Breaking Speakers In 'professionally'

[slugdub]

I have searched for a topic on this (I think I remember one) but couldn't find it.

how does one ensure the 2 weeks of breaking in subs is done right? I would like to almost 'idiot proof' it by perhaps just setting my input volume to a set amount and still be able to listen to my music at the normal loudness that I prefer.

Again, this is for two cvr 12 in, i guess, a sealed box (got lazy and am buying one from someone for now)

[slugdub]

Well I found the thread now:

http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/ind...93&hl=BREAK

But I'm in the same boat as the other kid. I had assumed 1/4 gain for the two weeks is fine, but someone made the point you can get the subs fairly loud at 1/4

I guess the advice about testing the speaker's stiffness with a finger is good, I just get nervous touching speakers for some reason. I'm worried i'm going to go all Mice & Men on em and poke too hard.

[Mikesmith0890]

yeah, none of us wanna carry a dead mouse around in our pockets lol. I dont know how it is for everyone but for break in i've always been told 1/4 gain and less and no bass enhancers on h/u and what not. Just a clean unadjusted signal. You may hear otherwise.

[lanman31337]

Here's the kicker with the 1/4 gain theory. The gain is to match to the voltage of the pre-outs on the head unit. So if I'm running 5v preouts, 1/4 gain might be where I need it. Just keep the volume down and don't wang on them.

[lance_aka_64]

some people will say its not necessary. i have never done it. people say to just not run full tilt for a week or two. you are welcome to come get this box i have. i think its 2-2.5 cubes sealed.

[AI James]

ive never broke anything in "properly" i slam on them from out the box. i know a couple companies out there to in house break in.

[kryptonite]

Funny story about Kicker:

I stopped up at one of our local custom shops and i was getting my system metered. I had a pair of CVR 12s in a custom built box which metered 135.3 (shitty i know, i had a brain fart, crossed some speaker wire and the amp kept cuttin out on me) Anyways, the guy who was doin the metering said he could show me a "Real" system so he brought his Audi into the shop. He had a single 10" Kicker Solo X which IMO slammed mad hard. I asked him about the break in period and he said "I just beat on the sub until i smell burning coil, than turn it down, let it cool and crank the hell out of it again." Well, he cranked it and we started smelling coil, so he turned it down and we popped the trunk and saw smoke pouring out of the port, needless to say, that's NOT how you break in a Kicker Sub. hahahahahahaha

[raytard]

i blew my cvr's the first time around in like a week "because i didnt break it in"

second time around, i was basically not an asshole blasting it full volume all the time for like the first 20 hours and then started beating on em, they're still playing years later

i guess it can make a difference, considering nothing was changed at all the second time around besides taking it easy on them the second time. Also did the exact same thing with like 3 separate sets of rockfords in 3 separate sets of cars for three different friends, set everything right, they blew em, i replaced em and told them to let em break in for like 20 hours before they really beat on em, and they never blew again (p1,2, and 3 series, different in each car, all off approx rms)

like holding a used cvr and a brand new cvr you can feel the difference in the suspension stiffness, you can honestly hear the difference swapping an old box for the same new box (same year and everything, just one used for a few months)

it can make a difference, and the way i've always done it is to just not push em hard for the first 20 or so hours of playing, and then see what they can do.

on the flip side, 100's of customers we put systems in for dont have a clue and pound it hard from the first second on and never have a problem, so who the hell knows, personally i'd take it easy on em initially

[Kicker Guy]

Break in period is retarded, if it can't handle what I am going to out of the box I don't want it.

[raytard]

i couldnt run the mile when I popped out my mom's vagoo, but that doesn't mean i wont ever be a track star.

if it takes a few ours of use to get the optimum performance from something, that's more than normal

my xbox controllers dont feel right till the little nubs are worn off the sticks, my brakes on my car had to be seated properly, my goped had to be run short distances with rich fuel to seat the piston in the head, my batteries had to be used a little and charged up before they gave me their full performance, my computer needed me to spend 20 hours getting drivers, updates, and essential programs before i could really sit and use it like i wanted to.

nothing out there works like it should out of the box, i wont even wear clothes till after i wash them, or shoes till after i lace them.