Breaking in Celestion Neo speakers

AwkwardLoudness · #1 10-15-2010, 08:20 AM

I recently obtained a new Laney Nexus NX810 cab with Celestion Neodymium drivers. For now, they sound brittle and ratty at moderate to loud volumes. Out of curiosity, how much time should I expect to spend pushing loud bass through the cab until the speakers are broken in? Anyone have relevant experience?

billfitzmaurice · #2 10-15-2010, 08:25 AM

Two or three gigs will usually do the job. Beyond that they are what they are.

KJung · #3 10-15-2010, 08:28 AM

+1 While I don't hear much difference with some drivers, the Celestion 15 that I have was really ganky out of the box, and while the voicing of those drivers does seem to be to the midrange in general, it really opened up significantly after a good gig's worth of playing or so... a touch more low end, but more importantly, a bit of softening of the upper mids (which might just have been a function of the low end opening up a smidge).

To the OP... you will know what you have after about 4 hours of hard playing on it IME.

iiipopes · #4 10-15-2010, 08:44 AM

Take your bass cabinet, plug it into one side of a good stereo that can push significant clean wattage, and run the cab for two days' straight on a public radio or classical music station at a level where it doesn't ring your ears, but is just uncomfortable to talk to another person in the same room. The wide range of frequencies an orchestra produces at a moderate volume will provide the necessary breakin for the speakers.

I'm not joking. This exact instruction is in many top-end audiophile owners manuals.

KJung · #5 10-15-2010, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iiipopes

Take your bass cabinet, plug it into one side of a good stereo that can push significant clean wattage, and run the cab for two days' straight on a public radio or classical music station at a level where it doesn't ring your ears, but is just uncomfortable to talk to another person in the same room. The wide range of frequencies an orchestra produces at a moderate volume will provide the necessary breakin for the speakers.

I'm not joking. This exact instruction is in many top-end audiophile owners manuals.

The reason that suggestion is in audiophile owner's manuals is because they are 'stereo' speakers, and that's what you put through them.. programmed music (they wouldn't tell you to play a bass or piano through them for a couple days!).

For bass cabinets, getting the darn thing out on one gig will do the exact same thing. No magic to it

AwkwardLoudness · #6 10-15-2010, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iiipopes

Take your bass cabinet, plug it into one side of a good stereo that can push significant clean wattage, and run the cab for two days' straight on a public radio or classical music station at a level where it doesn't ring your ears, but is just uncomfortable to talk to another person in the same room. The wide range of frequencies an orchestra produces at a moderate volume will provide the necessary breakin for the speakers.

I was thinking about hooking up a CD player to my Hiwatt 400 (with stereo 1/8" inch plug to dual mono converter and 1/8" to 1/4" plug converters) and blasting some Electric Wizard through the rig. I don't mind if it's really loud as I can do this in an old warehouse where no one is bothered.

I know that at least some Celestion guitar speakers are slow to break in...like 80 to 100 hours. I wasn't sure whether or not to expect the same from these 10" bass speakers.

takeout · #7 10-15-2010, 09:01 AM

Loop pedal. Hit "Record", play all over the neck, for as long as the loop will allow. Hit the "Play" switch. Leave.

AwkwardLoudness · #8 10-15-2010, 10:02 AM

Yeah, good call on the loop.

rpsands · #9 10-15-2010, 10:07 AM

I've always broken stuff in with a 30hz sine wave at reasonable volume. Never had an issue.

That said, those Celestion drivers have a gnarly midrange and I doubt you will see much softening in that. Slight maybe.

KramerBassFan · #10 10-15-2010, 10:08 AM

I plug my Ipod or other music player using my Sunn Coliseum 300 and its fine EQ into speakers to break them in. Play Boston, and stuff like that...

Mr. Foxen · #11 10-15-2010, 10:54 AM

A really low frequency sine is probably best bet, ideally with some maths to push the speakers to their excursion limit on the amp output voltage. Really low means move the speakers the full distance with least power by aiming for the frequency where their excursion limited power handling is least, and they'll also make not much audible sound as they are probably super inefficient that low.

AwkwardLoudness · #12 10-15-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpsands

That said, those Celestion drivers have a gnarly midrange and I doubt you will see much softening in that. Slight maybe.

The low frequencies cause buzzing and loss of definition at moderate volume. I've only played through 'em for 20 minutes so far though. I hope this goes away after breaking in. Two speakers were obviously damaged (magnet ripped through the dust cap) during shipping and then replaced. I'm wondering if the others had damage that's less obvious or if it's just the breaking in issue.

KJung · #13 10-15-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwkwardLoudness

The low frequencies cause buzzing and loss of definition at moderate volume. I've only played through 'em for 20 minutes so far though. I hope this goes away after breaking in. Two speakers were obviously damaged (magnet ripped through the dust cap) during shipping and then replaced. I'm wondering if the others had damage that's less obvious or if it's just the breaking in issue.

I don't think 'break-in' is your issue, unfortunately.

somegeezer · #14 10-15-2010, 11:34 AM

I have 2 of the 410 Nexus cabs. Not really sure how long. Maybe about 3 gigs for each cab. I've yet to use both cabs together at a gig. But they seem to have been broken in and working well. They are pretty great speakers for the cost I thought. Running them through a GK 1001RB-II, I can get a great dirty tone. Plenty of grit and whatnot.

"Two speakers were obviously damaged (magnet ripped through the dust cap) during shipping" - I also had this happen on one of my cabs. Simply replaced the speaker.

jokerjkny · #15 10-15-2010, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by takeout

Loop pedal. Hit "Record", play all over the neck, for as long as the loop will allow. Hit the "Play" switch. Leave.

or play an ipod thru it. at least its more fun to listen to... and not as self absorbed...

doing that now w/ a pair of bergs i just bought.

AwkwardLoudness · #16 10-15-2010, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somegeezer

I have 2 of the 410 Nexus cabs. Not really sure how long. Maybe about 3 gigs for each cab. I've yet to use both cabs together at a gig. But they seem to have been broken in and working well. They are pretty great speakers for the cost I thought. Running them through a GK 1001RB-II, I can get a great dirty tone. Plenty of grit and whatnot.

Cool. Has the tone of the speakers improved much since you received the cabs?

I'm gonna punish these speakers this weekend, and listen for improvements afterward.

philtoler · #17 10-15-2010, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJung

I don't think 'break-in' is your issue, unfortunately.

I agree to the extent that "break in" is a barely signifcant issue - an imaginary things - a trick of the mind (and ear).

billfitzmaurice · #18 10-15-2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philtoler

I agree to the extent that "break in" is a barely signifcant issue - an imaginary things - a trick of the mind (and ear).

It's neither a trick nor imaginary nor insignificant. It's a well known fact in both the professional and amateur ranks of loudspeaker designers. If you're not a member of either then your view is understandable, but nonetheless moot.

philtoler · #19 10-15-2010, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

It's neither a trick nor imaginary nor insignificant. It's a well known fact in both the professional and amateur ranks of loudspeaker designers. If you're not a member of either then your view is understandable, but nonetheless moot.

For hi-fi audiophiles I absolutely agree. Playing loud at a live gig - in my opinion - it's never a significant issue.

billfitzmaurice · #20 10-15-2010, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philtoler

For hi-fi audiophiles I absolutely agree. Playing loud at a live gig - in my opinion - it's never a significant issue.

Driver Fs pre- and post- break-in can vary by 20%. I know, because I've measured it, on enough occasions to not even think about running a driver without breaking it in. That's not to say that you must break in a driver before using it, after all, amongst the masses almost no one does. But to say that "break in" is a barely signifcant issue - an imaginary things - a trick of the mind (and ear). is uncalled for and counterproductive.