Speaker Burn-In Tips

malvai

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Hi guys, this is a lil posting that I wanted to make for all the noobs on the forum. Its also like a lil refresher for some of us old hands.

@ the old hands: guys do chip in if you feel I have missed something.

This is the way I have burnt-in my previous speakers (and am following much the same procedure for the Thiel CS 2.4's as well):

1. Keep the speakers next to each other. The front baffles almost touching each other.
2. Wire up one speaker in phase and the other out of phase.
3. Put 2 or 3 thick blankets on them to muffle up the sound.
4. Put in a burn in track* on loop, or switch on a FM tuner to a channel that does not broadcast, so you get only the 'white noise'. Alternatively, (as a last resort, put on any cds that you have on hand).
5. Turn the volume to at least the 9 O'clock position. Don't worry, the inphase-outphase arrangement of your speaker from pt 2 will negate most of the disturbing volume, the thick blankets will do the rest of the sound nullification.
5. Keep this on overnight**.

* For burn in tracks look for the XLO refrence CD. it has a lovely burn-in track. An even better one is the Isotek cd. It has 2 burn in tracks. Track 2 is for bookshelf speakers. This track does not go too deep with low frequencies. Track 2 is for FS speakers. it is designed to exercise the full 10 octaves on the speaker... Track 3 is for general maintenence. It'll demagnetize the components when you play it and 'massage' all the circuits from the CDP to the amp and then the speakers. Even after the burn in period, one should play track 3 once every week. My suggestion: GO FOR THE ISOTEK CD!

**@an average of 10 hrs a night, you'll be burining-in for about 300 hrs a month. In roughly 1 month you can burn in Dali, Quad or Monitor Audio. In 2 months the tougher speakers like Canton etc. In 3 months the B&W's, Thiels and Dynaudios!
 
1. Keep the speakers next to each other. The front baffles almost touching each other.
2. Wire up one speaker in phase and the other out of phase.


Can you post the pictures of them... for clear understanding...
 
Hi Malvai

Use the Isotek System Enhancer cd for break in. Run it in for 96 hrs continuously at normal listening level on repeat. You will be more or less done. You do not have to wait for 3 months.
 
Hi Malvai

Use the Isotek System Enhancer cd for break in. Run it in for 96 hrs continuously at normal listening level on repeat. You will be more or less done. You do not have to wait for 3 months.

Bro, even for tough to break in speakers like Thiel and Dynaudio? You sure?
 
Yes Malvai. Even my Rethms supposedly take a long time. But using the Isotek cd greatly speedens up the break in process.
 
Sorry if I am sounding ignorant, which I am, but can somebody tell me if break in is different from burn in?

both - same items = also at the same time your ears also get adjusted to the sound = after some time, everything is less harsh, the sound settles in, and you LIKE THE SOUND.

THIS is called burn-in/break-in by discerning audiophiles whose brains (on the the whole) are partially fried.
 
thanks Suri, I have recent;y purchased the Mission M35i FS with Denon 1910 AVR.The sounds seem sweeter now as compared to when just installed.

Also is there some logic in not going too high with the volume tillthe speakers are broken in?

Last question; again please ignore my ignorance- how do I know that the speakers are broken in?
 
thanks Suri, I have recent;y purchased the Mission M35i FS with Denon 1910 AVR.The sounds seem sweeter now as compared to when just installed.

Also is there some logic in not going too high with the volume tillthe speakers are broken in?

Last question; again please ignore my ignorance- how do I know that the speakers are broken in?

the missions are excellent speakers - enjoy!!!:)

if the amplifier, the speakers, and the room that they work in - are matched - it makes sense NEVER to exceed a level at which the listener becomes uncomfortable - and this applies to a new ("unbroken") speaker as well as a "broken-in" speaker.

the "tweeter" is the one that blows first when the speaker is driven beyond it's limits
 
So folks if I don't follow the method mentioned ( I am supposing there are other ways) or for that matter any specific method for break-in...won't my speakers eventually, after extended/regular playing will be broken-in ? I guess its just gonna take more time than the usual break-in practices ?
 
So folks if I don't follow the method mentioned ( I am supposing there are other ways) or for that matter any specific method for break-in...won't my speakers eventually, after extended/regular playing will be broken-in ? I guess its just gonna take more time than the usual break-in practices ?

Yup! It'll take forever to break in.

Alcy, your Quad 11L's usually take about 500 hrs of break-in/ burn-in.

Now do the math this way:

One usually has about 1-2 hours of listening everyday. Somedays one does not even get that. So, if we have an optimistic average of 1hr everyday, we do a total listening of 30 (optimistic) hrs a month.

That means 360 hours in the year. Wich means that by the time your speakers attain 'maturity' it'll be a year and a half!

That the average time for most people on this forum to upgrade the gear! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Hence, very important to burn-in the speakers using the method mentioned! You'll get to your speakers 'real' potential faster. Enjoy it for longer and hopefully be so satisfied that the upgraditis bug wont't hit for longer!
 
....
4. Put in a burn in track* on loop, or switch on a FM tuner to a channel that does not broadcast, so you get only the 'white noise'. Alternatively, (as a last resort, put on any cds that you have on hand).

Absolutely one of the easy ways to break in the speakers. I however tend to use pink noise as it correctly reflects the human hearing than white noise. But again nothing wrong in using white noise though.

Colors of noise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

for more on the many types of noise...
 
Absolutely one of the easy ways to break in the speakers. I however tend to use pink noise as it correctly reflects the human hearing than white noise. But again nothing wrong in using white noise though.

Colors of noise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

for more on the many types of noise...

True bro. true. The thing is most people who have FM tuners will get white noise fairly easy.
I for one have just got meself an ISOTEK Burn-in cd. Thanks to a very very dear friend. This has white noise as well as pink noise in various combinations for speedier and superior burn in.
 
4. Put in a burn in track* on loop, or switch on a FM tuner to a channel that does not broadcast, so you get only the 'white noise'. Alternatively, (as a last resort, put on any cds that you have on hand).

NEVER EVER USE white noise as that can actually burn your tweeter out. White noise has a flat power spectral density which basically means that the amplitude of the low frequencies is almost the same as high frequencies. This is totally unnatural compared to real music and can easily damage tweeters.

What you need is pink noise. The difference lies in the fact that the power spectral density of pink noise is roughly proportional to 1/f where f is the frequency. Hence the amplitude(power) of the higher frequencies will be significantly lower than the amplitude(power) of bass - this is how music is and this is what speakers are designed to reproduce.
 
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I dont know that Dynaudios are that hard to break-in. Recently I heard the Dynaudio Xcite 12 and they sounded phenomenal with probably only double digit hours being put on them in terms of listening time.
 
Hi guys, this is a lil posting that I wanted to make for all the noobs on the forum. Its also like a lil refresher for some of us old hands.

@ the old hands: guys do chip in if you feel I have missed something.

This is the way I have burnt-in my previous speakers (and am following much the same procedure for the Thiel CS 2.4's as well):

1. Keep the speakers next to each other. The front baffles almost touching each other.
2. Wire up one speaker in phase and the other out of phase.
3. Put 2 or 3 thick blankets on them to muffle up the sound.
4. Put in a burn in track* on loop, or switch on a FM tuner to a channel that does not broadcast, so you get only the 'white noise'. Alternatively, (as a last resort, put on any cds that you have on hand).
5. Turn the volume to at least the 9 O'clock position. Don't worry, the inphase-outphase arrangement of your speaker from pt 2 will negate most of the disturbing volume, the thick blankets will do the rest of the sound nullification.
5. Keep this on overnight**.

* For burn in tracks look for the XLO refrence CD. it has a lovely burn-in track. An even better one is the Isotek cd. It has 2 burn in tracks. Track 2 is for bookshelf speakers. This track does not go too deep with low frequencies. Track 2 is for FS speakers. it is designed to exercise the full 10 octaves on the speaker... Track 3 is for general maintenence. It'll demagnetize the components when you play it and 'massage' all the circuits from the CDP to the amp and then the speakers. Even after the burn in period, one should play track 3 once every week. My suggestion: GO FOR THE ISOTEK CD!

**@an average of 10 hrs a night, you'll be burining-in for about 300 hrs a month. In roughly 1 month you can burn in Dali, Quad or Monitor Audio. In 2 months the tougher speakers like Canton etc. In 3 months the B&W's, Thiels and Dynaudios!

Thanks Malvai. This is new stuff for me.
Guess I will never have speaker burn in problem in my life ;)
Regards
 
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