Quote:
Originally Posted by rock_bottom 
There's some interesting stuff about speaker break-in at the Matrix Hi-Fi site. They asked a bunch of manufacturers about it, and got some interesting responses. I like the one from the Scanspeak lead R&D engineer best.
There's some interesting stuff about speaker break-in at the Matrix Hi-Fi site. They asked a bunch of manufacturers about it, and got some interesting responses. I like the one from the Scanspeak lead R&D engineer best.
Quote:
AUDIOTECHNOLOGY
“Thanks for your mail.
Your question is a good question and I will try to answer it as well as possible.
There is great difference between the different drivers, when it comes to “running in”
A woofer can be run in relatively quickly, but in hours? – I am not sure. Our woofers, with a relatively high compliance, can be run in, in a day or so, where the more stiff drivers, like PA drivers takes a week or more.
When it comes to midranges, it is another story. The sound of a midrange can change up to month after it has been played for the first time. I personally, have recently become the lucky owner of a pair of Peak Consult “El Diablo” – a true work of art – but that is another story. When they were first connected, the sound was impressive but not great, but after a couple of days, the bass was wonderful. I played them 24/7 to break them in as fast as possible. Now, after 2 month, the midrange is also great. It has been changing every day, since the first. The tweeter is still changing – bringing less “S” sounds to the female voices and adding to the image day by day. Today my listening room tends to be much bigger than it really is, and is still getting bigger (hope the walls wound fall down on me).
As you can understand, it is individual how long time it takes to burn in a speaker, but in general you can say that the bigger the driver, the faster it will be run in or you could express it in another way also: The more the cone moves, the faster the driver is run in.
Hope this answer is adequate for you. Otherwise, please write again.”
So we did:
“Thanks for a very clarifying reply, however, it raises up another question:
If a driver sounds better after burn in, why is it that (apparently) no manufacturer sells its units already burnt in?
Also, is there a certain music program preferred or to avoid when burning in a driver?”
And the anwer to our second mail was:
“Thanks for your mail.
Yes, you are right – we ought to burn in all the drivers, but – we do not have the time or the facilities to do it.
It is the same with a car………. It also runs better and has better fuel economy after some thousand miles, but can you imagine the Toyota factories driving some thousand miles before delivering each car?
There is no preferred music, when burning in speakers. I personally use pink noise, when I am not at home. Else any music that makes the drivers move as much as possible.”
“Thanks for your mail.
Your question is a good question and I will try to answer it as well as possible.
There is great difference between the different drivers, when it comes to “running in”
A woofer can be run in relatively quickly, but in hours? – I am not sure. Our woofers, with a relatively high compliance, can be run in, in a day or so, where the more stiff drivers, like PA drivers takes a week or more.
When it comes to midranges, it is another story. The sound of a midrange can change up to month after it has been played for the first time. I personally, have recently become the lucky owner of a pair of Peak Consult “El Diablo” – a true work of art – but that is another story. When they were first connected, the sound was impressive but not great, but after a couple of days, the bass was wonderful. I played them 24/7 to break them in as fast as possible. Now, after 2 month, the midrange is also great. It has been changing every day, since the first. The tweeter is still changing – bringing less “S” sounds to the female voices and adding to the image day by day. Today my listening room tends to be much bigger than it really is, and is still getting bigger (hope the walls wound fall down on me).
As you can understand, it is individual how long time it takes to burn in a speaker, but in general you can say that the bigger the driver, the faster it will be run in or you could express it in another way also: The more the cone moves, the faster the driver is run in.
Hope this answer is adequate for you. Otherwise, please write again.”
So we did:
“Thanks for a very clarifying reply, however, it raises up another question:
If a driver sounds better after burn in, why is it that (apparently) no manufacturer sells its units already burnt in?
Also, is there a certain music program preferred or to avoid when burning in a driver?”
And the anwer to our second mail was:
“Thanks for your mail.
Yes, you are right – we ought to burn in all the drivers, but – we do not have the time or the facilities to do it.
It is the same with a car………. It also runs better and has better fuel economy after some thousand miles, but can you imagine the Toyota factories driving some thousand miles before delivering each car?
There is no preferred music, when burning in speakers. I personally use pink noise, when I am not at home. Else any music that makes the drivers move as much as possible.”
bwah..hah..hah....I call bluff on this one.
None of my cars in the last 20 years that I remember had increased mileage after "breaking-in" a few thousand miles. My mileage has remained constant (for the design life of 100K) for each of my cars and the only time a difference was noted when going out on extended trip where the whole tank was consumed on the highway.
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