Was the beat up driver built to the same specs as the new driver? We will never know. smile

Setting audio aside, I can tell you from first-hand experience that even electromagnets "break in". My colleague and I spent a week trying to figure out why our levitator was losing stability over time. As we examined the real-time waveforms and worked "backwards" through the math for our system, we realized the coil resistance was rising. When we cooled the coil, long term stability returned. That incident is burned into me and has served me well a few times.

House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Dedicated mid-woofers are over-rated