Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Not Another Speaker Break-In Thread(But Different)

I know that is subject has been brought up many times, But I for one think that there is some Speaker break-in.

Before you all get up in arms about the subject, I also think that once they test out the speakers at the factor and that first few mins at home is more then enough time to break it in so to speak.

The break in that I was talking about was not the speakers but me. Yes me. When I first hooked them up they sounded like crap, bass was not there and the highs where tinny.

So what did I do you ask, I moved them around, a centimeter here and few mileometers there. And then they started to sound better.

Next is a big thing that I never do I read my receivers manual, yes as a man I don't have time for such things but I thought what the hell.

Now over the first few weeks the speakers have started to sound better and better all it took was some time to know my system and what it can do.

I feel that there was a break in time for my speakers but not in the way you think, the break in time was me and getting to know how my speakers sounded and how my room made my speakers sound. Also reading the manual for my receiver helped

I just thought I would share what I thought about speaker break in and how I think it is not the speaker that needs time to break in its the person.

Thanks for hearing my rant I hope you can understand what I was trying to get across.

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Epic Grand Master - 500
ONKYO 806
42" Sharp Aquos
HTPC

Well, it didn't read like a rant. I'd agree with you completely.

You are exactly right Rage, what most of us argue to be true about speaker break-in, is exactly what you pointed out. It is the user that gets used to the speakers, which is what you described.

Also, another important point you mentioned is speaker position, and I will add, in relation to room size and distance from the walls. A speaker will sound night and day different depending on position from side/front walls, roomsize, and toe-in, just to name a few. Welcome to speaker exploration.

Thanks guys, since I have gotten my system (6 weeks now)it has sounded great. I thing I for got to add the Sub. The 500 is nice but as a kid I liked the BooM with the 500 there is BooM but its odd, I can't really say in words, differed levels of BooM if that makes sense.

I think I have found a new hobby, since I just got my system I feel that I could make it better, just wish I had more money for a 2nd 500 and 3 more QS8 for 7.1 and some M60s I would like to get some M80s but do not want to get a new receiver.

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Epic Grand Master - 500
ONKYO 806
42" Sharp Aquos
HTPC

Rage, good to hear you made it through the "break in period".

I've sometimes wondered about all the different cone materials being used on speakers these days(kevlar, polymer/polypropylene, carbon fibre, paper, aluminum, nomex, papyrus, wood fibre ect....) and if any of them actually become more supple and have any change in sonic character after being played for a given amount of time.

Kevlar cones eh? I've always wanted bullet proof speakers.

I have set of Kevlar cone speakers in my car, and after thousands of hours of hard use, i can say they have not changed character in any noticeable way. And they be pretty!

Kevlar/carbon fibre speakers are cool looking, esp if you throw in a shiny phase plug in the mix!

Ooooh!! Shiny. I like shiny...

Most kids that like to drive around in cars with BOOM BOOM subs think that is how Home Theater should sound, not the case. Sure, you can run your sub Hot (cranked up) but that is not how it should be calibrated with the rest of the system.

So true, when I first got the EP500 I put the volume to max. Now after getting all my setting right it is now half. Don't get me wrong, 2 Ep500 would be awesome.

or an EP600 and 2 EP350v3's like I have. The more subs placed around the room, the flatter the frequency response across all seating locations.

I dunno, it seems kind of unfair to have TWO Ep350s and only ONE Ep600.

I agree.
I personally think I experience this break in every time I turn on an audio system.

Example.
I get in the car to drive home, turn on the radio or CD. I immediately think, 'Man my Jeep's audio system sounds like crap'....Halfway home, I hear a song and suddenly think that it sounds pretty good.....I get home, immediately turn on the Squeezebox and M60s. I think, hmmm That's better but it's just not right. 10-15 minutes later, everything sounds just perfect.

Our ears and brains do seem to need time to adjust to a new audio experience. I 'unscientifically' compare it to our eyes having to adjust to a new lighting level.

Murph,

Nice analogy to the eyes adjusting to light. Certainly in music reproduction there is an accommodation that takes place with your ears and brain that let you "hear through" the limitations of the system (car, boat, portable, old recordings) or of the source recording to the great music or singers. I spent a number of weeks living on my sailboat this summer--it has a decent Alpine marine system, stereo, two 8-inch coaxial speakers in the cabin and two in the cockpit. I listened to a bunch of CDs and got used to it, then after a week or so, I went over to Axiom to do a bunch of listening tests, bringing along the same CDs I'd had on the boat.

I was initially floored during the first double-blind test--I recall thinking I can hardly believe that speakers are capable of this sound quality compared to what I'd been used to on the sailboat. Yet I'd accommodated the sound on the boat and enjoyed lots of music. But hearing the Axioms (I think they were M22s in the first set of tests) was like raising a veil or opening a screen door, to carry through the visual analogy.

It's really interesting how the brain and hearing system adjust and filter out the annoying stuff--lack of fidelity, distortion artifacts, etc-- to let you get off on the good music.

Regards,
Alan

Alan, maybe you need to convince Ian to make some Axioms for marine applications.

Great idea. M80s would make excellent outriggers for my kayak if they floated.

I'm stunned that Alan doesn't have Axioms installed in the sailboat yet.
That concept is simply ludicrous.
It is just not believable.

I suspect his boat would be 12 volt power. Marine systems are a much easier fit. Of course, it wouldn't be impossible to set up an Axiom system and he could then entertain Ian's VIP guests, write off his upgrade taxes as a business expense and more importantly, host a floating web board party !!!!

I think you killed it with the last part, Murph. I can picture Alan pulling into the Marina on Georgian Bay and seeing a bunch of slightly balding, middle-aged audio geeks, standing on the dock....only to see Alan 'pretend' not to see us and pull back out into the bay....::what a scary looking bunch!!::