[Rischa]

Hello all and happy new year,

I'm interested in how your Omega speakers, any model, changed over the break-in period. I'm the new owner of a  set of Super Alnicos, and would like to have an idea of what I can expect to hear over the next 100 hours or so.

Many thanks!

[nature boy]

While they sound good out of the box, it takes about 100 hours of playing at moderate volume for the speaker cones to fully break in. You'll notice bass tighten and deepen during the process.  Treble gets a little more extended and clearer as well.

Make sure you toe-in the speakers a bit, just to the outside of your ears for the great soundstage these speakers present. Also I recommend not placing tall equipment racks between the speakers if you can avoid doing so.

Happy listening.

NB

[Rischa]

While they sound good out of the box, it takes about 100 hours of playing at moderate volume for the speaker cones to fully break in. You'll notice bass tighten and deepen during the process.  Treble gets a little more extended and clearer as well.

Make sure you toe-in the speakers a bit, just to the outside of your ears for the great soundstage these speakers present. Also recommend not placing tall equipment racks between the speakers if you avoid doing so.

Happy listening.

NB

Many thanks for your reply. If you don't mind, can you tell me more about how the treble clears up? I'd love to hear specifics on how the treble sounded out of the box compared to full break-in.

[OzarkTom]

A dealer in Omaga I know said to expect 400-500 hours to break in fully, but I imagine in 100 hours it will sound a lot nicer., more open sounding

[nature boy]

Treble will sound clearer and you'll hear more subtle detail, particularly with well recorded music.

It's not congested out of the box by any means, just missing some of the details once the speaker cones are fully broken in.

NB

[Rischa]

How about the midrange in particular? Any significant changes there after break-in?

[rar1]

Congratulations on your purchase!  You will enjoy these speakers over the years.

I have had Omegas in at least one of my systems for the last 15 years.  When I move up the Omega line, I tend to gift out the other speakers.  I am presently breaking in a pair of Compact Alnico Monitors.  I had the Super 7 monitors in use before.

If I had to sum up the break-in period it would be like so ...

- the speakers sound pretty good out of the box
- after some time, you will notice that the speakers sound 'dialed in'
- you will hear a sweetness to the sound, familiar details are in place, and you will notice details that you had not heard before

I experienced this while listening to Elton John's 'Live in Australia' on vinyl this weekend.  I am very familiar with this album and this was the first time I was noticing the chestiness of his vocals and his pronunciation of certain words.  The song that struck me in particular was 'Have Mercy on the Criminal.'

Enjoy the journey.

[medium_grade]

My RS5 High Outputs did not sound good at all AT FIRST. It took about 20 hours for them to sound decent, 50 to sound good and about 100 to sound spectacular.

[roscoe65]

My RS5 High Outputs did not sound good at all AT FIRST. It took about 20 hours for them to sound decent, 50 to sound good and about 100 to sound spectacular.

That is my exact experience with my HO Monitors.

[Gapx]

My RS5 High Outputs did not sound good at all AT FIRST. It took about 20 hours for them to sound decent, 50 to sound good and about 100 to sound spectacular.

+1 (with my junior 8xrs)

[Canada Rob]

Never had HO's, but have CAM, had SAM, RS5, 7, 4.5 Hemp, and both versions of the Hoyt-Bedford.  They all sounded pretty good even after a few hours.  The 4.5 Hemp was probably the most notorious for long break in.

There are quite a few variables as far as break in time with any speaker and no doubt everyone will have a different experience.  Type of music played, volume, damping factor of the amp, and room temperature all play a role.  Music with a reasonable amount of bass and percussion played at a medium volume is the best way to break in any Omega.  Forget the FM white noise break in - you'll be there forever waiting for your speakers to loosen up.