question about breaking in speakers and amp



HI all,

I set up my new (and first) system the other day. I must say it sounds really good out of the box -- so here is my question. I got three pieces -- a Jolida tube amp, a music hall cd player, and Quad 21L2 speakers. What should I expect to hear change as the equipment starts to break in? What should I be paying attention to?

Thanks!!

Marty
martyw
in my experience, break-in is the biggest hoax in audio. your speakers and amps should sound perfect within 24 hours, or i would return them. (i will agree that tight, large woofers may need a bit of time--a few hours-- to loosen up, but that's it---and most people burn in speakers without playing bass heavy music which is part of the problem)

glad you enjoy your system right out the box! most people here can't do that because of their preconceptions
Hi Keith, I completely agree with you that equipment should sound perfect within 24 hrs. I did not mean to imply that a tube amp would sound bad when it is new its just that as the capacitors are forming, things should smooth out a little more after about 50 hrs or so depending on what material was used to manufacture the caps with, and teflon takes the longest to form. I had teflon caps installed in my tube amp and they sounded wonderful right from the start and to my ears are getting a little smoother as I put more hours on them.
The whole idea of break-in doesn't wash. A solid state system is broken in about 15 seconds after you turn it on the first time - speakers included. Tubes do need to warm up, but not in any different manner the first time you turn it on than the 200th time you turn it on. What gets broken in is the listener, not the equipment. This is not cement - it doesn't have to "set up".
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You guys don't think that capacitors break in or form? I think if you talk to any good tube amp designer and ask them if a cap that is in the signal path ( coupling caps) sounds different after 50 hours than when it is fresh out of the box will tell you that it will.