Burn in on speakers

Nordic · 15th November 2006, 02:59 PM

I know many people don't accept component burn in and capacitor forming as facts, but I do.

So, today I got some replacement drivers for a 2-way set that killed its one driver after about 40 years.

What I'd like to know is
1 do the sound of drivers change a bit between brand new and "run in"? if so what are the most common changes?

Is there any special treatment they need to receive like a new car, that you should only drive slowly for the first few thousand kms?

gary f · 15th November 2006, 03:44 PM

Hello

I also believe that burn-in can make big difference in sound. I build an tube amplifier, and the first 2-3 hours, the amp had almost no bass. I was worried a lot that something was wrong, but after a few hours, the sound opened up, and bass level increased. This was a huge difference, not subtle.

For loudspeakers, the burn-in process is important because the mecanical system will settle. resonant frequency will go down as the suspension gets loose. Expect more bass after break-in. I've read about high frequency becoming smoother after break-in but i've not experienced this myself.

I don't think you need to send any specific signal though. Some people send low frequency sine (20 Hz for example) for faster break-in, but I think normal music is just fine. Just wait at least 10 hours before making any evalution. Maybe more time is needed, Tell us what you think.
F

Nordic · 15th November 2006, 04:15 PM

http://empire.com.pl/TVM-ACOUSTICS/n...n-226-05-8.htm

Thanks the drivers ar lowrange and suppose to go to 30 Hz, but it wasn't getting anywhere near there nice sound, but hell weres mah bass was the first thig I said. At least with the limited volume I'm running so far for warmup, I'll probably switch to the radio soon and get some interstation pink noise to let it run softly on.

The crosover is pretty simple, it looks like an inductor (not very big coil) and one 3.3uf MKS cap.

joe carrow · 15th November 2006, 06:39 PM

With woofers, it's actually the excursion that helps break them in mechanically. Playing softly shouldn't do very much.

If you can't take the noise, wire the speakers out of phase and set them up facing each other a few inches apart. You can throw a blanket over the speakers to further cut down on the noise that doesn't cancel well.

Nordic · 15th November 2006, 07:01 PM

Thanks Joe, yeah, I turned the volume up a bit, as the drivers were hardly moveing, sounding much better allready after about 4 hours.

Nordic · 16th November 2006, 11:13 AM

I suspect the tweter and speaker is not optimaly crossed over...
Also the tweeter seems more efficient than the woofer, but I have very little activity in the midrange.

The crossover is made up out of.... wait for it a 3.3uF cap and an inductor...

In order for me to experiment a little with the crossover, could someone tell me what the effect would be of going to the next size cap up and next one down...

I can allready see me haveing to build brand new boxes... sigh

Something tells me a driver speced from 30-3000Hz with a massive peak between 2 and 3kHz is not meant to work in a 2-way bass reflex setup.

15th November 2006, 02:59 PM	#1
Nordic diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2005	Burn in on speakers I know many people don't accept component burn in and capacitor forming as facts, but I do. So, today I got some replacement drivers for a 2-way set that killed its one driver after about 40 years. What I'd like to know is 1 do the sound of drivers change a bit between brand new and "run in"? if so what are the most common changes? Is there any special treatment they need to receive like a new car, that you should only drive slowly for the first few thousand kms?

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15th November 2006, 03:44 PM	#2
gary f diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Quebec city	Hello I also believe that burn-in can make big difference in sound. I build an tube amplifier, and the first 2-3 hours, the amp had almost no bass. I was worried a lot that something was wrong, but after a few hours, the sound opened up, and bass level increased. This was a huge difference, not subtle. For loudspeakers, the burn-in process is important because the mecanical system will settle. resonant frequency will go down as the suspension gets loose. Expect more bass after break-in. I've read about high frequency becoming smoother after break-in but i've not experienced this myself. I don't think you need to send any specific signal though. Some people send low frequency sine (20 Hz for example) for faster break-in, but I think normal music is just fine. Just wait at least 10 hours before making any evalution. Maybe more time is needed, Tell us what you think. F

15th November 2006, 04:15 PM	#3
Nordic diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2005	http://empire.com.pl/TVM-ACOUSTICS/n...n-226-05-8.htm Thanks the drivers ar lowrange and suppose to go to 30 Hz, but it wasn't getting anywhere near there nice sound, but hell weres mah bass was the first thig I said. At least with the limited volume I'm running so far for warmup, I'll probably switch to the radio soon and get some interstation pink noise to let it run softly on. The crosover is pretty simple, it looks like an inductor (not very big coil) and one 3.3uf MKS cap.

15th November 2006, 06:39 PM	#4
joe carrow diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: San Francisco	With woofers, it's actually the excursion that helps break them in mechanically. Playing softly shouldn't do very much. If you can't take the noise, wire the speakers out of phase and set them up facing each other a few inches apart. You can throw a blanket over the speakers to further cut down on the noise that doesn't cancel well.

15th November 2006, 07:01 PM	#5
Nordic diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2005	Thanks Joe, yeah, I turned the volume up a bit, as the drivers were hardly moveing, sounding much better allready after about 4 hours.

16th November 2006, 11:13 AM	#6
Nordic diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2005	I suspect the tweter and speaker is not optimaly crossed over... Also the tweeter seems more efficient than the woofer, but I have very little activity in the midrange. The crossover is made up out of.... wait for it a 3.3uF cap and an inductor... In order for me to experiment a little with the crossover, could someone tell me what the effect would be of going to the next size cap up and next one down... I can allready see me haveing to build brand new boxes... sigh Something tells me a driver speced from 30-3000Hz with a massive peak between 2 and 3kHz is not meant to work in a 2-way bass reflex setup.

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