what is Speaker Break-In

A break-in period is required for speakers mostly for mechanical reasons, the suspensions/ cone could be initailly a bit rigid, and after playing for 6-8 hrs (preferably a low level noise) it begins to produce the intended sound.

- Debu

Debu schrieb:

A break-in period is required for speakers mostly for mechanical reasons, the suspensions/ cone could be initailly a bit rigid, and after playing for 6-8 hrs (preferably a low level noise) it begins to produce the intended sound. - Debu

6-8 hrs? low level noise?

man, you couldn't be further from the truth!!
most speakers (worth their salt) need about 100 hrs to break-in before they start sounding like they are supposed to. If you have read any pro reviews of speakers, you would have read that the reviewer put the speaker in his garage or listening room for a break-in period of 1 week before he even attempted to listen to it. The speaker was breaking-in all that time. One week, 24 hrs => 168 hrs atleast!
There are 2 reasons to break-in a speaker:
(1) correctly pointed out by you (Debu) &
(2) break-in the hook-up wire inside + the passive xover components.

There are several speakers that use top-quality xover components + certain brand silver wire that takes even longer time to break-in (such as 1000 hrs, no kidding! ). However, past 200 hrs the change is very subtle & can be heard only by very discerning ears in a very low noise floor system.

Break-in is usually recommended at the highest level that a speaker can comfortably tolerate. Often the speakers are brought face-face & the distance separating them is only a few centimeters. One speaker is connected out-of-phase. When pink noise is fed into the speakers, the out-of-phase ensures that there is a minimal audible output yet the speaker drivers & xover will get a thorough work-out.

Break-in is usually recommended at the highest level that a speaker can comfortably tolerate

Check this url from wherfedale:
How should I run my speakers in?

"we suggest playing music at a moderate (not loud) level continuously for 50 hours"

Debu schrieb:

Break-in is usually recommended at the highest level that a speaker can comfortably tolerate Check this url from wherfedale: How should I run my speakers in? "we suggest playing music at a moderate (not loud) level continuously for 50 hours"

Debu,
I expected nothing less from Wharfdale. Did you expect Wharfdale to suggest running their loudspeakers at max volume so that the user could potentially fry them esp. if they do not know what they are doing?
It would become a liability issue for Wharfdale in that they'd have to fix the speaker at their cost for something inane done by a bumbling user! Of course, they are not going to put themselves in this situation! No manuf would.

However, my personal experience & those of my audio friends suggests otherwise w.r.t. Wharfdale's suggestion. All of us have played music thru our resp speakers at relatively high volume (90-95dB SPL at the listener's chair) for extended period of time for break-in.
FWIW.

Anyway, if you want to change your speakers, change it soon, do not wait for 6 months for breaking in :-).

- Debu