Do i need to break them in, and if so, how?

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

Uhm, no. All the break-in period is is the time it takes the new suspension pieces to loosen up to their normal/nominal compliance. Until these pieces have loosened up, the sub will actuall be stiffer, and harder to 'blow'. You do not have to baby the drivers until they are 'broke in', just play them however you want.
If anything, you may want to tweak the gains a bit lower once they break in, as they will tend excurt slightly more than when the suspension was new and stiff.

Unnaturally limited excursion + maximum power = Not enough cooling + maximum heat = higher chance of blown sub

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

another audioholic debate yay!!!

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Unnaturally limited excursion + maximum power = Not enough cooling + maximum heat = higher chance of blown sub

If the ever so slight change in over all excursion will make or break your subwoofer's ability to dissipate the heat you are pumping through it, that sub's days are numbered anyway.

 

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

If the ever so slight change in over all excursion will make or break your subwoofer's ability to dissipate the heat you are pumping through it, that sub's days are numbered anyway.

If that 'ever so slight change' is enough to have them overexcurting once they do break in at rated power, that subs days are numbered anyway.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

If that 'ever so slight change' is enough to have them overexcurting once they do break in at rated power, that subs days are numbered anyway.

Actually, you are incorrect. Nice attempt and a turn-about tho. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif
If it is not reaching its maximum excursion level, be it on a motor limited OR suspension limited speaker, the speaker could play all day long. There is such a thing as heat saturation. No such thing applies to the mechanical motion of the speaker.

 

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

Actually, you are incorrect. Nice attempt and a turn-about tho. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif
If it is not reaching its maximum excursion level, be it on a motor limited OR suspension limited speaker, the speaker could play all day long. There is such a thing as heat saturation. No such thing applies to the mechanical motion of the speaker.

Please explain, you're saying you may need to turn down gains after the suspension is looser, but that change in excursion, and therefore cooling, couldn't possibly be enough to cause it to blow?

If you put a sub in a box way too small for it and blast power at it until it is reaching its excursion limits, I'd bet it'd reach thermal limits long before that

 

[jeremiah 10+ year member]

just free air it with 10hz you will hear a popping sound for a lil bit that when it stops working

it's fully broke

lol

 

[sdmtnbiker420 10+ year member]

My Aunt Matilda breaks in here panties when she buys new ones, should I quote her also?

You know you break them in for her, dont lie to us. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Please explain, you're saying you may need to turn down gains after the suspension is looser, but that change in excursion, and therefore cooling, couldn't possibly be enough to cause it to blow?

I said 'if anything you MAY need to turn your gains down....'
I never said 'couldn't possibly blow the speaker'.

Is there some reason you keep attempting to change what both you and myself have said? Maybe its because you know if you actually quote what I actually said, your argument will fall flat on its face?

 

[kovemaster559 5,000+ posts]

Just let them wang from the start.

hahhhaha x2

 

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

I said 'if anything you MAY need to turn your gains down....'
I never said 'couldn't possibly blow the speaker'.

Is there some reason you keep attempting to change what both you and myself have said? Maybe its because you know if you actually quote what I actually said, your argument will fall flat on its face?

But if you 'may need to turn your gains down' in order to avoid overexcursion after break-in...why wouldn't you also be able to assume that you 'may blow your speaker' during break-in by giving it its rated power (meant to be rated for full excursion/cooling)

Btw, I don't actually believe in turning down gains during break-in and all that crap, I believe the same as you about the break-in period, but my arguement against it still stands

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

But if you 'may need to turn your gains down' in order to avoid overexcursion after break-in...why wouldn't you also be able to assume that you 'may blow your speaker' during break-in by giving it its rated power (meant to be rated for full excursion/cooling)
Btw, I don't actually believe in turning down gains during break-in and all that crap, I believe the same as you about the break-in period, but my arguement against it still stands

First of all, I dont know of any manufacturer that rates their speakers so liberally that they can't exceed their power ratings in some way, thermally. Xmax is another story, its a specific measurement.
Secondly, manufacturer's power ratings are almost exclusively thermal based, as mechanical limits are so dependent on the enclosure.

Third, that is why I said you "may need to" turn your gains down. I have never needed to, but Ive also never tweaked my gains to the point my subs are almost almost bottoming out, in any situation. Does this mean i can assume everyone adjusts gains this way? No.

Lastly, did you not understand my comment on heat saturation?

 

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

First of all, I dont know of any manufacturer that rates their speakers so liberally that they can't exceed their power ratings in some way, thermally. Xmax is another story, its a specific measurement.
Secondly, manufacturer's power ratings are almost exclusively thermal based, as mechanical limits are so dependent on the enclosure.

Third, that is why I said you "may need to" turn your gains down. I have never needed to, but Ive also never tweaked my gains to the point my subs are almost almost bottoming out, in any situation. Does this mean i can assume everyone adjusts gains this way? No.

Lastly, did you not understand my comment on heat saturation?

Not really, thats why I asked you explain it

Also is it just me or do your 'first of all,' and 'secondly' points have alot of contradiction?

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Not really, thats why I asked you explain it
Also is it just me or do your 'first of all,' and 'secondly' points have alot of contradiction?

No, they do not contradict each other. The first point was talking about manufacturers POWER ratings, the second point was talking about advertised XMAX specs. Do you understand the difference?
I have to run out, ill be back later to check on your progress. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

First of all, I dont know of any manufacturer that rates their speakers so liberally that they can't exceed their power ratings in some way, thermally. Xmax is another story, its a specific measurement.
Secondly, manufacturer's power ratings are almost exclusively thermal based, as mechanical limits are so dependent on the enclosure.

Third, that is why I said you "may need to" turn your gains down. I have never needed to, but Ive also never tweaked my gains to the point my subs are almost almost bottoming out, in any situation. Does this mean i can assume everyone adjusts gains this way? No.

Lastly, did you not understand my comment on heat saturation?

No, they do not contradict each other. The first point was talking about manufacturers POWER ratings, the second point was talking about advertised XMAX specs. Do you understand the difference?
I have to run out, ill be back later to check on your progress. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

If anything, you flipped that around accidentally?

I understand xmax can't change and is an absolute limit, and I understand that the power ratings are basically never an absolute limit, because of how dynamic they are, but I think its reasonable to say that by essentially putting your sub in a sealed box that is significantly too small for it (limiting cone travel/heat dissipation similarly to the 'break-in' period) its probably not a good idea to give it its full rated power, when you know its not being able to move as much as it should be.

Also you still didn't explain 'heat saturation'