New speakers and volume level ?

[Johnno2]

I am aware the new speakers should be 'run-in' from new , but what does this actually mean? should you just play them at low to moderate levels for a month or two before any window pane shaking levels. The reason I ask is I have a new pair of MA BX6 and was recently listening to massive attacks unfinshed sympathy at a fairly high level but not overly so, the opening line has a deep almost subsonic bass line which then repeats through the track, I decided to take the grilles off and noticed the 3 drivers where moving alarmingly :O , though there was no distortion , I am thinking the BX6 where relishing being driven this hard, but is this likley to damage drivers that have not been ' broken in', or will this just accelerate the process , bearing in mind I rarely listen to music at ridiloulous levels but i do like to crank it up a bit at times, its just the bass on this track was really moving those cones!

 

[Sizzers]

As long as you don’t drive them to distortion your speakers will be absolutely fine.

Drivers move air which is why they move, particularly the bass driver which can be alarming if you've never seen one before. Don’t worry, just enjoy!

Edit: I’ve only just spotted that the middle part of my reply somehow has somehow disappeared (things do on here!)

Apart from obvious distortion, if the music starts to feel particularly compressed and your ears start to bleed, that’s another sign to turn it down!

 

[Johnno2]

As long as you don’t drive them to distortion your speakers will be absolutely fine.

Drivers move air which is why they move, particularly the bass driver which can be alarming if you've never seen one before. Don’t worry, just enjoy!

Edit: I’ve only just spotted that the middle part of my reply somehow has somehow disappeared (things do on here!)

Apart from obvious distortion, if the music starts to feel particularly compressed and your ears start to bleed, that’s another sign to turn it down!

Of course I am aware drivers need to move to shift air for bass tones, but its this breaking in part that seems odd for speakers, they are not car engines ! The shop were I got them told me to not to drive them too hard for the first few hours of use until the drivers have 'broken in', I was told the speakers would gradually sound better as a result and be less likely to get damaged, still a bit sceptical about breaking in, if anything my new unbroken speakers sound better at home than the demo ones in the shop !!

 

[Phileas]

I think it's just nonsense. It's not unusual for "experts" in specialist shops to repeat old wives tales.

Just play the speakers at your usual volume (assuming this is not excessive!).

 

[Johnno2]

I think it's just nonsense. It's not unusual for "experts" in specialist shops to repeat old wives tales.

Just play the speakers at your usual volume (assuming this is not excessive!).

The shop assistant also said expect to be a little dissapointed at first as metal tweeters and cones take months to sound right . Maybe its so they dont want you to bring them back for exchange if you hate the sound :roll:

So basically you can push new drivers to (almost) maximum exursion without damage , not that its reccommended on a regular basis for a speaker of any age

would be intersting to hear from anyone who did actually hear significant changes as their new speaker aged a little

 

[Phileas]

IMO, you get used to a different sound after a while and things which may bother you at first become less bothersome in time.

Many people (including me at one time) assume the apparent change is down to the speakers, or whatever, physically changing.

I bought an Audiolab power amp a few years ago and the instructions suggested "running in" for a few hours, which I thought a bit silly.

I think it suits manufacturers to, shall we say, "go along" with this idea to reduce the likelihood of returns.

 

[AmigaNut]

Put it this way, a pair of shoes when new are stiff and tight. After wearing for a while they loosen up and flex easier.

Same for speakers the initial stiffness breaks down after some use and they become more pliable.

Simples.

AmgaNut

 

[Phileas]

Put it this way, a pair of shoes when new are stiff and tight. After wearing for a while they loosen up and flex easier.

Same for speakers the initial stiffness breaks down after some use and they become more pliable.

Simples.

Sounds plausible but in practice, run-in occurs very quickly:

http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/speaker-break-in-fact-or-fiction

"Required break in time for the common spider-diaphragm-surround is typically on the order of 10s of seconds [sic] and is a one-off proposition, not requiring repetition. Once broken in, the driver should measure/perform as do its siblings, within usual unit-to-unit parameter tolerances.

Probably the most common approach used by manufacturers who purposely take the time to break in raw drivers is to apply a sine wave signal, at a frequency equivalent to the unit's free air resonance, delivered at amplitude sufficient to thoroughly stretch out the spider, without damaging the unit, of course

An alternate approach referred to in the literature is the use of broad band noise. However, this approach is inefficient when compared to the sine- wave-at-free-air-resonance approach.

Break in, however, isn't necessarily a discrete step, purpose built in to the driver or loudspeaker system manufacture process. Does that mean loudspeaker systems produced by a manufacturer that doesn't break in the drivers require breaking in by the consumer? No, not necessarily.

Quite often, spider break in occurs when the driver is tested, before and/or after placement in the cabinet for which it's intended. Driver testing by signal stimulus at some point (or points) in the manufacturing process - if done at levels sufficient to break in the spider - generally makes further break in unnecessary. Hence, a finished system will not - in so far as its drivers are concerned - require further break in by a consumer once taken home from the dealer."