Members poomwah Posted January 29, 2009 Members Share Posted January 29, 2009 what is the proper procedure for breaking in a new bass driver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members max maroon Posted January 29, 2009 Members Share Posted January 29, 2009 Usually the manufacturer will specify...Mine have usually said 10 hours at low to moderate volume IIRC. Of course I have never done that...the aggie 410 came the day before a gig so it didn't get much before being thrown into the fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted January 29, 2009 Members Share Posted January 29, 2009 Use it? Unless you have a sine wave generator to do it properly, this is largely a moot point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jazz Ad Posted January 29, 2009 Members Share Posted January 29, 2009 Speakers don't need breaking in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rpsands Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 It can't hurt to play them at medium volume a while before you crank them. That's what I've been told, by anyone who believes in it. I've hooked a PA up and ran low volume CDs through a cab before. Works like a charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted January 30, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 There are no wearing parts to break in. The only moving part is the suspension, which flexes, and will not be damaged by any use that's appropriate for the speaker at any other time. It's like saying you shouldn't bend your elbows too much in the first 10 hours of wearing a new long-sleeve shirt. Speaker break-in is just another audiophile wive's tale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted January 30, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 It can't hurt to play them at medium volume a while before you crank them. That's what I've been told, by anyone who believes in it. I've hooked a PA up and ran low volume CDs through a cab before. Works like a charm. It can't hurt to play them at full volume, either. You wouldn't have been told what you were by people who didn't believe in it, would you? Your speakers will still work like a charm without break-in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members groutt Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 ... you shouldn't bend your elbows too much in the first 10 hours of wearing a new long-sleeve shirt. That's just silly. 10 hours? No way. One hour is plenty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members max maroon Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Speaker break-in is just another audiophile wive's tale. I've always had that hunch, that's probably why I've never done it before...I'd read through the manual quick and read 'Break in speakers for 10 hours' and be thinkin... "Ehh, I have have gig(or practice) I'll break em in later":D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Speakers don't need breaking in. Yes they do. Having worked as head of QC for a manufacturer of hand made loudspeakers (not just cabs, but the actual drivers themselves too) I can state with authority that you are incorrect here. The fact is that they don't need more than about 30 seconds however. You need to light them up to make sure they work, that everything is centered and balanced and that the glues are holding on the seams. It can take 30 seconds to listen for defects, then shut it off. That's all, and that is a fact. Note that this was done at the factory, so the end user should never need to do it, but it doesn't change the fact that it does need to be done. And depending on the brand and where it is made, you might just be buying something that has never actually been plugged in, so a low volume test is a good idea if its a cheaper mass made brand of some sort. If what you said were completely true, I know for fact that a few dozen people would have been VERY angry that their $3500 subwoofers didn't work upon delivery. Because over the years I rejected a few dozen drivers for subtle defects that couldn't be heard until pushed at volume for a few seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SunofNothing Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Waiting for the sneaker break in parody thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JacieFB Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 It's like saying you houldn't bend your elbows too much in the first 10 hours of wearing a new long-sleeve shirt. I love this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Yes they do. Having worked as head of QC for a manufacturer of hand made loudspeakers (not just cabs, but the actual drivers themselves too) I can state with authority that you are incorrect here. The fact is that they don't need more than about 30 seconds however. You need to light them up to make sure they work, that everything is centered and balanced and that the glues are holding on the seams. It can take 30 seconds to listen for defects, then shut it off. That's all, and that is a fact. Note that this was done at the factory, so the end user should never need to do it, but it doesn't change the fact that it does need to be done. And depending on the brand and where it is made, you might just be buying something that has never actually been plugged in, so a low volume test is a good idea if its a cheaper mass made brand of some sort. If what you said were completely true, I know for fact that a few dozen people would have been VERY angry that their $3500 subwoofers didn't work upon delivery. Because over the years I rejected a few dozen drivers for subtle defects that couldn't be heard until pushed at volume for a few seconds. So they don't need to be broken in, they need to be tested at the factory. C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted January 30, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Yes they do. Having worked as head of QC for a manufacturer of hand made loudspeakers (not just cabs, but the actual drivers themselves too) I can state with authority that you are incorrect here.The fact is that they don't need more than about 30 seconds however.You need to light them up to make sure they work, that everything is centered and balanced and that the glues are holding on the seams. It can take 30 seconds to listen for defects, then shut it off. That's all, and that is a fact.Note that this was done at the factory, so the end user should never need to do it, but it doesn't change the fact that it does need to be done. And depending on the brand and where it is made, you might just be buying something that has never actually been plugged in, so a low volume test is a good idea if its a cheaper mass made brand of some sort.If what you said were completely true, I know for fact that a few dozen people would have been VERY angry that their $3500 subwoofers didn't work upon delivery. Because over the years I rejected a few dozen drivers for subtle defects that couldn't be heard until pushed at volume for a few seconds. That's really more accurately quality control, or at best "burning in". It's not break-in. Breaking in originates from internal combustion engines needing to seat rings and burnish friction bearing surfaces. If the engine is run at one speed continuously, or at too high an RPM, the vibrational forces will cause bearings to harden out of round and rings to wear rather than seat, respectively. Speakers have no such bearing or wear surfaces. Edit: I have to retract the "burn in" possibility...it really only applies to electronic components, which if defective are extremely likely to fail within the first few minutes/hours of use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ThudMaker Posted January 30, 2009 Moderators Share Posted January 30, 2009 Waiting for the sneaker break in parody thread.Close, but no cigar. At least, not by me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 That's really more accurately quality control, or at best "burning in". It's not break-in. Breaking in originates from internal combustion engines needing to seat rings and burnish friction bearing surfaces. If the engine is run at one speed continuously, or at too high an RPM, the vibrational forces will cause bearings to harden out of round and rings to wear rather than seat, respectively. Speakers have no such bearing or wear surfaces. Edit: I have to retract the "burn in" possibility...it really only applies to electronic components, which if defective are extremely likely to fail within the first few minutes/hours of use. Setting aside the semantics of the name, sorry, but burn in/break in still does need to be done at some point in the speakers life before it sees any use. It should be done in QC, but I bet more than one of the people posting in this very thread own something speaker related that never actually got connected to a source device before it was shipped out for sale. Meaning that your first use of it is this very crucial QC step, whether you knew it or not. I know of at least four different brands that only test random speakers they make, not all. Four that I know for fact, no speculation whatsoever. Who here has made a speaker from scratch with parts they assembled and pressed themselves, with their bare hands? Who here has had to change a brand new driver because it didn't work out of the box? Who here was paid money on an ongoing basis to critical listen to speakers to determine if they were up to standards to be released to the public? Who here has prototyped and designed medium/large format line array speakers, monitors and subwoofers in a professional environment for sale to the masses? ...Award winning speakers that are used the world over and drooled about in all the trade mags. ...Speakers that I wouldn't be surprised if people here like you have probably even mixed on and made comments about how great they work and sound. Naturally, I have no idea what I am talking about, and should be completely ignored as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted January 30, 2009 Moderators Share Posted January 30, 2009 Depending on the stiffness of the suspension, some drivers will require a moderate amount of break in. The very real effects can be measured by the changes in the Thiele Small parameters of the driver itself. In all but the exceptional cases the effects are irrelevant and next to unobservable. In the exceptional cases there can be observable differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Depending on the stiffness of the suspension, some drivers will require a moderate amount of break in. The very real effects can be measured by the changes in the Thiele Small parameters of the driver itself. In all but the exceptional cases the effects are irrelevant and next to unobservable. In the exceptional cases there can be observable differences. You should write scripts for drug commercials. C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AluminumNeck Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Ok Internal combustion break in defined. Break in. It eithers breaks or it stays in. Outside of intial start up lubrication Ring seating is pure bull{censored} mythology. We actually find rings seat better and engines last longer if you just kick the {censored} out of them right away. If the clearances are right then the engine lives. If the parts are deffective improperly sized finished it fials. Pretty simple Eh ?? Speakers aren't any different. Outside of a test drive they either work correctly or they don't. Thats about it. everything else is bull{censored}. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Ok Internal combustion break in defined. Break in. It eithers breaks or it stays in.. If the clearances are right then the engine lives. If the parts are deffective improperly sized finished it fials. Pretty simple Eh ?? Speakers aren't any different. Outside of a test drive they either work correctly or they don't. Thats about it. everything else is bull{censored}. Bingo. A test drive might take a minute, and need the speaker to go to 60 first, but after that short revving, it's good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AluminumNeck Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Dude I take motors right out of assembly shove them on chassis dyno "After install into the vehicle" and beat the crap out of them. Engine fialures to date on engines I build. Zero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roguetitan Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 . In the exceptional cases there can be observable differences. Ya like how much the speaker moves in and out at different volume levels:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roguetitan Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 You should write scripts for drug commercials. C7 or ads for /\//:facepalm: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Dude I take motors right out of assembly shove them on chassis dyno "After install into the vehicle" and beat the crap out of them. Engine fialures to date on engines I build. Zero. And I have a perfect record for assembling and approving speakers for sale that have never had issues on arrival. After being abused by the owners is a different matter entirely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jazz Ad Posted January 30, 2009 Members Share Posted January 30, 2009 Note that this was done at the factory, so the end user should never need to do it, but it doesn't change the fact that it does need to be done.Au contraire mon ami, it changes everything.What you describe is a part of the manufacturing process. Once out of the factory, ie in the hands of the customer, speakers don't need break in.If they did, I guess at least one manufacturer would mention it somewhere. I never saw it on any instruction sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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