[Brownee]

Hi  

Don’t know if this is the right place to post this but it pertains to my Aksonics. Do new speakers require a break in period? I finished building my Aksonics last night and eagerly set them up for a listen. On initial listen I was not very impressed. There seemed to be an unnatural pronouncement of frequencies in the male vocal range. It sounded harsh. The imaging also didn’t live up to how people describe the speakers.  I felt a bit disappointed. After about 2hrs of listening I am sure that the sound of the speakers was changing. The harshness I had herd at the start was much less but the imaging and sound stage just came to life. As I have said before in this forum, I am new to things audiophile, but I have not heard this kind enveloping sound before. The speakers sonically disappeared and at times I could swear noises were even coming from behind me.  From being disappointed at the start I went to bed happy. So is this normal? Do speakers “break in” or am I hearing things that aren’t there. (I don’t think so.) It was like listening to a different set of speakers. And if this is the case can I look forward to more improvements?

Thanks
Brownee

[AKSA]

Hi Brownee,

Yes, this is normal.  There are many caps in the crossover - which is quite complicated you might notice - and the speaker drivers themselves need time to free up.  However, most of what you are hearing is caps bedding in;  a few years ago I never believed this stuff but now I'm absolutely convinced.  An AKSA's birth squawks are very ordinary;  but after ten hours playing the sound has transformed utterly.

Thank you for reporting your experiences!

Cheers,

Hugh

[Jens]

Hi Brownee,

All speakers require som break-in.

As Hugh says, there are a  number of caps in the crossover, which all require some break-in time.

Apart from this, all ordinary speaker drivers require some break-in. This break-in is purely mechanical and is caused by the suspension of the diaphragm (irrespective of whether it is a large diaphragm or just a tweeter). This suspension requires some break-in to reach its intended softness.

Having heard the Aksonics at Hugh's I can only recommend these speakers. They have a high resolution and a fine soundstage, and even though some might think that they lack some bass it is merely a question of getting them adjusted properly to the room - or, if you have a very large room, to add a capable subwoofer.

Cheers,

Jens