Okay, How Important Is Speaker Break In? (Dynaudio Contour 60i)

different speakers have different dispersion patterns so can interact with room attributes differently

agree w comments below that modern speakers have accentuated lower treble and upper midrange for better perceived 'presence' - often to the detriment to longer term listenability

system matching is key to make new speakers work... plugging them in where old ones stood is just the starting point

jjss49, when you say system matching, are you still talking about room, or getting into the components?  From what I have read, there should be no significant component issues, i.e., Big Dyns should like 600W Bryston solid state amps.  Of course, every combination could yield differences, but this system should generally be harmonious.

A harsh midrange can be one of the worst traits a speaker can possess and that's why buying without audition is a total crapshoot.  While audition is not always possible, it is, IMO, impossible to "research" a speaker through reviews or online posts because the reviewers have different rooms, different electronics and different tastes. While I agree that some break in is necessary, I would say give them 2 weeks and then return them if you can. Or you can rebuild your system around the new speakers, i.e., new cables, electronics, etc to get them sounding better. Or, you could find recordings where the Dynaudios shine and only play them.  Don't think for a minute that some audiophiles don't take this approach, either consciously or subconsciously.  Mark Levinson many years ago talked about the concept of the system dictating the types of music we play.  But all in all, if your B&Ws really work in your room, why not keep them and upgrade other parts of the system?  Changing speaker cables might make a huge difference - or none at all.  That's why it's best to buy with audition. but I know it's not always possible.  Good luck. BTW - when I audition a speaker, I will always play something off the Brubeck "Take Five" record.  Paul Desmond's alto sax will expose a harsh midrange immediately.  It also happens to be good music, but that's a bonus. 

Thanks Charyo.  Indeed the B&W's (to whom I have sincerely apologized for being momentarily attracted by the tall, brown-skinned younger model) may be restored to their prior home, and nice thought on how good my cables could be for a fraction of the cost of new speakers.  My weekend project now is going to be building some low-rise wheeled platforms so I can throw speaker options and placement around a bit more freely in the space.

I have had my Contour 60i speakers now for a couple of months.  I am not consistently available to play an audio session so at this point I have only about 70 hours of run in time on them.  I found them to be a bit bright, initially.  After about 35 hours they tamed down a considerable amount.  Since then I have noticed further taming in the upper midrange and lower high frequency range.  Soundstage and imaging are absolutely amazing and I do not want to lose any of that.  So, next step was to provide more room treatments.  I added a center treatment panel (positioned between the speakers and covering about 80% the width between them).  That made a very significant difference.  Vocals, string, and wind instruments are better than ever.  I also pulled them a couple inches further from the wall than where I had them.  That, I believe, played a role as well.  The front of the speaker is now at 36" from the wall.  Based on the changes in sound over the run-in hours of playing, I tend to believe they will continue to improve.  At this point I am very satisfied and they are truly a first class speaker in every way, from build quality to sonic quality.  I think that relative to other speakers out there these are priced at least $3K below market value.  So much depends on what your individual tastes are for music reproduction.  These speakers are "alive" but not "in your face, brash".  You may prefer a very laid back or even dark sounding speaker. The Contour 60i is not that type of sound.  The choice is yours, of course. The system you have should work well with the Contour 60i, so I don't believe that is any sort of issue.  Try moving them further out from the wall, if you can, even just a couple of inches.  Be sure to place some room treatment between them and most certainly at the first reflection point for either side (if you don't already) and I think you'll find a really good speaker on hand.  Again, their soundstage and imaging characteristics are amazing and you should take that into consideration as a big role in what a speaker does for your listening pleasure.  Hope this helps.