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

I have been running 25+ year old B&W Matrix 803 S2 speakers in my 2-channel system for about 15 years, and I finally treated myself to new speakers.  Mock me for buying based on research alone, but I got a really good deal and just unpacked my beautiful Dynaudio Contour 60i's.  The Dyn's are not broken in, just starting to play around with different songs, but I am expecting an improvement out of the box, and not getting it.  They are no more revealing, and slightly harder and more jangley in the mids and highs.  The bass is of course much better with the big Dyns, but the B&Ws with the Dyn Sub6 subwoofer I was running were better.  I have very good equipment so it is not a matter of driving bigger speakers (ARC Ref preamp and Bryston 7bSST2 monoblocks).  Unless speakers get A LOT better with break in, I thinking these Dyns may be converted back into cash.   Thoughts? Thanks.
mathiasmingus
boomerbillone
328 posts
 
Speakers must be "broken in" just like car motors and new shoes. They are electro-MECHANICAL devices and need "experience" to limber up. Even wires need a bit of break in. I did not used to believe it, but experience has taught me. Thank God I'm still teachable. Put on a good FM station and go visit friends for a few days. Keep smiling!
mammothguy54's avatar
mammothguy54
934 posts
 
@mathiasmingus  Glad to hear that you are now a Dynaudio convert.  I have long enjoyed the Dynaudio signature sound.  My new Contour 60i just keep sounding better and better (as you have found).  Just yesterday I went back to my new copy of Jennifer Warnes, 'Famous Blue Raincoat'.  That is an album that will really show how the human voice can sound with a good speaker.  When I first got my new Dynaudios I played that album to establish a reference sound for the speakers when new.  They sounded good, but somewhat strained and narrow on her voice.  Last night I revisited the album and WOW, what a difference.  The slow development of the speaker break-in process is typically difficult to notice, on a day to day basis.  But doing what I did with that album - playing it early on, waiting for a respectable amount of speaker break-in to be accomplished, and then playing the same album again - was a revelation of proof for the total process.  The sound quality last night was breathtaking, absolutely fabulous.  Jennifer sounded as if she were singing directly in front of me, live!  At the present stage you are with the speakers you can still do that.  Give it a try, using your best sounding album with human voice and also try for some wind/brass instruments. 
Enjoy the speakers.  They are wonderful.
three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
so apparently speakers don't need to be sent back immediately if they don't sound perfect straight out of the box?  Shocker!  Someone better let Einstein in on this audio secret.
missioncoonery
1,190 posts
 
Yea,don't listen to millercarbon..hes a schill for Tekton and its now really obvious he hasnt a clue..maybe Tekton sound the same from start to finsh( could be the fact they use guitar amp speakers ie,eminence )but any quality speaker ive ever purchased sounded totally different after a correct breakin period.
paradisecom
262 posts
 
In my opinion, you're just used to the way your B&W's sounded to you, for 15 years of use.  You're ears and brain may adjust over some time to accept the new speakers. 

I've tested identical speakers, one set new out of the boxes and the other with 2+ years of use on them and found no difference in sound signature. 

Overall, if you're not happy with the sound of the new speakers, you may never be.  At least you're in a good position with them so you wouldn't take a beating if you were to re-home them. 

Maybe a newer set of B&W's would benefit you.  (??)
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