Breaking in a speaker

[MatrixDweller]

snickelfritz wrote:

A simple way to isolate changes in the speaker would be to wire them out of phase, place them face to face, and play pink noise through them.
The differences between the speakers will manifest as audible tones; if the speakers are identical, complete cancellation (no audible output) should occur.
If the speakers change during break-in, the tone quality of the difference output will change both audibly and measurably.

That would only work on one precise frequency perfectly out of phase and inline with each other at an exact distance apart. The test would have to be in an anechoic chamber also. It wouldn't prove anything about speaker break in though. It would prove that the two speakers output, with the identical frequency given the same signal, are the same or not.

To prove speaker break in you would need to take an initial full frequency range SPL reading out-of-the-box and then others at given intervals in a controlled environment.

[lcaillo]

I suspect that it varies with different designs. The stiffness of the spider and surround and their effect on resonance frequency could easily change over time. If so, I would also expect extreme aging to have an effect. I had a pair of early Thiels with a passive radiator and I am sure that they changed with time, mostly on the bottom, as the surround became weaker, as it was the primary determinant of the mechanical stiffness of the passive...no other damping.

[phaseshift]

In an effort to make my post even more confusing, I have added a lot of stuff to it....

http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...t-fiction.html

[Kal Rubinson]

So far, at least, no one has suggested testing to see if any of the (potentially) measurable changes are audible.

Kal

[Sonnie]

Kal Rubinson wrote:

So far, at least, no one has suggested testing to see if any of the (potentially) measurable changes are audible.

Kal

Nathan, funky_waves, measured some parameters on a TC3K...

Before:
Fs 22.22hz
Re 1.17
Qms 5.98
Qes 0.39
Sd 823cm2
Vas 117.78L

After:
Fs 20.65
Re 1.17
Qms 6.33
Qes 0.39
Sd 823
Vas 134.30L

[Kal Rubinson]

Sonnie wrote:

Nathan measured some parameters on a TC3K...

Sure. Again, can one verify that any such measured changes are consistent and audible?

Kal

[MakeFlat]

I remember that my new speakers were icy cold when I took them out of the trunk of my car. I would not doubt that the cold speakers sounded different. But then 4 hours in the living room should be adequate for "breaking in".

[orange260z]

I recently bought aset of Energy Reference Connoisseur speakers, and they recommend a 100hr break-in. I'm not sure that I can hear the difference...