Are speakers better after a bit of use? I have a set of Cambridge Audio SX50s that I bought a few weeks back. I got a chance over the last week to drive them a bit. I think now they sound better than they did even at low levels. Am I kidding myself?
Speaker break in?
- Thread starter muljao
- Start date
Infiniteloop
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- Jul 23, 2010
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muljao said:
I think that you're probably not kidding yourself. Usually with new drivers the rubber gasket needs some loosening for the cone to give of its best.
I can remember reading in some HiFi mag years ago that the recommendation when acquiring new speakers was to hammer them for hours with bass heavy music (with one speaker out of phase and facing each other, with a blanket over them to further deaden the din) to break them in sooner.....
nopiano
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- Feb 15, 2009
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...I would have said that some do seem to get more refined or bolder with use. Nowadays, I rather think the far greater effect is you getting used to the speaker.
Louder will always sound more exciting and wider range, due to the ear's natural inaccuracies. See curves of equal loudness or Fletcher Munson for more in this - and fundamental to understand when listening to different items in demonstration.
Louder will always sound more exciting and wider range, due to the ear's natural inaccuracies. See curves of equal loudness or Fletcher Munson for more in this - and fundamental to understand when listening to different items in demonstration.
My previous Totem Arros were supposed to be run in for at least 100hrs - mine were ex-dem so were already. I was given a Dali Kubic Free by WHF - it sounded rather harsh for months before it sounded OK. my current Quadral QS8's were in sealed boxes but sounded gob-smacking from new but didn't sound different after a few months.
It depends! That many speakers do require running in is a lot less controvesial than if electronics needs some.
Added:
I reconnected a pair of Celestion SL6s that had been in storage for over 3 years. They too sounded a little ragged for a couple of hours but sounded fine afterwards.
It depends! That many speakers do require running in is a lot less controvesial than if electronics needs some.
Added:
I reconnected a pair of Celestion SL6s that had been in storage for over 3 years. They too sounded a little ragged for a couple of hours but sounded fine afterwards.
Dont quote me as ive not heard or read Atc saying this but ive heard 150 hours break in.
Ive not noticed any difference in sound right out the box.
Sounded perfect from the go
Ive not noticed any difference in sound right out the box.
Sounded perfect from the go
Andrewjvt said:
Not trying to be difficult , but isn't your Hegel / ATC system dross ? can be far bettered by a £1500 active system , so not perfect from the go, it fact have you not stated to a guy with a £60k system should sell it all and get a £1.5k speaker system?
Just asking
JamesMellor said:
Avi is better yes by about 15% sound quality imo now whats that got to do with my atc running in sound? And can you please enlighten me where ive said it sounds dross? Please dont make up things to prove a point.
If your going to quote then quote in context. Imo someone paying £60 000 for an passive system is wasting money.
They get break in in time. You should notice a bit of a sound change after that. HOWEVER break in time will never change the character of the speaker. If you don't like the sound right out of the box , you will not like it after the break in period either.
If it's perfect out of the box , it's perfect , I guess perfect doesn't mean perfect . Re the 60k , You stated sell it and buy the £1500 pound system
Thanks all, interesting replys.
I did actually like them out of the box, I did even do a review here on them (though I probably, no definetely am not really qualified). I think they are even better now, and if I am wrong I still believe it, so it's a win win
I did actually like them out of the box, I did even do a review here on them (though I probably, no definetely am not really qualified). I think they are even better now, and if I am wrong I still believe it, so it's a win win
JamesMellor said:
Give it a rest. Chasing people with arguments from one thread to another is almost as tiresome as pedantic, pointless semantic arguments about choices of words.
Some speaker will need a break in. Some other don't. In the end, if you play music through them, they will all sound great.
If a manufacturer says "you must play this or those kind of music through, so it will make your speaker better than with that and those music", then, buy good baskets and run. Run as fast as you can.
If a manufacturer says "you must play this or those kind of music through, so it will make your speaker better than with that and those music", then, buy good baskets and run. Run as fast as you can.
All of the speakers I remember owning from new have sounded much, much better after a few days of running in. Now after an initial listen I always put new speakers on at a reasonable level with a Michael Jackson album on repeat, and then leave them alone in my listening room with the music playing for at least two days without listening to them. A lesson learned early on.
Of all the nonsense and old wives tales that appear on this forum, at least the speaker 'running in' argument has some factual basis. The elastomer used as a cone surround may change compliance with usage. Some elastomers do, some don't and I have no idea what louspeaker manufacturers use - so it is tough to be definative.
My own view is that if there are any changes, they are likely to be small and the majority of the running in takes place between the ears of the listener, however it is at least plausible that speakers can be 'run in'.
My own view is that if there are any changes, they are likely to be small and the majority of the running in takes place between the ears of the listener, however it is at least plausible that speakers can be 'run in'.
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