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How to "break-in" new speakers??

A number of posts regarding the so-called "break-in-time" (or is it "burn-in-time) for new speakers have muddied the waters for me. If I recall correctly, some posts recommend that new speaker "break-in" could run anywhere from several hours to 175 hours, or more (good grief!), depending on the speaker manufacturer and model/type in question. In my case they would be the Rega RS-1 bookshelves. On other posts I have read that burning-in is a red-herring and should be ignored. I have also read that a proper burn-in should be done at a high volume, but not so high as to damage the speakers (an unnecessary caution), while simultaneously running the speakers non-stop for the necessary burn-in period. I find myself especially resistant to the last half of these recommendations, if only because I would like to think it possible to get a good nights sleep while simultaneously doing right by my speakers. I can only hope that however many responses I receive will not further muddy the already dark waters.
georgester
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
I did hear a difference in my Maggie 1.6 as they broke in, they became smoother in the high end and the bass became looser and more natural (after a few months) but I think it is the nature of the planar design where the mylar needed to stretch a bit.
transaudio
96 posts
 
This argument that seems accepted to the point of "of course its this way-where you been?" has little or no support in the high end pro community of mixers, mastering engineers and others who listen for a living. I would be horrified if a customer who just installed a $40,000 pr of monitors called me to say they sound WAY different after a week of use. I would also be horrified if I sent a replacement woofer for a blown one and after the swap, George Massenburg told me "they sound different and I can't work on these for the next 500 hours" . Or a year later, "the Left woofer sounds different from the right" (because the left one is older than the right). George can hear a 1/4dB difference in EQ at 2K, he can hear compression artifacts I cannot hear, and he has never said such a thing to me. So for a pro, this is tough one to buy in to.

What DOES happen is changes in your ears day to day. Weather, humidity, your health, how tired you are, can play a huge role in sound "quality" (i.e. your personal perception of sound ). Also, your attitude makes a huge difference. If you want to hear a difference, you will. This is demonstrable. And Temperature of the drive unit DOES make a difference, especially when you are the edge of power compression, a result of heat inside the coil. So could the difference be that the speakers sound better after being on for an hour and heated up? This could 100% be true. It would also be true then that the speakers sound worse after being driven too hard (too hot) and you have to let the spear cool down for it to return to normal (I HAVE heard this many times). But was time the factor-no, it was heat.

The idea of speakers loosening up doesn't seem to have the same level of scientific support that other issues that are based in science and really do affect perceived performance. I wonder if other reall issues are being attributed to break in time?

Brad
pkelly1504
62 posts
 
I just purchased new speakers and I can't wait to turn them up and see what they can do.
If I do this too soon can I actually damage the speakers?
Sonus Faber Cremona M Towers
rlw3
39 posts
 
USE A MONO CD if you are going to wire speakers out of phase and have them face each other as suggested above-You need exact same signal going to both speakers if you want as much noise cancellation as posible
thankful
222 posts
 
When I purchased my first Harley Davidson motor cycle the salesman told me to ride it the first day the way I intended to ride it after break in. I think the same is true with speakers.
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