So, you’ve just bought a new set of speakers. As you listen to the sound of your favorite music or movie, you notice that the output is not as good as you thought. You don’t need to worry because, normally, this is a common problem shown by most new speakers because they need a break in period.
But do you need to break in the speakers yourself or should you let it occur naturally? We’ll answer this question in this article, including why, and how you should do it.
Do you need to break in your speakers? Or is it just a myth?
Whether you should break in new speakers is a controversial topic that sparks a bit of debate among different experts. Some believe there’s no need to break in the speaker because it should happen naturally. Others, on the other hand, think it’s necessary.
In our opinion, yes, you should break in your new speakers. This is something you should do immediately after you buy them.
Why then should you break in your speakers?
Most speakers, when new, may fail to achieve their maximum potential just because the materials inside –particularly the suspension – are stiff. The stiffness limits the speaker’s output since the cone cannot move back and forth easily.
The speaker – therefore – will need to use more power input (more volume) to deliver the output needed. Most audiophiles say that the resulting sound is harsh, strained, and not fun to listen to – by the way – if you are an audiophile.
When you break in the speaker, it stretches out these stiff components, makes them loose and helps them move freely. Once the process is complete, the sound output is smooth and natural, even when the volume is low. The process also enhances the speaker’s ability to produce a higher dynamic range and deeper lows.
What speaker components need to be broken in?
Primarily, the speaker’s suspension benefits most from a break in process. It is the part that holds the diaphragm/cone in its right place and comprises two components – the surround and the spider.
Both components are made using flexible materials such as foam, rubber, or other exotic materials to enhance the cone’s movement.
How to break-in your new speakers quickly, and some tips too
Different people use various methods to break in speakers. However, the most common method used to complete a break-in process is to continuously play sounds that have a high dynamic range over a period of about 20 to 30 hours like what the brand Focal suggests in their SOLO6 BE user manual. The number of hours will vary depending on the speaker (more on this in a bit).
When breaking the speaker in, use moderate volumes. Don’t crank up the volume to 10 (representing the highest volume on your amp), as it can heat the coil and damage the speaker eventually.
A few other tips you can use include:
- If you are looking for high-quality audio to use, you can play music from an audio streaming service app. Music on these apps are not compressed
- Play music with solid deep lows (bass) and strong highs. For instance, most hip-hop and rock songs can offer all these frequencies
- If you are breaking in a subwoofer, low-frequency sounds are the best
- You can also ask a friend to help you break in the speaker since the break in process can take some time and staying in such a noisy environment without a break can be boring. Using different kinds of sounds, including playing a variety of songs, watching a movie, etc- during the process.
How long will the break in process take?
The time it takes a speaker to break in will depend on several factors. For instance, some materials need up to 100 hours to completely break in, while others need as little as 24 hours or even less.
Other factors that determine break in include:
– A speaker in a cooler environment may take longer to break in than when placed in a warmer one
– How large the speakers are: A smaller speaker will take less time to break in than a larger one
– Whether or not the manufacturer did break in the speaker before selling it
– Car loudspeakers may take a few weeks to completely break in because you won’t spend most of your time driving the car.
Overall, consult the user manual or contact the manufacturer to find out what the recommended break-in period is. For instance, one of the brands that recommend breaking in your speaker is Focal. Here’s what they recommend you to do in their user manual.:
“Avoid pushing the speakers very hard during their first hours of use, but to accelerate the run-in process it is good practice to operate the speakers at moderate levels for 20 hours or so, with programmes having significant low frequency content. Only once the transducers have come to stabilize will you get the optimum performance. “
Relevant FAQ You may have.
Do manufacturers break in speakers before selling them?
Some manufacturers do pre-break in speakers before selling them. However, if they stay for long without being used, you may need to break them in for a few hours to get rid of the stiffness that develops when they were idle.
Can you break in a speaker at a low volume?
Your volume should not be low. Low volume will slow the process down, and you might have to spend more hours breaking in the speaker than if you used a moderate volume.
Conclusion
There you have it. We hope that answers the question of whether or not you should break in your new speakers. As you can see, breaking it using high dynamic audio or sounds helps you achieve the speaker’s maximum potential within a short time.