Do Audio Speakers Break-in?

[DanielT]

Break-in/ Burn in and finally burn out. A frustrated DIY who ended his projects with a bang, so to speak? :

 

[Killingbeans]

A lot have been talked for thousands of years, like flat earth….

The idea of a flat Earth was more or less eradicated a couple of millennia ago, making the radical stupidity of the new version way greater.

When the world becomes too complicated for people to handle, they have a tendency to elevate the nonsense in a desperate attempt at bringing things down to their level.

Fairy tales give far less headaches than having to learn stuff.

It also hurts our ego less to go "My speakers changed over time" than "My brain is f¤¤king with me in ways I couldn't imagine".

 

[Mart68]

As with most hi-fi myths it all started with some know-nothing reviewer many years ago who thought he would mention in his review that he let the speakers break-in before starting any 'serious listening'.

It gives the impression, to the uneducated reader, of thoroughness, professionalism, and technical savvy.

It caught on and became the accepted practice to drop into reviews that the equipment (not just speakers) was given time to warm up, break in, settle down and so forth.

Now everything, even nonsense like grounding boxes, needs time to 'bed in'. Regrettably this is just accepted as fact by audiophiles and you read comments like, 'It sounds fantastic I can't wait to hear what it will sound like once I have fifty hours on it!'

Because, of course, it always improves. You even get regular update reports from some users about how it 'sounds now' after 10 hours, 20 hours, 50 hours, 100 hours.

I mean get a life.

It's all very sad but also quite funny.

 

[Fowly]

Interesting interview of Nate from Kali Audio about speaker break-in :

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyRmryrvlxH/

Pretty much tells what we already know here, but it's nice to see more manufacturers being real about this.

 

[jhwalker]

Interesting interview of Nate from Kali Audio about speaker break-in :

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyRmryrvlxH/

Pretty much tells what we already know here, but it's nice to see more manufacturers being real about this.

So what does it say? I don't watch videos :/

 

[Fowly]

So what does it say? I don't watch videos :/

He says that driver break-in can make a difference, but it is so minute that it shouldn't be audible. He also says that he worked at JBL before, and they did power tests where new PA drivers were blasting 140dB SPL for multiple hours, as a stress test to make sure they could withstand the power and heat. Even with that, it made no significant difference. He also adds that everything can age, but newer drivers are using materials that should last even longer that what was used in the past.

His explanation for this myth is both because of the time it takes for the brain to adapt to a new pair of speakers, and also the difference that driver temperature makes. People that measure a new driver at cold temperature, feed a loud white noise for hours, and then measure right after, are just measuring the effect of temperature.

 

[fpitas]

Drivers' parameters do change, and quite measurably...if you're a speaker designer. But the parameters that change tend to cancel once the driver is put in the cabinet. So end users won't see much, even if they do measure.

Some driver manufacturers do a driver burn-in, although mostly for QA reasons.

 

[Purité Audio]

Phil Ward dropped an 8C that broke it.
Keith

 

[jhwalker]

He says that driver break-in can make a difference, but it is so minute that it shouldn't be audible. He also says that he worked at JBL before, and they did power tests where new PA drivers were blasting 140dB SPL for multiple hours, as a stress test to make sure they could withstand the power and heat. Even with that, it made no significant difference. He also adds that everything can age, but newer drivers are using materials that should last even longer that what was used in the past.

His explanation for this myth is both because of the time it takes for the brain to adapt to a new pair of speakers, and also the difference that driver temperature makes. People that measure a new driver at cold temperature, feed a loud white noise for hours, and then measure right after, are just measuring the effect of temperature.

Thank you so much!

 

[OldHvyMec]

His explanation for this myth is both because of the time it takes for the brain to adapt to a new pair of speakers, and also the difference that driver temperature makes. People that measure a new driver at cold temperature, feed a loud white noise for hours, and then measure right after, are just measuring the effect of temperature.

All equipment need to be brought up to operating temperature before turning up the volume. No different than anything else that has moving parts
or is building and dissipating heat. There is a lot of equipment that is made for harsh, quick movements and there is equipment that depends on very
smooth, detailed and precise movement. BOTH require a warm-up to be able to maintain those qualities.

That warm-up period is also what contributed to the equipment's life, LONGTERM.

30 minutes to warm up equipment from preamp tubes to TWO different size voice coils in a single sub driver should be more than enough time to get
consistent performance without deviations. When equipment passes IM (infant mortality), breaks-in, is serviced correctly, those warm-up times decrease
and become more consistent with the environment they are in. Stereo gear and electronics in a room comfortable enough to set in is more that ample
to keep equipment safe from extreme cold start-up issues.

Mid life failures are usually poor AC voltage feeds. The reason for a maintainer and a FAST acting surge suppressor. 105-120vac wasn't uncommon
in my neighborhood in the summer. Low voltage is a killer for a lot of equipment and plugging into a wall receptacle without protection will
insure one thing, little if any LOW voltage protection.

All wood product breath until they are SEALED. That sealing is inside and out. If the speaker breathes through ports, surrounds, leakage and unsealed
surfaces it changes in accordance with what it's breathing and the material that is moving the air. Untreated paper, to woven carbon fiber (shark skin).
Materials prone to absorption will increase the dampening in high humidity areas and if its seasonal it's worse. Where I live, is BAD for ported speakers,
if you're subject to Delta "Tule Fog." The water is brackish and the fog is year round in some places. You will know when you get a set of those speakers
the metal will rust and the wood will swell. I've seen at least 12-15 pairs of great speakers ruined by coastal, misty, foggy, moist conditions like house
boat speakers.

I keep reading about "Myths." Depends where your from. Breaking-in is as real as a person's understanding of what it is.
The slowing down of wear through the reduction of resistance from the components parts (surrounds and spiders), not the environment.

Good example of longer breakin times vs lower break-in times. Nothing is written in stone as far as how long it takes.
THICK Butyl Rubber surrounds vs pleated silks. 50 hours or more vs less than the time to warm up a voice coil, 30 minutes or less.
The question is: is break-in or normal wear happening or is there something else contributing to shorter equipment life and the quality
of that service life for the user?

I like Rolls Royce, while breaking in Rolls leather to my bottom would be a bit of an issue, I could live with it. Good leather gloves, they just
fit one day, just like a glove.

Happy harvest!

Regards

 

[fpitas]

Mid life failures are usually poor AC voltage feeds.

I know a few midlife failures. I'll try connecting them to clean AC!

 

[OldHvyMec]

I know a few midlife failures. I'll try connecting them to clean AC!

It could be the DC part of you life.

 

[Fowly]

I keep reading about "Myths." Depends where your from. Breaking-in is as real as a person's understanding of what it is.
The slowing down of wear through the reduction of resistance from the components parts (surrounds and spiders), not the environment.

I don't think anyone will disagree with what you said, but the "myth" is that breaking-in a speaker is absolutely necessary for them to operate in the way their intended. It's different from a warmup that needs to be done everytime you power on the speakers. This is supposed to be done one time only, and we are yet to see an example of a speaker out from the factory where this process makes a significant difference.

So it isn't a myth because it's not real (it is, it can sometimes be measured), it's a myth because it's inaudible, which was the point of the engineer from Kali/JBL. He also said the same for fresh single drivers, but maybe he just didn't run into one that needs this.

 

[Head_Unit]

Phil Ward dropped an 8C that broke it.
Keith

Did the parameters change?

I will call this a myth because there is no way I will agree that physical changes from playing music or noise or whatever at any sane levels will "break in" the SOUND out of the speakers, and that is really what proponents are saying, that the speakers will "sound different" meaning physically not p

There can absolutely be physical changes, and I've measured them, but unless the woofer design is what I would consider defective the parameter change is small and gradual and then as @fpitas says the cabinet then reduces that effect further. See also
https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/speaker-break-in-fact-or-fiction
and note that the "changes" measured after "break-in" might well be no different than just measuring the unbroken driver day after day after day.

Therefore sorry believers, it's literally all in your head. Which doesn't mean you can't like the speakers more!

 

[Head_Unit]

I know a few midlife failures.

Tell them to buy a new sports car! They'll feel better!

 

[Lsc]

Whether a speaker break-in is a myth or not is a pretty small point and is irrelevant to most folks.

Unlike high end cables that people can potentially spend thousands on with no benefit.

Now if someone is saying a $20k speakers is no better than $2k speakers- that would be a much more beneficial conversation if it were true.

 

[YSC]

Whether a speaker break-in is a myth or not is a pretty small point and is irrelevant to most folks.

Unlike high end cables that people can potentially spend thousands on with no benefit.

Now if someone is saying a $20k speakers is no better than $2k speakers- that would be a much more beneficial conversation if it were true.

hum~ but it could potentially cause the consumer to run the new gear at excessive level for extended time just to "break it it quickly before listen", wastes power, annoy neighbour/wife, and reducing the useful life of components if it was ever a concern.

 

[DonR]

It is worth talking about because subjective reviews (on which some people base buying decisions) often promote this myth claiming permanent alteration in sound after extended periods of listening.

 

[MAB]

Whether a speaker break-in is a myth or not is a pretty small point and is irrelevant to most folks.

Unlike high end cables that people can potentially spend thousands on with no benefit.

Now if someone is saying a $20k speakers is no better than $2k speakers- that would be a much more beneficial conversation if it were true.

I would agree, except lots of YouTube videos show speakers driven to max for extended time. This is wear-out. One of the videos posted earlier in this thread is some believer driving a woofer to maximum excursion for 30 hours, which is wear-out or breakage for no gain. Scanning random forums, I see recommendations for putting speakers face to face and driving them out of phase at full beans to break them in. This is crazy, the waste is blown and worn out drivers, and the tolerance of everyone within earshot! So I do lump speaker break-in in with the mega-wasteful things that audiophiles do.

 

[Lsc]

I would agree, except lots of YouTube videos show speakers driven to max for extended time. This is wear-out. One of the videos posted earlier in this thread is some believer driving a woofer to maximum excursion for 30 hours, which is wear-out or breakage for no gain. Scanning random forums, I see recommendations for putting speakers face to face and driving them out of phase at full beans to break them in. This is crazy, the waste is blown and worn out drivers, and the tolerance of everyone within earshot! So I do lump speaker break-in in with the mega-wasteful things that audiophiles do.

You are right…that would be stupid. No one ever said breaking in speakers is to play at full volume. For those people, there is no hope and it’s most likely an edge case. But for the rest of the normal people, I still stand by that speaker break-in is a non-factor. Folks will buy speakers based on the sound they hear, not based on how well it breaks-in.

There are those retailers- almost all - who say listen to how good these speakers sound and they are not even broken in yet etc etc lol.

I’m just trying to stop the gospel according to speaker break-in is a myth crusade because it doesn’t buy much. The best is when someone buys speakers used but still needed to be broken using their amps since that combo wasn’t used before hehehe.