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Do Audio Speakers Break-in?

Doodski

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You ppl are so scared to face the test results
I don't see scared people anywhere. If you have a speaker that is new/unused then maybe @amirm would be happy to run some pink noise through it and "Break it in" and then test it again so we can see the difference if any. :D It would be a pain in the butt running the speaker for a hundred hours or 2 weeks though. Perhaps @amirm has a root cellar with a tight door to block the sound output.
 

klatwork

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Can we find on the internet speaker (or amp...) manufacturer FAQs or user manuals that say "of course, our equipment requires 100 hours of burn in to sound its best, please be sure to do this..." The manufacturers should know after all. Can the burn in believers provide links to any such info?

I would be fascinated to know which if any manufacturers are on board with the burn in theory.

where have u ppl been....so many speaker manufacturers recommending break in ....it's not some new concept.
i just did a quick search...right on google's first page:
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/usa/en/blog/how-run-speakers
https://www.klipsch.ca/blog/how-and-why-to-break-in-your-new-speakers
https://celestion.com/blog/how-to-break-in-a-guitar-speaker/
https://audioengineusa.com/explore/speaker-setup-break-new-speakers/

that's why i think you ppl ridiculous conspiracy theory that this is an industry wide grift and afraid to do the test to prove such outlandish assumption
 

ahofer

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and speaker break-in hasn't been proven to be a lie on speaker models that claims to require them. The test here is basically tested on an aluminum speaker driver whose manufacturer never claimed to require a break in . That's like testing an 8ohm for 4ohm rating and claiming emotiva must be lying because your speakers are tested to work with 8ohm, so that must apply to all speakers...then comes your conspiracy theory that 4ohm Emovita / Magnepan , etc...are trying to dupe you into upgrading your amp. That's how u ppl are wired..


all you ppl need to do is test according to manufacturer recommendation the next time you test a speaker that claims "break in" is required and see if their claim holds... how hard is that? what is the point of me buying a DIY woofer that might or might not require break in to test this

why are ppl so scared to actually prove the speaker manufacturers as lying....lol, if i am so sure Klipsch is lying, I'd be happy to see the tests to prove them wrong. You ppl are twisting yourself into a pretzel trying to talk yourselves out of these tests..lol.

Why wouldn't we ask the speaker manufacturers to provide measured evidence for their unsupported assertions?
 

klatwork

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I don't see scared people anywhere. If you have a speaker that is new/unused then maybe @amirm would be happy to run some pink noise through it and "Break it in" and then test it again so we can see the difference if any. :D It would be a pain in the butt running the speaker for a hundred hours or 2 weeks though. Perhaps @amirm has a root cellar with a tight door to block the sound output.

what do you mean? lol..., i see ppl trying to talk out of this....
if I send him a new speaker, then it won't take hours to break in? It's the same...and it's pointless, one pair doesn't make or break the theory...
most manufacturers claim it's a few hours or 10-20 hours, not many is like klipsch claiming it takes 100 hours...
if you can't do 100, do what you can do and see if it made a difference at all...
that's all i'm asking....when we have a good sample of "break-in" required speakers tested according to their recommendation...
then we can put this break-in or no break-in to rest
 

ahofer

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that's why i think you ppl ridiculous conspiracy theory that this is an industry wide grift and afraid to do the test to prove such outlandish assumption

How do you explain industry-wide support for high end interconnects and power cables, which have been tested repeatedly and found wanting?
 

klatwork

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Why wouldn't we ask the speaker manufacturers to provide measured evidence for their unsupported assertions?
you can try, if they don't ...they we can test it ourselves.
The logic is like why is ASR testing speakers, why don't they ask manufacturers to do our tests? and if they don't ....then we don't test them and claim their frequency response and all their claims are bogus? I thought ASR is doing the work these speaker manufacturers won't do.
 

klatwork

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How do you explain industry-wide support for high end interconnects and power cables, which have been tested repeatedly and found wanting?
the industry make many claims, some truth, some lies...that's why it should be tested.
We can't just say every claim is an industry wide grift because it fits your narrative
 

Doodski

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where have u ppl been....so many speaker manufacturers recommending break in ....it's not some new concept.
i just did a quick search...right on google's first page:
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/usa/en/blog/how-run-speakers
https://www.klipsch.ca/blog/how-and-why-to-break-in-your-new-speakers
https://celestion.com/blog/how-to-break-in-a-guitar-speaker/
https://audioengineusa.com/explore/speaker-setup-break-new-speakers/

that's why i think you ppl ridiculous conspiracy theory that this is an industry wide grift and afraid to do the test to prove such outlandish assumption
If anybody thinks there is a sound difference in 30-100 hours they are dreaming. All the posted break-in periods are about that time frame.
breakin 1.png

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breakin 5.png
 
OP
amirm

amirm

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I don't see scared people anywhere. If you have a speaker that is new/unused then maybe @amirm would be happy to run some pink noise through it and "Break it in" and then test it again so we can see the difference if any. :D It would be a pain in the butt running the speaker for a hundred hours or 2 weeks though. Perhaps @amirm has a root cellar with a tight door to block the sound output.
I could play it face down on the floor or in a box or something.
 

Leiker535

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Does anyone knows if this applies to vinyl cartridges and stylus as well? I've seen even manufacturers claim a new stylus will perform better after 40 odd hours. Is there a physical reason from this?
 

dfuller

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If anybody thinks there is a sound difference in 30-100 hours they are dreaming. All the posted break-in periods are about that time frame.
View attachment 145331
Honestly I've done this before with guitar speakers and compared before and after with a reamped signal and a mic at the same place. The treble did ever so slightly smooth out. But, guitar speakers are kind of an anomaly. They're built like they were in the 1950s and 60s and they weren't exactly high fidelity at the time.
 

LTig

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Does anyone knows if this applies to vinyl cartridges and stylus as well? I've seen even manufacturers claim a new stylus will perform better after 40 odd hours. Is there a physical reason from this?
Could be the rubbers. However I doubt it. When I had my Van den Hul MC One special retipped it got new rubbers as well and on the bill Van den Hul had written that SQ would improve over time. However I did not notice any change at all. SQ was fine from the very first moment on.
 

Rottmannash

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and speaker break-in hasn't been proven to be a lie on speaker models that claims to require them. The test here is basically tested on an aluminum speaker driver whose manufacturer never claimed to require a break in . That's like testing an 8ohm for 4ohm rating and claiming emotiva must be lying because your speakers are tested to work with 8ohm, so that must apply to all speakers...then comes your conspiracy theory that 4ohm Emovita / Magnepan , etc...are trying to dupe you into upgrading your amp. That's how u ppl are wired..


all you ppl need to do is test according to manufacturer recommendation the next time you test a speaker that claims "break in" is required and see if their claim holds... how hard is that? what is the point of me buying a DIY woofer that might or might not require break in to test this

why are ppl so scared to actually prove the speaker manufacturers as lying....lol, if i am so sure Klipsch is lying, I'd be happy to see the tests to prove them wrong. You ppl are twisting yourself into a pretzel trying to talk yourselves out of these tests..lol.
"you people"?? Generalize much?
 

DonH56

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"Because manufacturers' marketing says it is so" is not a valid scientific basis.
 

YSC

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If anybody thinks there is a sound difference in 30-100 hours they are dreaming. All the posted break-in periods are about that time frame.
View attachment 145329
View attachment 145330
View attachment 145331
View attachment 145332
View attachment 145333
well I expect some lower end ones without per unit factory calibration or measurement to be benefiting a bit for initial break in, but for factory calibrated units that initial stretching of spider surrounds are done during the calibration already
 

fragzone

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If break in was real, speaker designers would be designing speakers with a purposefully compromised FR out of box until the stiffness properties change in line with 'break-in', which would allow for the desired FR. There is noway anyone does this lol because the changes in stiffness are so minute as to be immeasurable.
 

Doodski

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stiffness
It is referred to as the modulus of elasticity. The modulus of elasticity rating for various materials can be used when calculating stuff. It's been 36 years since I used that stuff for calculating stuff when I studied technical drafting so don't ask me to explain. :D
 

fragzone

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It is referred to as the modulus of elasticity. The modulus of elasticity rating for various materials can be used when calculating stuff. It's been 36 years since I used that stuff for calculating stuff when I studied technical drafting so don't ask me to explain. :D
It's only been a few years myself but seems like I have already forgotten! Ah yes, good old Young's modulus.
 

YSC

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If break in was real, speaker designers would be designing speakers with a purposefully compromised FR out of box until the stiffness properties change in line with 'break-in', which would allow for the desired FR. There is noway anyone does this lol because the changes in stiffness are so minute as to be immeasurable.
yea, and if initial breakin of an hour or so can change it, the manufacturer will do it in factory to ensure there isn't duds where the change after breakin is all over the place
 
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