What is "break in" and what difference does it make? In amps? Preamps? Speakers? More?


Hi folks,

Newbie question. I read often about a break-in period for speakers, amps. Can someone explain what this means, technically and to the listener's ears?

Is there a difference in what one hears when it comes to speaker break-in vs. component break-in?

Are there levels (quality) where break-in makes no difference?

Thanks.
128x128hilde45

Showing 3 responses by 4krowme

There is no short answer here, as I have heard varying amounts of difference depending the the product and even the application. As mentioned above, there is an endless amount of opinion about this topic in many other threads. Good reading.
  You drive into a new town, stop and ask for directions, and a small crowd gathers, each with their fingers pointing in a different direction. 
Regardless of what we say, what we believe, or what we consider to be proven by the science of the day, does not change the truth. Believing by whatever basis however is real for us. In these small cases of what makes this or that sound better to us, is an important human reality.