Does run-in volume matter?

Greetings, Keith.

I ran-in my DR'd 500 with normal system usage - i.e. as and when I wanted to sit down and listen to music, which for me involves spinning ye olde-fashioned shiny beer mats or bigger flat black round things, so I can't do the unattended resurrection-shuffle streamery thing. See Ashton Gardner and Dyke for further information.

The experience was pretty much musically enjoyable and engaging throughout, though of course there were subtle sonic ups and downs along the way. The weirdest and only extreme event was just one 24 hour period of 'thin and screechy'. I gave up on that day and ironed the cat instead. It soon passed. No; not the cat.

I'm hearing my 500 continue to blossom in a most delightful manner, nearly six months later, but as I've explained, I'm not into radical running-in practices.

John.

I let my amp running at reasonable volume whilst I was at work and listened normally outside of work hours.  There was a clear run in period where things were patchy and improving.  For a while I wondered if it was as much my ears adjusting to the amp as the amp running in and then I bought an interconnect that was quite simply unlistenable for a period of time which convinced me that, sometimes at least, equipment does need to run in too

Thanks folks,

I'm wondering if making the amp work harder at higher volumes speeds up the run-in.

Keith

If loudness matters, then tuning into some god-awful racket on Radio 1 should help. 'Music' compressed to death and with the maximum recording level set to +45db.

I used the R3(FM)-at-constant-low-level approach until and unless I wanted to listen to my choice of music. I might have avoided JN's 24 hours of thin and screechy, but I don't have the benefit of a 500, just a lowly 300.

I don't think it will Keith. Sucking amps from the wall is the main thing.

I did read that somewhere, possibly a review, that the speakers were disconnected during run-in, but Dark Bear advised against this as you need a load and I would assume that louder means more load.

I have always run in my speakers and the amp (but for lesser time) by running under mid volume and have the speakers out of phase facing each other with  a mono source - much of the volume is cancelled out and so can be left like this without too much disturbance. Once the main run in is done - you can listen to music - but obviously trying to listen to music un very un run in speakers is not often an enjoyable thing to do.

S

Ummm. Just listen to music? If it improves, great. Don't stress about it.

I just play music as normal. Whatever will happen will happen. There is no magical method. 

My current and previous speakers were secondhand, so no run-in needed, and my IMF TLS50 speakers before that, which were bought new, didn't seem to need running in - they sounded fantastic from day 1, and I was never aware of any change with time, though of course than the remainder of the system was relatively limiting.

In the shop we used Simon's method. Volume needs to be set to a reasonably high level but not maxed out. On a Naim amp we're talking around 10 o'clock or 45 (if Uniti product). If listening normally this would be loud. Speakers being wired out of phase and facing each other, there is much less sound leakage and you can lower this with a thick blanket over them.

You need to burn in the amp, speakers and cable and that means running current through them. Too low a current and you're not exercising the cable or speakers enough to loosen them up. The amp will probably run in a bit faster with more current flowing through it, though I can't say for sure, but speakers and cable DEFINITELY need the extra current.

Simon's method cuts down run-in time dramatically. A pair of speakers that would normally take 3 weeks or so to run in with normal usage will run in over a weekend. Speakers with stiffer motor units in their drivers or more complex crossovers, such as Dynaudios, can be run in over a solid week (sometimes 2!) of the above where they would take months to run in with normal usage. These tend to be speakers with high power handling, so also think PMC and ATC.

Frank.

Thanks people,

Most seem to believe that volume matters and it matters more as you move to the end of the audio chain.

I guess it's difficult to say for sure when we don't really understand why run-in exists (except for speakers where it's easier to explain).

With expected run-in times running to three months and beyond I'm not going to put the speakers out of phase facing each other. It's too much for me (putting them back in exactly the same place every time I want to use them, levelling and tightening spikes, heavy blankets on B&W 804D tweeters - no thanks), although perhaps I would I take a different view if I had a dedicated listening room (or worked in a hi-fi shop!). I just keep things running as close to 24/7 as is practical and at a volume that doesn't annoy me or my family.

I'm coming up to two weeks now, with friends coming over on Friday for an evening of musical entertainment. I'm guessing they won't notice that the amp hasn't had its full three months yet  

I thought speaker break-in was supposed to start at low volume with gradual increases. Totem Acoustics lists break-in times for all their speakers and states "During this time, refrain from playing them at very loud levels". That's what I did, using incremental volume increases and simply enjoying the music - no blankets, run-in discs, or out of phase involved - but I'm not one to want to overcomplicate simple matters.