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Speaker Burn In?

Many components including speakers are said to require burn in of some period of time before they will reach their peak performance. Speakers like Magnepan are notorious for long burn in periods. Even cables are said to require burn in. Now I an faced with a set of speakers that need upwards of 240 hours burn in before they will 'open up' and play their best.

When faced with a required burn in how to yo do that burn it? Do you simply let it run it's course of time during your normal playback schedule or do you run the system 24/7 until the required time has been met? Are there other methods that can be used? Is their an accepted preferred method? And does the volume being played for burn in have an impact? Do higher volumes 'drive' the component harder and therefore provide a better burn in or to moderate or low volumes achieve the same goal?

In the past I have simply ignored the burn in as an effort and allowed the time to occur 'naturally' during my normal playback times. But with my last several components I have been more mindful of burn in and the recommended hours to optimum performance. Right now I am burning in a pair of speakers. I am about 40 hours in on non-stop playback. My normal listening level is from 72 to 81 on my system. When I leave the house or go to bed I drop the volume to 60 to 63. It is audible and in fact at this early time (3:40 AM) locally it even seems a little loud. How do you deal with this process?

Important process or waste of time thinking about it?
mwheelerk
extravaganza
268 posts
 
Do higher volumes 'drive' the component harder and therefore provide a better burn in or to moderate or low volumes achieve the same goal?

with some speakers it is true.After 3 hours moderate to loud listening levels Dynaudio contour s1.4 started sound nice at normal listening levels.(during this session sound was fantastic-still remember brayn adams,even my neighbours came outside to listen,they were stuned with nice realistic sound,I was picking berries in yard,got bored and decided to have fun:))Before that it sounded somewhat bland at normal levels for several months.
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,490 posts
 
If you have a tuner turn it between station so you hear white noise. Set up loudspeakers facing each other if too loud switch +- on one loudspeaker play as long as you like. If you switch +- the level of noise will be reduced. Still for break in I mostly just listen to music. No loudspeaker or electronics should sound poor before break in but they will change for the better with it. For me I hear break in mostly in hi quality transducers that use voice coils and stiff surrounds in ribbons no break in need. Some capacitors seem to improve with use. Still its slight. Though I have measured differences in transducers from new to broken in it was very slight. But measurable on some transducers.
magfan
1,583 posts
 
What measurements were taken? Was everything else controlled for? (cap age, for example)
The only explanation I could come up with when I first turned on my panels and heard the image shifting L / R was caps forming.
And, why does it have to get better when 'broken in'? Why can't it get worse?
About 90% of speaker break in is really your ear/brain getting used to the new sound.
zmanastronomy's avatar
zmanastronomy
738 posts
 
The speaker needs to be driven to break in. White noise is ok for caps and cables, but for speakers you need to drive them to break them in.
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,490 posts
 
I just measured drivers response in anechoic chamber comparing brand new to drivers with significant break in time. I didn't test complete loudspeakers. Mostly used full range drivers but also a few woofers nothing that need a network was tested since it would add variables. I now run in all loudspeakers before sold to customers its a pain. The costly fullranges had the most difference between new and used but it was slight.
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