I'm basically on your side on this. My only experience with the phenomenon is the old Fane Crescendo 12" I had to recone: It definitely loosened up and had a much better sound after some play time.
KO
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Breaking in new cabs with "white noise"?
- Thread starter bassrique
- Start date
I'm basically on your side on this. My only experience with the phenomenon is the old Fane Crescendo 12" I had to recone: It definitely loosened up and had a much better sound after some play time.
KO
My own anecdotal evidence points to the need for speaker break-in to achieve full potential. My new PJB Neo 6B just wasn't delivering like I had been lead to believe it could and since I never play anymore above a low volume I thought perhaps it would benefit from a bit of 'stretching'. I hooked it up to my drum machine and ran it at a moderately loud volume for a few hours. Hoo-boy did that make all the difference! A VERY noticeable difference. The bottom end just opened up and lovely bass just began pouring out even at my low volume levels.
And following the meme of break-in I always run my new amps for a few hours before using live. Not that they will sound any better but because if it's going to fail it will likely fail within the first few hours of use. Given my druthers I'd rather it fail at home for obvious reasons.
And following the meme of break-in I always run my new amps for a few hours before using live. Not that they will sound any better but because if it's going to fail it will likely fail within the first few hours of use. Given my druthers I'd rather it fail at home for obvious reasons.
Speaker break-in is real, and here's the proof.
1. Speakers are often used before final purchase and eventual break-in (store demos, prior sale returns, manufacturer testing, etc.). This does not affect final break-in, as performance will improve when the real break-in is done by the final purchaser. Returns reset break-in for any later purchasers.
2. Break-in always changes the sound of a speaker for the better. A customer may like the way a new speaker sounds in a store before performing the break-in protocol, but upon purchase and break-in, the sound of the speaker changes and no longer sounds like it did in the store. This effect is inconsequentail, as the customer who was satisfied with the sound of the speaker in the store (easy to assume, as the customer bought the speaker) now prefers the speaker post break-in as compared to the speaker when it was brand new.
3. High-end manufacturers endorse break-in, because they sell to a price-is-no-object customer base and therefore could very easily perform break-in on all new merchandise before delivery to the final user. Nevertheless, break-in is never perfromed by the manufacturer as a service to the customer, as real break-in can be properly performed under completely uncontrolled conditions determined by each individual user. The end result is always a consistent improvement in the performance of the speaker, and all high-end manufacturers follow this protocol.
There's your proof.
1. Speakers are often used before final purchase and eventual break-in (store demos, prior sale returns, manufacturer testing, etc.). This does not affect final break-in, as performance will improve when the real break-in is done by the final purchaser. Returns reset break-in for any later purchasers.
2. Break-in always changes the sound of a speaker for the better. A customer may like the way a new speaker sounds in a store before performing the break-in protocol, but upon purchase and break-in, the sound of the speaker changes and no longer sounds like it did in the store. This effect is inconsequentail, as the customer who was satisfied with the sound of the speaker in the store (easy to assume, as the customer bought the speaker) now prefers the speaker post break-in as compared to the speaker when it was brand new.
3. High-end manufacturers endorse break-in, because they sell to a price-is-no-object customer base and therefore could very easily perform break-in on all new merchandise before delivery to the final user. Nevertheless, break-in is never perfromed by the manufacturer as a service to the customer, as real break-in can be properly performed under completely uncontrolled conditions determined by each individual user. The end result is always a consistent improvement in the performance of the speaker, and all high-end manufacturers follow this protocol.
There's your proof.
Rick Auricchio
Registered Bass Offender
All my new cabinets get 10 hours of my home stereo playing through them at a reasonable volume before I take them to a gig. I've actually had speakers fail this test (well, once). Had I not done my break-in, I might have thought I had done something to create the damage. That is good to know!
It also allows one to hear the fidelity of the cabinet. Does it sound like a good stereo speaker? Full range? An interesting test!
As well, a break-in period seats the coils a bit better and stretches what can stretch. No question this process is valuable and does get a cab sounding better faster, IMHO.
It also allows one to hear the fidelity of the cabinet. Does it sound like a good stereo speaker? Full range? An interesting test!
As well, a break-in period seats the coils a bit better and stretches what can stretch. No question this process is valuable and does get a cab sounding better faster, IMHO.
Rick Auricchio
Registered Bass Offender
Disco! (Surprisingly, it does have some good thump to do the job.)
A bass cab only needs to reproduce the instrument well, though it is interesting to hear what it sounds like on a full mix.
Speaker break-in is real, and here's the proof.
1. Speakers are often used before final purchase and eventual break-in (store demos, prior sale returns, manufacturer testing, etc.). This does not affect final break-in, as performance will improve when the real break-in is done by the final purchaser. Returns reset break-in for any later purchasers.
2. Break-in always changes the sound of a speaker for the better. A customer may like the way a new speaker sounds in a store before performing the break-in protocol, but upon purchase and break-in, the sound of the speaker changes and no longer sounds like it did in the store. This effect is inconsequentail, as the customer who was satisfied with the sound of the speaker in the store (easy to assume, as the customer bought the speaker) now prefers the speaker post break-in as compared to the speaker when it was brand new.
3. High-end manufacturers endorse break-in, because they sell to a price-is-no-object customer base and therefore could very easily perform break-in on all new merchandise before delivery to the final user. Nevertheless, break-in is never perfromed by the manufacturer as a service to the customer, as real break-in can be properly performed under completely uncontrolled conditions determined by each individual user. The end result is always a consistent improvement in the performance of the speaker, and all high-end manufacturers follow this protocol.
There's your proof.
I am confused.
I see opinions stated as facts, but I do not see any proof of the facts.
Nothing personal, by the way.
If I missed something, please enlighten me.
For the record, I'm guessing that driver surrounds may indeed break in and loosen up over time and possibly this would affect the overall sound of a speaker system enough to be audible.
With regard to your point 2:
What if a particular designer liked a really hefty, boomy low end and used drivers that sounded that way after break in?
I on the other hand like a really solid, tight (non-boomy) low end.
Playing this cabinet in the store before it was broken in, I might assume that this was exactly the kind of cab for me.
Then after however-long-the-break-in-takes the cabinet's true sonic character begins to manifest itself.
At that point I say to myself, "This cab doesn't sound good to me anymore; it's too boomy!"
How can you say that "Break-in always changes the sound of a speaker for the better."?
Changes in tone are always going to be subjective to the person listening to the cab.
At this point I don't know if speakers sound different enough after break in for someone to notice.
It does sound logical, but I have not encountered any proof of such.
Of course, that is just my opinion.
I also think that when we're not used to a particular sound, it sometimes takes some time of listening to become accustomed to the sound -- which if true, could account for different perceptions instead of (or as well as) an actual different sound because of 'break in'.
I'm not trying to start an argument; I'm just adding my personal opinion to the discussion.
Of course, you could tell me you were just joking and then I would feel really stupid for writing all of this.
lo-freq, I am with you on being confused.
I can sense a deeper tone to my Schroeder 1215 now that it is fully broken in.
I can sense a deeper tone to my Schroeder 1215 now that it is fully broken in.
