Okay, How Important Is Speaker Break In? (Dynaudio Contour 60i)

Yeah, I sort of ignored the fact that a lot of people have been talking about room...and there could be something there.  Some of the sound issue I would call ringing, which (to my untrained thinking) seems consistent with a room issue.  Not sure what to do with that; this is not a dedicated audio room, so I can't move them much or start adding foam to the walls.  And the fact that the B&Ws were running in the same place without this issue seems important; whether or not my room is optimal, the old speakers did not ring.  I may finally be getting "what type of music you listen to" with speakers.   I EXPECT exquisite refinement on vocals and strings when I want it, but most of my listening is rock/metal.  With a high quality heavy recording (e.g., Metallica black album) the Dyns sound incredibly good.  WIth more delicate fare, they seems a little ragged and ringy in the mids.

different speakers have different dispersion patterns so can interact with room attributes differently

agree w comments below that modern speakers have accentuated lower treble and upper midrange for better perceived 'presence' - often to the detriment to longer term listenability

system matching is key to make new speakers work... plugging them in where old ones stood is just the starting point

jjss49, when you say system matching, are you still talking about room, or getting into the components?  From what I have read, there should be no significant component issues, i.e., Big Dyns should like 600W Bryston solid state amps.  Of course, every combination could yield differences, but this system should generally be harmonious.

A harsh midrange can be one of the worst traits a speaker can possess and that's why buying without audition is a total crapshoot.  While audition is not always possible, it is, IMO, impossible to "research" a speaker through reviews or online posts because the reviewers have different rooms, different electronics and different tastes. While I agree that some break in is necessary, I would say give them 2 weeks and then return them if you can. Or you can rebuild your system around the new speakers, i.e., new cables, electronics, etc to get them sounding better. Or, you could find recordings where the Dynaudios shine and only play them.  Don't think for a minute that some audiophiles don't take this approach, either consciously or subconsciously.  Mark Levinson many years ago talked about the concept of the system dictating the types of music we play.  But all in all, if your B&Ws really work in your room, why not keep them and upgrade other parts of the system?  Changing speaker cables might make a huge difference - or none at all.  That's why it's best to buy with audition. but I know it's not always possible.  Good luck. BTW - when I audition a speaker, I will always play something off the Brubeck "Take Five" record.  Paul Desmond's alto sax will expose a harsh midrange immediately.  It also happens to be good music, but that's a bonus. 

Thanks Charyo.  Indeed the B&W's (to whom I have sincerely apologized for being momentarily attracted by the tall, brown-skinned younger model) may be restored to their prior home, and nice thought on how good my cables could be for a fraction of the cost of new speakers.  My weekend project now is going to be building some low-rise wheeled platforms so I can throw speaker options and placement around a bit more freely in the space.