peplogic Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Happy Hollidays All, Question for the forum. I have been told the Klipsch W-34 will take a little while to "break in" and i will notice how much the sound will improve... the question is.....the break in period i have heard from different people ranges from 1 month, to 1 year would love some thoughts for people that have purchased Klipsch previousley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laager Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 1 minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted December 27, 2009 Moderators Share Posted December 27, 2009 I remember them sounding a little better after a week or two and others noticed it also without me saying anything. Was it just me/us adjusting to the new sound, I have no idea ? Either way break in, or you adjusting, really doesn't matter just give them a little time and try slight movements in toe in and positioning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIGARBUM Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Reminds me of a funny story, a thousand years ago when I was young and stupid I raced a Porsche 911 (IMSA). I just had recently rebuild my engine and I asked the guy who was helping me, what is the break in process for a new engine, his reply, 1st lap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 My 'horns have been breaking in for about 35 years. They sound better all the time. I suggest getin' after it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I remember them sounding a little better after a week or two and others noticed it also without me saying anything. Was it just me/us adjusting to the new sound, I have no idea ? Either way break in... Exactly!! IMO, I think almost everything breaks in. Electronics, TT motors and bearings, interconnects, speaker wire, even power cords, and who-knows-what in a speaker's tangle of wires, voice coils, xover caps, coils and resistors -- anything you or I can think of.There was not a bit of question that my new AK-4 xovers, wires, and drivers had to break in. I was told it would take about 40 hours for the bass to start to appear and fill in, and that proved to be so. Ken Stevens told me a new CAT preamp would take about 100 hrs., and he was right on the mark (with lots of strange-sounding transitions until it fully blossomed). So, naturally, the DTEL's auditory judgment was right on the money. Many have too little confidence in their auditory memory and judgment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I remember them sounding a little better after a week or two and others noticed it also without me saying anything. I agree with this, with most of the improvement in the first few days. BTW, if the WAF is out-of-the-house, it takes less time...[Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted December 27, 2009 Moderators Share Posted December 27, 2009 It's true I am 52 and still breaking in, or somethings breaking every day, or at least don't work as well as it use to. [:$] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnatnoop Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 My 'horns have been breaking in for about 35 years. They sound better all the time. I suggest getin' after it. Dave yes, perfect advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 My RF-25s got quite a bit warmer after a few hours of running. My Heresys didn't warm up as much (bass driver) but they do seem to be sweeter everytime I use them. Maybe that's why guys like the Heritage line so much, they just keep getting better! Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 It's true I am 52 and still breaking in, or somethings breaking every day, or at least don't work as well as it use to. SWMBO tells me that she's gonna' break me in one day if I don't do things on the "honey do list"..... Oh!!! speakers!!! Sorry, got distracted!!!! Guess my memory is not only broken in, it's broken!!! Much of time it's the brain reacting to a new sound, sight, etc. I cannot remember the thread, but a highly regarded Klipsch engineer mentioned one time that there is little break in time, if any required. Stuff either works to spec..... or it does not..... It's the mind's eye (or ear) that sees the "break in". I do, however, believe that any component that requires an operating temperature, by nature of the heating up and cooling down, will, over time, "break in" and then perform at a consistent known level thereafter. That opinion, however does not apply to speaker wires, interconnects, or "mechanical" components such as switches, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I can say for both sets of my Promedia 2.1's; they definitely sounded so much better after a few days of use. ( Ran them at medium levels for about 2 days; varying music type)... My opinion is that this allowed the drivers/ crossovers; etc to break in.... ( Just my opinion....) My Heresies are almost 30 yrs old; but I recapped them a week ago. I did one speaker and then did a side by side comparison. The old speaker sounded a bit muddier but louder..... Now a week later and these puppies sound significantly better than before the recap. The subtle nuances exist where before they were kind of drowned or filtered out..... My GF even noted this yeaterday.... "Ooh; I never heard that in that song before".... I just smiled...... [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dubay Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I had my cross overs run in over a few weeks, then settled in to a sound. Here is a good story. I'm not much into the thought of passive components such as wires and resistors breaking in. But I have a passive preamplifer, and I have been listening to it for an extended period of a few weeks at the same volume setting. One weekend the family went away, so I exercised the amplifiers, then returned the volume control to nearly the same position, but 1 db setting higher. Turned on the amp the next day and the sound seemed veiled and off. Upon a quick investigation, I reduced the stepped attenuator by the 1 db, and every thing sounded as it should. Still can't seem to figure that out or even reproduce that effect. Short after this it sounded fine at all volume settings near the point I was listening to. Maybe just needed to move the switch a bit to clean the silver contacts? Read some articles on things like resistors and cables having a break in period, but I have no first hand knowledge of that.. Any thoughts from forum members? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Turned on the amp the next day and the sound seemed veiled and off. Upon a quick investigation, I reduced the stepped attenuator by the 1 db, and every thing sounded as it should. Still can't seem to figure that out or even reproduce that effect. How did you know it was 1 db, since that's an almost inaudible difference? IOW, is it a stepped volume control using different or more resistors for each step? The new resistor(s) for the next higher step may have needed their own breaking in. That it sounded better after a while supports that IMO. Anyway, I'm not surprised, believing in break-in as I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deafbykhorns Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I think you should be asking yourself how long will it take for my ears to "break-in" now that you own Klipsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neo33 Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 If this is true, then the very first time I listen to your speakers (no matter how perfect to your ears) it will be suck to my ears, yes? I think you should be asking yourself how long will it take for my ears to "break-in" now that you own Klipsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dubay Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 The "fine" switch steps are in 1 db increments. So I could tell by the position of the switch at which -db point the preamplifier was set. The 1 db difference makes my point, it is an inaduible amount of volume difference so it was not just a 'louder sounds better' effect. But I could tell something was amiss. Yes, moving to the next position added a resistor in the ladder, so there was a resistor that had not 'broken in' yet. So this would indicate that there CAN BE some type of a 'break in' period for even some thing as mundane as a resistor. Hard for me to believe, but this antedotical evidence supports it. Gets me thinking of a blind A/B test that could be done. Put two resistors in line to the preamp, run them in for several months. Then take one out and replace it with a 'fresh' resistor. Have my wife then selects 1 of 2 channels on the preamp based on a random number generator. Have the preamp covered so I can not tell and have me blinded while doing this. Both same source material, and I have to tell which one has the old and which one has the new resistor. Then repeat this several times. This can be the fun stuff of this hobby... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neo33 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 So I am right? If this is true, then the very first time I listen to your speakers (no matter how perfect to your ears) it will be suck to my ears, yes? I think you should be asking yourself how long will it take for my ears to "break-in" now that you own Klipsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DADUDLE Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I agree my horns are 40 years old , put new crossovers in a few years ago ,ALK AND THEY DON'T NEED A BREAK IN , DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THOSE NEW SPEAKERS FROM HOPE OR WHERE EVER THEY ARE MADE ,ANOTHER Dave ,from the HOUSTON AREA ,OLD HOME ENTERTAINMENT STUFF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.