On the break-in question, I recently bought some Orb speakers for a bedroom. In their manual they said that there would be some break-in: "Like all speaker systems, our speakers require a little time to break in. They will sound great out of the box, but even better as they play for a couple of hours over the first few days. Use the speakers normally during the break in period. There is no need to break in the speakers any other way. As you play them, you will notice that the output from the satellites becomes more well-rounded and the output from the subwoofer becomes tighter and louder. You will also notice that the overall integration between the satellites and subwoofer improves as the speakers break in: You might have to adjust the volume of the subwoofer during the break in period to best match the satellites. Once a balance has been achieved, you will probably not have to make many changes unless there are
differences in the dynamic range or recording of your various audio sources."
I'm frankly not sure if I hear any difference after the break-in period. I've listened for it, and think I hear a slight difference, but who knows. Any difference is subtle.
As an aside, I actually like the little system I got from Orb (including a nice little sub). Nothing like the Axiom setup in another room, but I don't think even Orb would claim to compare to larger speakers like the Axioms. I would have preferred Axioms, but they were too big for this particular room . . . .
