Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Is there a break-in?

Wondering if there is a break-in period for new Axioms, as I've heard yes, and I've heard no.. If so then what is recomended to cut thru this phase? Thanks!

Darrin, woofers cycle hundreds of times and tweeters thousands of times in their first second of operation. Any breaking-in has already happened when the speaker was briefly tested at the factory. You can expect that you'll become more accustomed to the sound of a speaker after a while, but tests show no permanent changes after a very short initial break-in of no more than a minute or so. In any case, you don't have to do anything special, because if there was a "break-in" it would happen automatically.

If they are coming out of the 23 degree fedex truck into your 77f living room, then yes, they will sound considerably different after a couple of hours. I would even suggest not blasting them the second you get them and to wait for the to warm up.

Otherwise, there isn't much break-in to be done. Some specific polyester film capacitor manufacturers have datasheets that specify a 40-50 hr break-in time before the capacitor is "settled" or whatever, so it's possible this could happen in the crossover, but highly unlikely it'll be audible especially as they are used in the factory before they get to you.

More often than not, it is simply one's ears getting accustomed to their new speakers. My thiels here have one speaker with no midrange, and one with no tweeter. They sound different now than they did a week ago. Nothing changed, but I have become accustomed to the huge gaping hole in frequency response, and my mind'll be "broken in" to a regular stereo again when I get my drivers back.

Don't discount the weather thing though. It can really screw up drivers if you blast them after they've been out in the freezing cold for days.

Don't tell the Algonquins that.

No, there is no break in, just call Axiom if you don't believe us. Who has told you there is?

The Deaf Monk.

Or maybe it was spellingbot, grammarbot, or apostrophebot.

Or Speakergrrl.

Get a collection of all your favorite recordings, drinks lots of beer and enjoy.

Beer will definitely affect the sound perception.

BBIGWYRES reflct breakn audiphile good.

Randy, you forgot you were logged in as sirquack, not Bbigwyres! You've given yourself away! Mystery solved!

No break in of the speaker. There may be, however, a "break in" period with your ears and brain as they process the new sound of the speaker over any other speaker that they have become accustomed to. This is just the amount of time it takes for you to realize that you have some quality speakers that are reproducing the music and sound more closely to what was mixed in the studio. You may hear musical notes and other details that were missed before, but that is all a good thing...

I guess that the only thing that I would be concerned about, which was already mentioned, was if the speakers were exposed to really cold or maybe even really hot weather. Let them warm or cool closer to room temperature (sounds like I am thawing a turkey or something) and then fire them up. But the temperature thing is fairly safe advice for just about anything mechanical or electrical.... Not always needed, but not a bad idea.

ha ha medic, I did that on purpose, I figured one of you clowns would be along soon.

Ah, the ol' "I meant to do that" defense.

I'm not buyin' it, BBIGWYRES. After all, you are the biggest audiopile I know.

REFLECT!

Oooh, so it's a shiny audiopile?

bbigwyres would not misspell the word audiophile audiopile.

ha ha, ok I'll take the title of Bbigwyres, even though it is not me. Kinda like Sirquack, that is actually a name a friend of mine used to use for some other forums and emails, so I started using it. I've been thinking about having Axiom change my name, hmmm, maybe BBBigwyres.

Yoy guys are funnnny! LOL..
Thanks for the advice as usual.. I've heard folks that have given good reviews saying the Axiom didn't sound so good at first but left them on for a lenghty time as they left the house, and "viola", thus the good review.. I'll prefeace saying that the VP150 is running minus a driver right now, and I haven't got the opertunity to upgrade the mains yet, just the surrounds and the center, so I'm having a mixed 5.1 sound too.. I just was wondering as to the validity to "break-in" period as I've heard great things from "right out of the box" as well.. SO I was wondering if they were like a fine wine, -and gets better with time. Thankk you!!!!

yes your brain will adjust with time. also keep in mind that poorly recorded cd's will sound poor on good speakers.

I've never heard any evidence of this in my own speakers. They sound a little different if I screw with the placement and the crossovers or whatever. But haven't noticed any differences due to age.