how long should it take for my KEF's to break in?

Question

i bought some KEF IQ1 bookshelf speakers they sound amazing the detail gives me chills. but on a review i read somewhere online said that the speakers were rapidly sounding better throughout the moth he was reviewing them. the man said that he called kef and they said it should take around 100 hours for them to break in. do you know anything about this?

Answer 1

The break in on speakers can range from 50 hours to 250 hours, depending on the size, make and model of speakers, on a nice set of bookshelfs, I would say that after 100 to 150 hours of use, they will sound noticeably better than they do out of the box. Most audiophiles call this a warm in period, it has to due with the speaker receiving use, and the surrounds of the speakers loosening slightly, giving up some of their rigidity. THis is not only something that applies to all speakers, but there are some that take hundreds of hours to reach their peak. COmpanies like B&W, Bay audio, McIntosh Labs and some of the other big dogs can reccommend as much as 500 hours of warm in time. When I install really high end systems, I usually run the speakers on a good, clean amp, for about 65 to 75 hours, before I ever take them to the customer, to allow them to warm in some. This is a very viable practice, that is practically required in some of the nicer components.
The best thing to play actually, would be to hook them up to a dvd player, and let an action movie, or something of that nature play through them at low to moderate volume. The action movie will have moments that are quiet and require precise sound reproduction, and there will also be explosions and other higher gain items that will allow the speaker to warm in with a wide range of sound types. If you need any other assistance feel free to contact me
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Answer 2

Kef Q300 Review Stereophile

Answer 3

Many speakers sound considerably better after they break in. It is more true of some speakers than others. What the reviewer and KEF representative said sounds quite plausible. During the breaking in period you want to be careful not to drive the speakers too hard. You have probably already listened to them quite loud and that is normal. I would refrain, however, from further loud use until the 100 hour break-in period is over.

Answer 4

Allot of debate on the theory of break in on speakers. Also take in consideration when you buy speakers at the store, the room and components are ideal for listening, unlike most peoples houses. The speakers you love at the store, sometimes sound shrill so make sure you have the speakers set up properly. A Radio Shack (analog preferred) SPL meter is great purchase to help optimize sound

Answer 5

Hi.I can't really see why speakers have to have a "break "in period. Are they saying the speakers sound will improve after 100 hours. I know electronic equipment performs better after a few hours from switch on .When i purchased my speakers in 1984 there was no mention of a breaking in period. Maybe it has something to do with the speaker suspension being stiff and needing to loosen a bit .Very intriguing indeed.There is a saying that a new piano sounds better after it has been played for some time Maybe that's why speakers need the same treatment.

Checked my speakers found additional info. :

They were inspected and tested before i bought them
:
B&K curve trace ----checked
Pink noise source------checked
Program source-------checked
Phase----------checked
Oscillator sweep -----checked
Cabinet-------checked
Power and distortion------checked

They seemed to have been broken in before i bought them.

Have your speakers got a record of something similar on the back of the cabinet ?

Cheers.

Answer 6

100 hours for the Kefs sound about right

by the way, great pick of a speaker, I am looking to buy them now

Answer 7

Break-in period varies, 100 hours sounds like a MINIMUM. If possible, I suggest to put a CD and have it play on repeat mode for a few days at low volumes at nites and whenver you are not home.

Stereophile sells "test tone and break-in" CD, which is the best thing. Or any other CDs- just change CDs often for wider frequency and dynamic range..

Answer 8

Watching tv is easier but I love reading catalogs more

Answer 9

while reading a book, you're stimulating the human brain. You transform your reading and literacy skills and you also in the process, are more literate. Despite having today's modern tools, you should be in a position to read still.
While you're watching t.v. can be good fun, it isn't doing anything to the human brain.