Are Speakers Like Cask-Conditioned Beer?


Are speakers in general, and drivers specifically, like cask-conditioned beer?  For years I've read about speakers needing a 'break-in period'. This has me pondering whether there is a curve up to an optimal point for speaker drivers, like the perfect timing for discovering a spot-on cask conditioned ale?  And I wonder, are there differences for driver materials, magnets, size of drivers, etc? Is there a decline from the optimal point? I haven't read many audiophile comments about the length of a speaker's 'break-down period' (if that's what we might call it) and how long that might be? Hey, there's a whole new category of audiophile commentary that could give -- like Consumer Report ratings for cars -- the predicted or actual longevity of speakers. :-)   
lefatshe
Color me jealous. Freaking, freaking jealous. There is nothing in this world like a freshly tapped high quality cask ale. The combination of the beer and the fresh live yeast is like drinking a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven. By drink I meant of course quaff! And I seriously doubt anywhere in the world has any better cask ales than England.

Cheers!
@millercarbon +1 on real ale. We used drink fresh cask ale in beautiful Devon, England back in the 80s. 
Beer will get you through a time of no speakers, better than speakers will get you through a time of no beer.

Credit the FFFB
That same thing happened to me one time. Speakers went flat. I added a little wort, sealed em up,  week later they were nicely carbonated. 

After the lengthy break-in period, speakers reach their optimal state for about a week, after which they start to go down hill.  After a few years they will begin to sound distinctly stale.

qv. "jumping the shark".

Cask ales are best when fresh, and for maybe a day or so after, but that's about it. The last thing you ever want is the last quaff from the last pint of a cask conditioned ale. I know. Never even liked cask all that much until I learned to get em fresh. Now I don't care what style it is. If it was just tapped, get to pumping, its for me.

And I wonder, are there differences for driver materials, magnets, size of drivers, etc?

Yes of course there are differences. But what a waste of time. They're all tied together. Totally missing the point, which is that everything goes through a break-in process. Everything. All the internal wires, caps, choke, resistors, terminals- everything. All of it.

And no there is no "break-down" period with speakers. There is however a break-down in communications with audiophiles.

No matter what you say, they run it through their audiophile decoder ring and out comes word salad. Look: