
No such thing.

Your ears just get used to the speakers.
You're pretty much dead on for the most part. Woofers do tend to loosen up a bit after a few hours of play but don't forget that anything that can "break in" must also "break out". So it is a bit of a misnomer. Tweeters do NOT break in despite what many audiophiles claim.

I had many entertaining discussions with Dr. Floyd Toole on speaker break in and he also concurred it was pretty much a baseless myth which dealt more with listener breakin than speaker break in.
 
M

MarkOcena

Audioholic Intern
Larger Diameter Woofers "break out"

I definetely agree that woofers loosen up under use. I've felt a car subwoofer straight out of the box compared to a well used version and it was fairly obvious the used driver had more give. Most likely the thicker surround and larger spider of such woofers that makes the difference. Can't comment on mid-range type woofers in home speakers though.

Mark
 
MacManNM

MacManNM

Banned
gene said:
You're pretty much dead on for the most part. Woofers do tend to loosen up a bit after a few hours of play but don't forget that anything that can "break in" must also "break out". So it is a bit of a misnomer. Tweeters do NOT break in despite what many audiophiles claim.

I had many entertaining discussions with Dr. Floyd Toole on speaker break in and he also concurred it was pretty much a baseless myth which dealt more with listener breakin than speaker break in.
If woofers "loosen up" then it would change their TS parameters, thereby changing their sonic quality. The same would go for tweeters. So, they do break in. The real question: Is it audible?
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Tweeters actually don't break in. This has been confirmed time and again by many leading loudspeaker designers, Acousticians such as Dr. Toole and even our own Resident Loudspeaker Engineer Mark Sanfilipo and former loudspeaker reviewer Patrick Hart whom both measured no differences in driver parameters before and after alleged "break in". When Mark gets back in town, I will have him comment on this thread. I will also ask Dr. Toole permission to publish some of his findings.
 
MacManNM

MacManNM

Banned
gene said:
Tweeters actually don't break in. This has been confirmed time and again by many leading loudspeaker designers, Acousticians such as Dr. Toole and even our own Resident Loudspeaker Engineer Mark Sanfilipo and former loudspeaker reviewer Patrick Hart whom both measured no differences in driver parameters before and after alleged "break in". When Mark gets back in town, I will have him comment on this thread. I will also ask Dr. Toole permission to publish some of his findings.

If it moves, it changes. Whether it’s measurable, I don’t know. I do know that the ear and the human brain can be more sensitive than the best test equipment.
 
Last edited:
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
MacManNM said:
If it moves, it changes. Weather it’s measurable, I don’t know. I do know that the ear and the human brain can be more sensitive than the best test equipment.
Thanks for that! Funniest thing I've read all day! :D
 
snickelfritz

snickelfritz

Junior Audioholic
Driver compliance continues to change slightly until the internal temperature and humidity within the cabinet reaches equilibrium with the home environment. After that, it should remain stable.
The same thing happens to a garden hose; it's more flexible when filled with heated water than with cold water. (I see this quite often during the Summer here in Tucson; hose is stiff in the morning and flaccid in the afternoon) D'oh!

Rubber surrounds, spiders, voicecoils etc... are all very stable and durable, and should not change their nominal compliance or resonance unless something structural is changed.
ie: if the rubber surround material is exposed to a strong chemical solvent, it might become more liquid under stress, and thus change its nominal compliance as the rubber migrates.
But normal flexing back and forth does nothing to it (and shouldn't), unless the rubber was stored in a very cold environment for an extended period. (in which case it simply warms up to the new environment in a few hours and stabilizes.)

Speaker break-in is largely a myth, probably rooted in the temperature differential I mentioned.
 
MacManNM

MacManNM

Banned
snickelfritz said:
Driver compliance continues to change slightly until the internal temperature and humidity within the cabinet reaches equilibrium with the home environment. After that, it should remain stable.
The same thing happens to a garden hose; it's more flexible when filled with heated water than with cold water. (I see this quite often during the Summer here in Tucson; hose is stiff in the morning and flaccid in the afternoon) D'oh!

Rubber surrounds, spiders, voicecoils etc... are all very stable and durable, and should not change their nominal compliance or resonance unless something structural is changed.
ie: if the rubber surround material is exposed to a strong chemical solvent, it might become more liquid under stress, and thus change its nominal compliance as the rubber migrates.
But normal flexing back and forth does nothing to it (and shouldn't), unless the rubber was stored in a very cold environment for an extended period. (in which case it simply warms up to the new environment in a few hours and stabilizes.)

Speaker break-in is largely a myth, probably rooted in the temperature differential I mentioned.
That's why a hose never wears out, right?
 
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
How does the speaker magically stop changing then once it's broken in? ;) Yeah, a hose will wear out in eventually. Do you run 200 degree water under high pressure thru your speakers? That explains a few things. :p

Oh well. Everyone knows those idiots that actually design the speakers, like Toole, don't know what they're talking about. Internet yahoos are a much better source of information.
 
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
For the record, I don't really know if speakers need "break in." Shoes do, I can tell you that. I do get pretty skeptical by some manufacturers claim of hundreds or even thousands of hours being needed. By that measure they're broken in just about two weeks before they're worn out! :)
 
MacManNM

MacManNM

Banned
Rob Babcock said:
How does the speaker magically stop changing then once it's broken in? ;) Yeah, a hose will wear out in eventually. Do you run 200 degree water under high pressure thru your speakers? That explains a few things. :p

Oh well. Everyone knows those idiots that actually design the speakers, like Toole, don't know what they're talking about. Internet yahoos are a much better source of information.
No, they never stop wearing out, but for a period of time they do reach a quiescent state.
 
brian32672

brian32672

Banned
Rob Babcock said:
For the record, I don't really know if speakers need "break in." Shoes do, I can tell you that. I do get pretty skeptical by some manufacturers claim of hundreds or even thousands of hours being needed. By that measure they're broken in just about two weeks before they're worn out! :)
Now that was the funniest post I've seen all day. Don't ask which part humors me the most.
 

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