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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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In Reply to: Re: I'm a professional speaker designer, and break-in is real posted by Soundmind on November 10, 2006 at 16:53:35:
Speaker break-in is a well known phenomenon among speaker system designers, as well as the actual transducer designers.Given that it is known to happen, and the "fix" is simply to play the speaker enough, and then it is a moot point, what company is going to subsidize research into the issue?
I see speaker component advertising for spiders, cone surounds, and adhesives, touting the "reduced parameter shift" with exposure to power and time, reduced gas-off, and more stable and consistent performance with exposre to heat and time. Adhesives are advertised that reach full-strength and performance quicker, with reduced curing and better long term performance with exposure to power and heat, thus, reducing shiftas duento those factors as well.
They charge more for these components and adhesives, and they do REDUCE the parameter shifts, but the shifts are never completely eliminated, nor are the sonic effects that still tend to occur, albeit at a reduced amount. Again, given that the break-in occurs with normal use, not many companies are willing to pay extra for these kinds of components, unless they involve clearly superior results in terms of power handling, reliability, or sonic performance under high drvie conditions, and even then, it has to be a concious and intended expenditure within the total system cost budget, etc. Low end or mid-line models are NOT going to get these kinds of superior parts designed in, it just isn't a good use of the total product budget when simple use obviates most of the need.
As to what is breaking-in, based on my experience, it is a combination of the drivers, the crossover components, and to a lesser extent, the wiring and connections within the system. Cabinets can exhibit some 'settling', but this usually relates to less than optimal construction and assembly techniques, or an inherent design flaw. Same with absorber materials, if they are properly implemented, then they tend not to settle enough to affect things significantly. That does not rule out poor design or assembly/construction issues in the real world.
RE analysis of products that have been in service for many years, it is not a profit producing activity, unless it relates to improving a poor reliability record for a particular product line or model, or some other clear corporate goal that will provide benefits over the long haul that more than outweight the initial expediture of resources and profits. Even that takes a far-sighted management team, and the willingness, time and resources to do it.
Jon Risch
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- Re: I'm a professional speaker designer, and break-in is real - Jon Risch 23:26:10 11/10/06 (0)
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