Burning in speakers

[@tomscott4438]

"still sounded a little horny". Don't ever change Paul.

[@andreas7278]

I love that honesty of "they don't even sound close to a real instrument". Also, I couldn't agree more with the "adjusting". You adjust the volume, stop listening to certain tracks etc etc ... there are for example tracks which I love (high quality master record ones, just to make that clear), love them on my headphones but not my speakers ... which shine on other things though. It depends a lot on the construction and what that company tried to achieve. I am talking about pretty pricey components here though and I have heard quite a few setups already, it always amazes me how different they all are.

[@ToadStool942]

Good points all around, Paul. For the record, there are 3 types of "maturing"; burn-in, break-in, and settle-in. Burn-in for all electrical signal processing. Break-in for all mechanical processing, and settling-in for all physical items. Every speaker goes thru an electrical, mechanical, and settling-in phase. Even if one chooses the grossly inferior isolation methodology, there is still a mechanical settling-in phase because NOTHING is ever truly "isolated". Therefore, I propose ceasing to use the word "isolation" and henceforth use the term "less-coupled". As in coupled and inferior-coupled aka less-coupled. :)

[@camo7048]

Learnt about burn in after building my first speaker set, at first didn't like them thought they were too bright and almost tinny. After a month or so of casual use I made another set with the same drivers and realized the difference between the 2 sets, its amazing how big the difference is! Original set sounded so much warmer and natural, just all round better, where as the new set sounded bright and tinny again.

[@jazzhd1]

"Aint no perfect speaker, not even close" That's permission to be satisfied with what you already have

[@TheThatoneguy12121]

Couldn't agree more. I have a pair of Onkyo Model-8's from around 1976 and I love em to death. They work for me and love how they sound, nothing fancy or expensive even from back then, I think it was their budget speaker at like 80.00.

[@BrianSu]

I’ve had 3 sets of B&W speakers so far. The instruction manuals clearly state they will sound better after breaking in. Someone who claims to once work as an engineer at B&W told me the woofer cones have resins that need to be broken before they can move freely without resistance.

[@brunolamarche100]

such an elaborate exhaustive explanation. Now I understand.

[@VOLKOV9]

would love to hear Chris's take on burn-in

[@janinapalmer8368]

You'd need to understand Young's modulus of elasticity first lol 😂😂

[@nickburak7518]

@@janinapalmer8368 Hmmm. Good point. Tension and compression. I like this. 😉

[@janinapalmer8368]

What a GOOD answer !! So true ...

[@OscarSanchez-tk3hx]

I'm a Klipsch fan when I bought my 8000 rf back on November 2000 the first time I played them with my Sumo Andromeda amplifier my 15 yr old Son told me they sound horrible. After all this time up to now with some twikin And repositioning my Boy agreed they sound so good with any kind of music.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

Your "boy" is now 36 yo, so I'd assume after 21 years, his listening tastes have mellowed.

[@OscarSanchez-tk3hx]

Mess up man I mean 2020

[@NikolaosTsarmpopoulos]

The most honest and informative coverage of this topic. Thank you!

[@kellygrant4964]

I auditioned a lot of speakers back in the day. Picked my Medowlark Kestrels because they were (to me) to most true to the source. What you played is what you would get. The imaging is fantastic. Many others I just hated right away. I trusted my ears and if I immediately didn't like them... or if I thought they were the best immediately I didn't choose them. After months of listening I ended up with those Medowlarks. I know I made the right choice (for me) because I still have them after 20+ years and have no want for another brand. Well if I come across one of their higher end ones I will jump and get them for sure.

[@aussie_philosopher8079]

This is potentially the greatest question to ask, one that always seems be be avoided in forums.

[@Oystein87]

Avoided? Nah.. Some bad forums maybe🤷‍♂️ Break-in is by experience and logic absolutely a thing. And makes sense since it is moving parts and ALL moving parts have a break-in period.

[@BC-fy1wn]

To properly burn in my speakers ,I use an Acetylene torch with a large heating bud.Usually only takes about 15 minutes.Be carful use proper safety gear and never ever try it in the house.I find anything sold by Sound United ,sounds much improved with this break-in period.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

After the burn-in, immediately throw them into a swimming pool full of cold water and the drivers and cabinets will temper.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

It's the same with a typical mother-in-law. At first, they're shrill, but after a while they warm up to you, especially if they're financially secure ;-)

[@tms372]

Too funny. 😄

[@Mark-lq3sb]

Did I hear Paul say "there are exceptions" when it comes to horns. Once again, I almost fell out of my Barcalounger, LOL! 🤣 This from the man that swears against horns.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

He said "Horny" huh huh. On a slightly less sophomoric note horns are fun but there are times when ya just wanna curl up to a nice soft dome.

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

I have heard a few horns that I find close to music, but they are quite modified by digital means. Of course, I haven't heard everything so maybe out there something exists.....

[@Mark-lq3sb]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio Sir, I enjoyed your video, open, honest and truthful. Paul, I'm glad you keep somewhat of a open mind when it comes to audio.

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

When you look at a op amp symbol on a schematic you'll notice that it never says the + and - input. That's because we know there IS and it's assumed. Why is it when anybody has a conversation with you people, you need ti hear the obvious every damn time. A video with him saying there are exceptions to every damn thing because of people like you would make for a boring video. It reminds me of people that say "NOT ALL" when referring to a group. I know Paul has says her doesn't really like horns, and I have never heard him say he likes horns, so what is your point?

[@falcon048]

When I was first selling high end stereo equipment back in the early 90s, we were visited and trained by many representatives such as JBL and BOSE, Denon and Harmon Kardon and even DCM and Advent. Of course each rep was going to push some magic singularity that made their speaker or sound system the best over all others. They'd throw specs around like Speaker Sensitivity, Time Balanced Cross-Overs, Wattage, Amperage, titanium voice coils, and even "Look, our speaker cabinets are made from REAL solid wood and not particle board!" Then they'd demo with their favorite tracks to show off the speaker quality. Among ALL the vendors, there was one constant theme they'd all preach. "The entire point of building a high-end sound system is to try to come as close to live music as possible." When you're on the sales floor, none of those buzz-words and propagandized specs they taught you help. Oddly enough, none of them spoke of speaker burn-in. I didn't learn any of that until many decades later with headphones and found it to be a real phenomenon. After over 30 years, I have discovered a solid truth. Speakers are a reflection of everything that comes before it. Starting with your house's power, to the outlet, to a power strip or power cleanser, to a receiver, pre-amp, amp, CD player, DAC, music streamer, vinyl record player, tape deck, then finally out to the speaker. If you change the quality of any of the components in that chain, you will alter how your speakers sound. My DCM Timeframe 600s have been connected to 15 different rooms, 6 different amplifiers, and has had multitudes of different speaker wire, interconnects, media players, electrical strips and power cleaners. Those speakers have performed differently under every single configuration. So consider that even if you've gotten used to the sound of your speaker, it can be improved or worsened by any additional or new equipment in the chain.

[@falcon048]

@Ura Koren Because humans always escalate behaviors. You crave more, especially if you think you can squeeze more out of your system and fall in love again. :)

[@richardt3371]

Starting with the receiver yes - starting with the house's power - god, not that load of old toot again. I'm going to preface that by saying, a load of old toot for the UK: maybe in the US your power supply is flaky enough to affect how your system sounds, but in the UK, absolute balderdash. The only people to ever, ever think it makes a difference are hi-fi enthusiasts, and they are wrong. Ask any electrician if your assertion that power can be "dirty" and they'll laugh you out of the room. My father - a technical researcher, an electrician with over 50 years' experience and a patent-holding designer - gave me his best Paddington stare when, a few years ago, I asked him if he'd help out installing a dedicated, separate power supply for the hi-fi equipment in my house. He then proceeded to spend an afternoon testing all the electrical circuits in my house, showing that the idea of "dirty" or "contaminated" electricity was demonstrably untrue. Maybe it's a 110V, supply to the house issue in the US, but here in the UK power to the house is clean, power within the house is clean, power conditioners/power cleansers are absolutely surplus to requirements.

[@skip1835]

As a decades user of Maggies - beginning back with the IIIa's which I believe was somewhere in the early/middle 80's - - when I set up a new set (directly out of the packing boxes) of my current 3.7i's I was not pleased, wondered if I hadn't made a mistake - - my dealer warned me that at least 200 hours was needed - - well, ya know the story, and I've been around the block enough to know it wasn't me adjusting to those terrible new panels - with each passing day there was noticeable improvement (left them running 24/7) - - definitely a break in period required for the Magnepans, in my opinion, well worth waiting for.

[@Haydarpasa12]

Paul, You are a briliant guy. So nice to watch your videos. You are so natural in the way you explain things so clearly.Thumbs up.

[@sudd3660]

just an addition to "our ears adjust": if the speaker has a harsh or bright sound, it is only go the get on your nerves more. and that is the most common type of effect of a new speaker. i never had an uncomfortable sound i got used to over time.

[@sebastianpolcyn6358]

I've bought a Grado PS500 headphone a while ago and still had my old SR80, so I decided to test whether burn-in is a thing by directly comparing. In this case at least, the PS500 changed quite dramatically over the course of ~65hrs, and it was definitely not me adjusting as I basically tracked the change against the SR80. Also, I'm currently getting my feet wet in DIY speaker building and can tell you that burn-in can easily be measured. After a 48h burn-in period, the free air resonance of some Dayton Audio 4"-woofers I bought for my first project went down from ~70Hz to ~55Hz - about 20%, which is rather a lot, I think. Some argue that since QTS goes down along with it, the bass response remains the same. This is true as long as your target Q is significantly higher than the QTS of the driver - if they are close, the box size requirement will skyrocket for the fresh driver vs a burnt-in one. Thirdly, the lowering of the free air resonance means that the suspension becomes a good deal more compliant, and no one can tell me with a straight face that this won't affect the way the driver sounds, even given a similar frequency response.

[@geoff37s38]

It is possible long throw drivers such as woofers may loosen up after a while and the resonant frequency may lower slightly. This may or may not be audible but effect will not be huge. ESL’s are a different matter. The conductive coating on the diaphragm takes some time to cure and treble becomes smoother and bass response lowers after several hours.

[@kdomster9141]

Woofers may need to breakin mechanically but caps in crossover go thru forming ....these have biggest breakin / burnin period affecting the sound . Just play them at moderate or low levels and I would say give them up to 100hrs before critical listening. After the breakin period, speakers will sound cleaner, have better resolution and specially when driven harder almost as if distortion level was lower 😉

[@DavidKowalski]

I have found that some speakers take longer to burn in satisfactorily than do others. The most extreme example I have experienced in this regard was with Monitor Audio speakers. I worked at a store that started selling them and all of the salesmen at first thought they were a bit too bright. After about six months of use on the floor, everyone agreed they sounded smoother and warmer. I do not think this was due to our adjustment to the speakers since we never had that kind of extreme experience with other brands.

[@10nut]

Wow, what you just said is incredible for me because I understand more about this variable. I didn't realized that I am the biggest variable. Thank you!

[@titntin5178]

Thanks for your thoughts and wisdom . I recently bought some new speakers and it certainly did take some time for them to burn in, i never considered how much psychological adjustments I was making myself.

[@tomislavgasparic8100]

Great episode👍👍👍👍

[@freone111]

I have installed many focal berylliums. It takes about a 100 hours before they start settling down. Their beautiful sounding when their broken in.

[@Roof_Pizza]

Some manufacturers burn in their gear for you. I understand Bryston burns in their amps for 100 hours at the factory. Speakers have got to be similar if not 'worse'.

[@homeboi808]

The impedance of a woofer does change after burn-in. However, frequency response not so much. Speakers do have a “warm-up” though in that they change response after being played loudly for a while, though these usually aren’t for the better.

[@KnowName33]

I've seen the FS of a subwoofer go from 40 all the way down to 30hz so...

[@Channel-cm7yc]

It’s all a recreation of sorts and there’s no substitute for the real thing good or bad. Even though we all try at home and well it to be honest, it comes up way short no matter how good we think it is. It doesn’t mean designers aka engineers and listeners alike don’t strive for the evangelical light of audio 🤪 reproduction in the achievement of rabid rapture & euphoria in our own living rooms. I don’t know if we will ever see IT, but that’s why I love this hobby, because it presents that kind challenge and I hope one day that we all just might get to hear it at home. Have fun with this hobby folks because if it wasn’t for the enjoyment that music brings, none of us be here engaging in what this should about and that is playing back recorded music to perfection at any level of cost. Thank you Paul for your time. I get a kick out of your energy & kindness because you’ve devoted your life to this quest and passion to try and solve the all elusive mystery in sound reproduction and like so many of your peers in the business share as well. it makes all this so much fun and very very enjoyable! 👍👍

[@monosurge]

To simplify break-in as it applies in a technical sense: Your drivers suspension affects t/s parameters. Because it will only be virgin for a short while and relaxed for the rest of it’s Iife it’s sensible to model the enclosure for it using t/s parameters of a relaxed suspension. This is why they sound best after break-in. Hope that helps some folks.

[@cubinn149]

Yes speaker burnin is real now some people say they cant get the perfect sound im a middle age man i got my hearing tested i lost the lower mids and the top end about upto 13.5khz i can hear may i suggest a really good pair of hearing aids the technology has advanced alot and what a difference having the high end hearing aids and they also improve spacial hearing the speakers sound like from 25 years ago

[@fernandozegarraaudio8144]

AHA! Paul. Perhaps that is the answer to the fact that for years to which I considered that my brain (and everyone's) ended up equalizing the room-equipment binomial. After a while it is very difficult to find differences. Something similar happens when one adjusts, configures or calibrates the TVs, at first the colors are easy to distinguish, but once the rods of the eyes become saturated and tired, it is difficult to see differences, one has to withdraw to see the window , neutral things and then move on. I once understood it as other senses one requires to smell coffee when it saturates the smell by smelling so many different perfumes. Or in the case of wine, drink water.

[@billd9667]

Don’t forget the spider break-in, Paul. It think that’s the most significant factor

[@bryang9290]

Speakers get what I call the green off of them in sometimes a few hours of listening to, but then there’s some more breaking in they do over a few weeks depending on the speaker

[@Oystein87]

Og course it affects the sound when they are more stiff. It kinda answers itself. That's why bass, mids and highs often gets alot better after a few hours when they loosen up a bit. In general I mostly notice the biggest difference in the bass/low mids since they move more. But also tweeters and mids can get less harsh etc.

[@davidfromamerica1871]

Does this mean Speaker reviewers on KZbin have been for years giving a false representation of speaker audio reviews. ??

[@protestthisyouloser1093]

That’s my question 🙋

[@Laz_Arus]

What amuses me, is that those that advocate running in speakers (and electronics) for an extended length of time, always conclude they sound better after the period. Why never worse? The human mind ... that's why!

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

Just like an engine runs better after warming up. The reason is when there not warmed up it's kinda hard to get more not warmed up

[@michaelgaddy8271]

I can say this, my Paradigm Persona 5f's needed some time on them, and now they sound kickass. But burning in electronics I'm not sure about. I've never burned in a microwave! Had one that made my teeth itch if the door wasn't shut good! Kickass

[@wadimek116]

@@ranbymonkeys2384 The difference is in engine parts are super tightly fit and need to move through not perfect match which is the "burn in" in cars. In terms of speaker driver I don't see what should change. Magness will pull the voicoil with the same strenght. Voicecoil wont magically move more than before with the same power. Speaker spider and rubber suspension shouldn't change at all because imagine your speaker strech and being lose after a month or a year of playing. Also rubber doesn't stretch like that.

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

@@wadimek116 So your shoes don't change? Some of the same materials. GLUE, RUBBER, CAPACITORS all change with time. Anything that MOVES changes.

[@wadimek116]

@@ranbymonkeys2384 "Anything that moves change" Im surprised anything you touch still works then. Why would companies use rubber that changes over time over the one that doesn't. Car tires work from being brand new and only deteriorate. Shoes take a lot of weight 60-100kg with lots of stress from walking. Speaker cones on the other hand don't require to substain 100kg of force. It would ruin even 24" subwoofer cone if you would sit on it. Why drivers would specially use a rubber that streches with time over the one that doesn't? Also spider stays the same entire time. Speakers are passive devices that will work always depending on current that goes through it.

[@joeystalloney5109]

PAPER SURROUNDS! Some drivers have them, and they definitely change (loosen) as they break in. This mainly affects lower freqs.

[@bluesfish55m51]

Would be helpful to stop confusing break in with burn in. Break in is (typically) mechanically wearing into nominal motion. Think catchers mit or new blue jeans. Many speaker in deed have to physically break in. Burn in is to pre stress electronic circuits by energizing them at relatively hi temp over time to expose marginal components inducing them to fail. Similar but different goals.

Thank you for the video and explanations about burn in.

[@jbrio77]

From my experience, sometime casually after 100 hr of use with 4 x RP600m, 1x RP504C and 4 x RP500sa, I unexpectedly was surprised and noticed the magic.

[@lwdp74]

I’ve never been able to burn my ears into compensating for “hardness” in the upper midrange.

[@andreassouth1523]

That's true.I have focal in my car (6 years) and i suffer from shrill upper midrange and treble.

[@OsborneCox.69.420]

i never noticed a difference in sound after getting a new pair of speakers until i bought the Elac Uni-Fi UB52’s. i was immediately disappointed after hooking them up for the first time and almost returned them after a couple of days. for good measure i played music on a very low volume for over a week and all of the sudden they sounded COMPLETELY different.

[@NoEgg4u]

Paul, I find your videos to be unsettling... at least for the first few seconds. Then I adjust to them, and watch till the end.

[@goldeneggduck]

Burn in with frequency sweeps are best. Break it up, 200 and below and 200 to say 4000 and 4k to 22k. you may need different volume levels for each. Don't use square waves.

[@nickburak7518]

It's true. We also adjust.

[@scottyo64]

Most speakers don't take long at all but my Maggies took some time.

[@richardt3371]

Speaker burn in is typically done within the first 48-72 hours - it's no big deal, and it's one of the reasons why I go to a hi-fi store to audition speakers rather than listen to them the first time at home - they've had the burn-in done for you so you get a decent idea of their sound straight away. It's the same as a new car - give it a few hundred miles before you open it up, let everything bed in. The only downside of speakers needing time to run-in (stretching their spider fabric, clearing their diaphragms if you will) is that you have to wait a couple of days after unboxing before you can get to listen to your new toys!

[@Evil_Peter]

I don't think burn-in is so important that it can come close to matching hearing the speakers in your room, so new speakers in your room will be much closer to your end result than burned-in speakers in a store (although when you borrow gear to test at home you often get their burned-in demo pairs anyway). To me the point of auditioning speakers at a store isn't about burn-in but just that it's far more convenient to listen to a bunch of ones there, compared to borrowing a larger number of speakers to your house and setting them up there.

[@richardt3371]

@@Evil_Peter I don't disagree - though my point is that listening to multiple speakers in a showroom, all of which have been burned in, gives you a better indicator of which speakers you'll then want to audition at home. It's about getting a representative first impression prior to showcasing a few at home.

[@zulumax1]

Crossovers have to break in too. Well, not the coils or inductors, but the capacitors need to form as the electromagnetic induction of operating changes the dielectric inside the capacitor until it reaches an equilibrium. Older speakers which have not been played in years need to reform the capacitors as the formed state has gone back to a neutral or null state as well. Vintage speakers may need the capacitors changed due to increase in series resistance due to drying out of the capacitor.and may past their useful life cycle.

[@rabarebra]

Exactly. This is why you should not play black metal music to burn in your crossovers. What a bunch of nonsense BS you are coming with. 😂

[@dadobsme]

i had more then a few new speakers and they all needed burning in. some change a little, some change a lot. got new budget fyne f301s 3 days ago for my 3rd set-up and they were literaly beaming at me the first day. imaging and soundstage was complete mess. awful experience. 3 days later (some 15-20 hours of playing music) beaming completely disapered and soundstage improved A LOT. also, there was a lack of bass the 1st day, now it poped up. i hope it will continue improving cause its a nice little speaker that i want to keep cause it looks very nice.

[@banzobeans]

What does beaming mean?

[@andreasmoller9798]

Burn in is very real on speakers, and the burn in time will depend on the speakers, i bought b&w 702 s2 a month ago and they almost took 100 hours to burn in,

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗 THANKS FOR SHARING …I AM HAPPY TO SEE SO MANY UTUBE VIDEOS OF AUDIOPHILES RECOGNIZING ….many admitting for the first time that their is a break -in 🤔 For the sake those new to the hobby😍😍😍

[@marcse7en]

My British made Mordaunt Short Pageant speakers from 1979 are well burned in / broken in! 👍😂 42 years old and still sound as sweet as a nut, and always have! Continuing on the theme of adjusting to a new sound system, I bought s new TV. It has a lot of different sounds modes and an equaliser. Most modes sound terrible! I settled on Theatre mode, with the bass and mid-range boosted in the equaliser, using my ear for 'good sound.' My TV now sounds great! Or did I just adjust?

[@HareDeLune]

Happy birthday, Paul! : D

[@cletusrobinson]

Well said!

[@TheRealWindlePoons]

I like and would have Quad electrostatics if my room were three times bigger. I know you are not a horn fan but Lowther speakers are infamous for taking a long time to break in. I compared my current Lowther drivers with the surviving driver from my previous pair and there was no doubt the new ones had a thin shrill sound in comparison. It took a good six months for them to break in. That was about ten years ago and they now sound much more balanced. (I do listen to other brands and designs too but Lowthers are my personal favourites.)

[@sudd3660]

recently got my new speakers, all new setup so might be even great effect for me. manufacturer said 50 hour burn in. and sure enough many hours later the top end was not so sharp any more. but it really takes some power to do so, i had to find a good pink noise that hit the tweeter with the lowest it played and leave my speaker playing at rather high volume for hours each time i left the house. weeks later it had an effect :)

[@D1N02]

Speakers probably need burn in again when they have been stored for some time. Room temperature could be a factor as well.

[@samuelsalins8309]

🔉👍

[@homerjones3291]

I was not a believer in substantial burn-in (just a prejudice of mine, didn’t make sense to me), but I got a pair of Buchardt s400’s and it took about 150 hours, I forget now, maybe not so much - until I noticed a change in them - they seemed more coherent somehow and settled down into their current state. I was not looking for nor waiting for them to do this, so I was surprised. I had the same experience with a Hana phono cartridge - around 50 hours. I had previously listened to and then returned equipment after a couple of days, which I now realize that I might have been premature in my judgement of them. But, big but, if a piece of equipment rubs you the wrong way you might tolerate it but it will annoy you from time to time and you will be looking elsewhere eventually. That happened with my KEF LS50’s and out they went - ear fatigue.

[@Individual_two]

I use a pair of Focal CMS 65's in my studio as my main near-field monitors. As I recall, they "broke in" over the course of about 20 hours of use, which delivered equal parts (subtle) sound improvement, as well as me getting used to hearing something different than my long-used Yamaha NS-10's. Overall, the Focal's have been the best near-fields I've used to reveal both flaws in the mix and my adjustments to fix them. Too bad they don't make them anymore...

[@rabarebra]

How could you ever notice going from 19 hours and 59 minutes, and over to the 20 hours mark? 😂 BS and snake-oil assumptions as usual.

[@warpacademy]

Hey Paul. Thanks for the video. At 2:07, can you elaborate on why you believe it to be true that speakers change in sound over time? I would assume you've done some type of well controlled frequency response acoustic testing in an anechoic chamber to determine this? That's a substantial claim to be making saying there is a "huge difference". What is exactly does huge mean? Can you give specifics? And what type of speakers are you talking about? Have you noticed any differences in response changes with different designs, price points, and quality of construction? I say this because Neumann has done extensive testing on their products after long term use. Thousands of hours. And they've stated clearly that the speakers do not deviate substantially from original factory specification over long term use and that burn in is not needed. 0.5 dB change.

[@rayhunter7371]

I've experienced the burn-in effect. Also after I had the cracked surrounds replaced on my current speakers. But there were some speakers I purchased I could not hear any burn-in, some Wharfedale 200 series speakers for my HT. Maybe Wharfedale already did it.

[@theresalong6573]

tjat is 1 awesome video and xplain on it thanks 4 all the info and your knowledge, shareing

[@TheNLHAZE]

Hi Paul as usual you answer a question is the glass half-full or half-empty have a good day my friend and as always you remind me of my grandfather with Alzheimer's thanks and bye-bye😂😂🤣🤣

[@rabarebra]

4:41 "Still sounded a little horny, but..." 😂

[@BlueMax333]

Any views on the benefits of using these? Burn In CDs: Densen Audio Technologies - Densen DeMagic Sheffield Labs : XLO Test & Burn-in CD Sheffield Labs : MDMS : System Conditioning and Degaussing Stereophile's Special Burn-In Noise

[@eazyryder1591]

Initially, Home Demoing. I found Focal to be exciting and crystal clear. That was short lived and after almost a week I could no longer bear the horribly constant sibilance from the metal dome tweeter and the weak bass definition and reproduction. I found the focal sound to be shouty, obnoxious and unrefined. My ears most definitely did NOT adapt and the longer I listened the more I disliked them.

[@protestthisyouloser1093]

Got some klipsch towers! Sound never sounded so sound

[@bf0189]

Is there such thing as the opposite where the drivers start to not sound good after thousands and thousands of hours of use? I'm sure all that oscillating can definitely change the tolerance after a long time

[@D1N02]

Surrounds can deteriorate. Sometime they just crumble bit they can also get stiff making it at harder to get a bass response.

[@laurentzduba1298]

Back in the 1990s, I've heard stories of Rogers LS3/5a taking as long as 5 years to fully break in. I've also heard stories that when bought new, these loudspeakers will also break in faster if you play well recorded death metal music through them on a regular basis.

[@9mmmike642]

Play Black Metal by Venom, over and over!

[@laurentzduba1298]

@@9mmmike642 also, if you have an audiobuddy who plays drums for a death metal band, loan your brand new unbroken-in system to him or her. I guatantee that it would be broken in in no time and you will be praised for your generous nature.

[@paulgyro]

I suggest everyone go watch Andrew Jones discussion on this topic. Hint: speakers need to warm up not be broken in. Everytime they play. Consider how can one design a speaker if it's going to sound different through it's life cycle?

[@rabarebra]

Because Paul has no clue of what he's talking about. Dumb old snake oil manufacturer.

[@bwoutrage21]

Agree, very well said

[@lightningwaves5436]

But horns are much more efficient at producing realistic sound. That is why most commercial cinemas, live venues etc use horn loaded speakers. Horns. Your ears are horn shaped as well.

[@user-od9iz9cv1w]

Great insight.

[@barneyjones5174]

You can eliminate the "adjusting to the speakers" by doing the break-in period without listening to the speakers. Once the recommended number of hours are on the speakers, settle in and evaluate. If you don't like what you're hearing then you know they are not the right speakers for you.

[@alejoniux]

Greetings from Havana, Cuba. Thank for the videos, it is making a big difference in my understanding of sound systems. Thanks again!

[@TOLIN1313]

@Ura Koren Unless he is part of the goverment

[@alejoniux]

Ura Koren it is always fun to see how misinformation is still going on about Cuba. No Im not a government official and I’m texting this on my mobile phone , from home, like anyone else. Please, find a different source of news, we are no longer living in the Cold War.

[@cubinn149]

I cant understand how we cant get sound perfect anymore when in the 90s you can get such nice sounding stereo systems however i was a teenager in 90s my hearing was near perfect must be the hearing lol

[@bigcity2085]

I just got some brand new in the box Pinnacle AC-650's....from around the year 2000(they stopped making them in 2003,and Pinnacle is no longer.)I am breaking them in slowly after being temperature acclimatized.They were well known 250 watt 6 1/2 " two ways in their hey day. My fifth pair of varying Pinnacle models....and hopefully my last.(subsequently my ears don't need breaking in....just some tinnitus removal.)I think after sitting 20 years,....common sense says, yes, they need some tender break -in,....eh?

[@ihatesnickersTSD]

If it made that big of a difference they would perform that EXTREMELY CRUCIAL part of a products quality and life span, directly at the factory. They would not leave it up to the customer to mess it up.

[@danieljones8587]

LOL, burn this in! If your speakers don't sound good from the start, then they might improve just a little bit. They will never sound like the Aspen Series. So plunk down some dough for good speakers. 😅

[@621jihoonkim]

if we burn in amplifier with steaming, is it going to have negative impact to the amplifier?

[@robh9079]

No.1 contender for break in I would think would have to be 'pro' drivers (like eminence/fatal) with their heavy paper concertina surrounds - Tekton uses these. N.B. 'Pop piano' rarely sounds like a piano - typically bright and compressed.

[@MichelLinschoten]

Just use them as intended and burning in happens one way or the other. If that's even a thing I leave that in the middle.

[@larrywe3320]

If it physically moves... It needs breaking/burning in

[@rallealyt]

Why not analyse the sound (extra sensitive mic or something similar) before and after "burning in". See if there's a difference. If there is, then we can try to figure out if it's enough to make a difference. But maybe there isn't..

[@branislavokon5009]

I think the physical properties of cone suspension materials do influence the sound and may change over time as they are exposed to mechanical stress but the question is to what extent and how long it takes to settle. A few cycles? Minutes? Hours? Anyway, this debate will never stop because there will always be someone who says you can't measure everything. It's like a religion. They want to believe there's something magical going on with music reproduction that cannot be described by measurements.

[@analoghardwaretops3976]

The mic. also gets " the burn in" treatment..so what's finally picked up.. is anybody's guess...

[@botzer8817]

@@branislavokon5009 You look more religious than the burn in believers. How do you measure soundstage, imaging objectively?

[@johnholmes912]

it's yer ears that get broken in

[@sd5458]

Trying to tell me at the factory they're not testing / breaking these in much like an engine motor? Every single engine every made is compression tested and ran under load before selling to the consumer. So that is to say this isn't done in the speaker world?

[@snailswrath]

From what I understand, most equipment does gets tested but only enough to ensure the product works as intended. Only a few high end models gets burnt in at the factory, because it's expensive. And most customers would rather break the speakers in at home than pay hundreds of dollars extra. I enjoy the process of hearing the speakers open up. But there's also those with tons of experience saying speaker break in is a myth, so I'd guess some speakers don't need it. In my own experience. My Focal Aria 926 sounded very different when I got them and at 20, 40 even 100 hours later but a notable difference should be heard in just one evening. Had a pair of budget Heco bookshelf speakers, $200. We thought burn in was a hoax too so the first thing we played was Freak on a leash with Korn, because it has a deep long clean bass drop after the intro. It sounded like a thud, like hitting a bass drum. The evening went on and maybe 5 hours later we tried again and it now produced the full length of the bass drop.

[@gtric1466]

I've been told to break your speakers in with the type of music you will mostly play but also hard rock. if you break them in with jazz and instrumentals, soft rock. then they will never play hard rock as good as it could. I've tried this with my latest pair of Wharfedale's and it seems to work. they actually play hard rock better then my JBL's so maybe there is some truth to it?

[@laurentzduba1298]

Back in the 1990s, cable maker Cardas made a CD recorded with warble tones and a track that sounds like a chainsaw said to break in your loudspeakers and cables faster than death metal music tracks.

[@jc6993]

Which Wharfedale?

[@gtric1466]

@@jc6993 Diamond 11.4

[@rabarebra]

"I've been told to break your speakers in with the type of music you will mostly play but also hard rock. if you break them in with jazz and instrumentals, soft rock. then they will never play hard rock as good as it could. I've tried this with my latest pair of Wharfedale's and it seems to work. they actually play hard rock better then my JBL's so maybe there is some truth to it?" 😂

[@michaelgaddy8271]

Good Good question, and as always, a good good answer! I'd like to be part of some serious tech-talk with you sometime. Have some good good wine, and a good good time! Hope everyone has an amazing day!

[@faludabutt8253]

My focal chora 826’s tweeter sounds different every time it’s warmed up

[@captainwin6333]

Show me some evidence of this. If you can hear it, the difference can be recorded.

[@Cpk20001]

Your ears ( brain ) also adjust.. just a tip

[@faludabutt8253]

Captain Win difference is subtle. If 5 people are listening, not all may notice it. But difference of sound in my 18 wpc sit3 amp is obvious. It could be recorded. Issue is with subtle differences

[@MichelLinschoten]

Tweeters....."warm up"..... 😂

[@davidhardaker192]

When will we get the chance to burn in PS speakers? If ever?

[@adrianchristopherx]

4:40 That got me...😂

[@1shoedog1]

So... why don't speaker companies "break in" their speakers before they ship?

[@styxxtheanimal5720]

This is an amazingly awesome explanation. and certainly put my mind at ease about the new monitor speakers i have just bought for gaming. Thank you for posting this. however i do have one question. Whats the better way to run in speakers ?

[@tinetannies4637]

If speaker burn-in is real, why don't microphones change their sonic signature over their first year since they're essentially being "burned in" constantly by being exposed to sound? Not trying to be snarky, I'm asking seriously.

[@pietpompiepompiepiet940]

Found that on my subs as the rattling in ceiling increases

[@Oystein87]

Huh? The ratteling in the ceiling encreases because things gets looser with time from the vibrations of the subs in the walls, ceiling etc. In Norwegian houses (atleast on the coast) that's not an issue since they are built to handle weather and therefore also handles vibrations better because of a more solid structure.

[@pietpompiepompiepiet940]

@@Oystein87 i found that the subs seemed to extend lower with the bass frequency after about 2 months as if the woofers was moving more freely The volume and frequency cut-off was not changed X2 PB1000 SVS subs Mechanically i can understand material in ceiling resonating after subjected to constant vibration but i can feel the difference on the couch so regarding "burn in period" i would say there might be truth in it for mechanical things like speakers

[@Oystein87]

@@pietpompiepompiepiet940 That might be right. But also the whole range will often get a bit better. Ahh.. I have never noticed that but for some subs and woofers that might also be the case🤷‍♂️ Yes, there absolutely is👌 But of course like all mecanical things some speakers will also have more noticable difference after burn-in than others. In my experience all types of speakers (headphones, small BT speakers and yeah.. Everything) gets a little better after a few hours on decent volumes. But of course.. it also depends on the listener if the person even notice the difference. Not everyone even notices that their phase is all wrong or that their tweeters are blown so...🤷‍♂️😅

[@991carreras3]

I got a question about speakers over the years we went from connecting components with rca jacks, svideo, optical, hdmi why are we still screwing two wires between speakers and receivers do you ever think maybe its time to have maybe just one hdmi between these two and bring this connection into the future?

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

Some things do connect that way, but like P J said those wires are so small running through that cable when you really need a speaker wire the size of the whole hdmi cable itself, haha.

[@991carreras3]

Yea not an actual hdmi but im sure some new tech could be develop to clean up all these connectors.

[@Roof_Pizza]

@@991carreras3 Would one HDMI (or similar cable) be that much cleaner than what we now have? I can see a master/slave scenario being nicer. Don't think bluetooth is quite there yet and would the extra cost even be worth it anyway?

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

@@991carreras3 ummm, how about wireless, haha

[@PooNinja]

Burn in is real.

[@erikpoephoofd]

Is it?

[@erikpoephoofd]

Why don’t manufacturers do it?

[@PooNinja]

@@erikpoephoofd Yea.

[@Mark-lq3sb]

@@erikpoephoofd How do you know they don't?

[@PooNinja]

@@erikpoephoofd high end loudspeaker manufacturers do. It’s time and electricity adding costs most budget brands skip on. Most people can’t hear or don’t care about the difference but it’s one of those things, once you hear it you can’t unhear it. The curse of knowledge is knowing or some BS like that.

[@michaelw3090]

My B&W 800d3 needed over 500 hours to break in and stabilise ...even my dear wife agrees on that !