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In Reply to: RE: How can we tell posted by genungo on June 04, 2015 at 06:57:45
In theory you could measure a brand new unused model and a 2 year old model and determine the difference - I believe this was done with a B&W and there were measurable differences in the audible spectrum.
The problem of course is that most speakers are not pair matched closely enough nor were both models of the B&W measured out of the box to account for the variance of the speakers (nor was one then kept in the box for two years while the other played). So while there were measurable differences between the two sets you don't know if those differences were there on day one and you can't assume they pair match - B&W 801s were measured by Ken Kessler many years back and found to be +/-2.9dB between a speaker pair so if left speaker at any given frquency is 3dB off the right speaker then what chance do you have comparing another set of B&W 801s? And they're a big company that makes their own drivers - fat chance the companies buying them off the shelf are going to do much better.
I will say this - I had B&W 302s and for the first 10 hours they would often pop like popcorn bag in the microwave. That is by far the most noticeable break in I have ever heard. Only for the first 10 hours or so - then they were perfectly fine for the next 3 years. That model was a paper woofer and soft dome tweeter. I suspect it would be somewhat material dependent.
With my AN's with rubber surrounds Peter Q said there would be no break-in with the rubber surrounds - only with the foam surround models. The AN K back then only came in rubber surrounds. The B&W certainly suggests there could be some to even downright dramatic changes.
What is puzzling is the generalized "30 hours to break in" kind of thing. You would think it would be more about cone movement - so play the loudest dynamic heavy thrash metal really loud for 2 hours would seem to me to "break in" a speaker much faster than Kenny G at 70dB for 50 hours.
Follow Ups:
| What is puzzling is the generalized "30 hours to break in" kind of thing. You would think it would be more about cone movement -Or maybe not.
I think the break-in, e.g. of Magnepan panels, to be more about physical calendar time, and I think that's from equilibrating temperature, diurnial cycles and loosening frame/diaphragm stresses created in manufacturing.
With wood the issue could also include humidity.
Edits: 06/05/15
However long it takes to "break in" a component I don't think that we can completely discount the possibility that, if/when the break in period seems to be running into the hundreds of hours, our ears might be breaking in too.It seems reasonable that the surrounds on speaker drivers might take several minutes or hours to loosen up.
Becoming personally comfortable with the way a pair of speakers sounds - making musical sense out of what we are hearing - might conceivably take hundreds of hours or more. After a few hours of this, however, I'd be hesitant to trust my musical memory.
What might be a reasonable amount of time to allow for "ear break in", if indeed it exists?
Edits: 06/05/15
My experience has been that good speakers/monitors sound good pretty much right out of the box. A good speaker might get a bit better as drivers are broken-in.. Break-in seems IMO to be a psychological remedy that absolutely can be effective depending on the skills of the dealer or manufacturer.
If you listen for 30 minutes in your intended room and are not happy at all but liked the speakers in the showroom, better to start working on room positioning and set-up than wait in discontent for break-in. If still not happy, act happy in front of your spouse and make a plan.
If you've auditioned before buying you should be able to tell if the unit coming out of the box doesn't sound like what you auditioned. Also, for instance, if the bass response isn't right, like too tight, I don't think continued listening will change your mind that you are happy with that response. I can only speak for myself. Or, if you are hearing some harshness in the highs that over hours seemed to decrease and eventually disappear, it had to be break in. You don't listen to harshness for months and suddenly you love harshness.
If your theory held true then we could listen to any system and eventually be happy with it. I've never known that to happen. If something is annoying it remains annoying.
However, I admit there is some ear adjustment. For example, my system is is what I'd say is neutral having a tight controlled bass, and, bass only if it's in the program. My friend has a system where the bass blooms, sort of thick and large. So after visiting him it takes my ears a short time to adjust back to my system which at first seems a bit thin. Then I begin to hear the detail etc. I was missing and acclimate back to my system. But if I had his system no matter how long I had it, I wouldn't suddenly one day be happy with it.
I think there is no question that your ear can get used to the sound of something. Hence you breaking in (or warming up to) what the product offers you. This is why reviewers have stuff for a month. It has the huge advantage of allowing the person to get to know (get used to) the sound the product brings to the table versus his/her own reference speaker that he is very much used to. The new speaker may present horn instruments very much differently - at first the reviewer may not like it but over time gets used to the new version and may or may not like it more.
The alternative is the "listen to 5 speakers for a track or two and decide which one gets editor's choice. Shorter memory issues but kind of knee-jerk appeal as well.
Break in is certainly real on many other things with moving parts. Take shoes - If you have a shoe for a month or two you could probably join a five mile run and be fine - but man I tried that once not thinking with a brand new pair of shoes out of the box and had insane blisters. Agony. I did the same kind of thing 6 months later with the same shoes and had no problem at all. But the thing is still a size 11 brand new or 6 months later.
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