Great video!!! As you know I'm currently testing this commonly thrown around myth as well. Never personally "broken in" a subwoofer with means of procedure before, but hopefully both our findings will help shed more light on this whole "breaking in" topic. And thanks to this weekends road trip, I'm on 6hrs of subwoofer playtime so far. Going for an even 10 to cover my bases before testing max spl. Of course I'll be prepared for when people inevitability complain about some variable being off, or not long enough, but I wanted to try my best to put some stuff to rest like you did here, thanks for posting! 👍

Breaking in = a clever way to let your 30 day return or exchange period expire.

2 years later and honestly this makes all sense just subbed thank you

Brilliantly simple and to the point. Just hooked up a sub i reconed last week....going let her play and enjoy. 👍👍👍

Great work. I have seen the Qts and Fs change from out of the box to used for a while. I did not know about the outgassing.

After buying my first pair of brand new subwoofers I was afraid i'd damage them. Thanks to your video, I'm not concerned whatsoever. Keep up the incredibly informative videos!

Glad to see you putting out useful knowledge for people. I feel like we need to help inform the basshead masses on all things audio. Break-in, Impedance rise (how it affects every day systems vs. competition systems) T/S parameters and what they mean and how to use them to get the info you want about your sub.

I was told when buying my subwoofers: just throw it in the enclosure and she will handle 150 watts RMS all day long. No talk of breaking in.this was in the 90s to ealy 2000s. And the seller was an engineer! Interesting video! Subbed and liked. Cheers from Australia 🙂👍👍👍

I am glad that I met you at mini truck nationals a couple years back

Great video, glad I found this Tech Stuff series.

Awesome vid! Stuff I always wondered about. Keep them coming!

happy to see your videos bro really informative indeed

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS VIDEO SO MUCH THANK YOU!!!

I firmly believe the physics and engineering principles behind “breakin period” being good for gradual out gassing but otherwise unnecessary. Anecdotally I also believe anything that moves or stretches regardless it’s a car, a shoe or a subwoofer can benefit from a casual breaking in period. Car makers insist on new car breakin periods, shoes are more comfortable after some wearing in, and in my experience letting new subs settle into place before going all out never hurt. Metals have a certain degree of spring but can shear, crack or fail after sudden or prolonged stress especially in thin or ribbon cables. Basically I would suggest 25-75% power for maybe a week and then have fun- but with all the vibration and force on precise moving parts it just makes sense to me. Key part is making sure your wiring /install practices and settings are legit proper - it’s easy to damage things by overdistortion or underpowering. Good connections mean way less dimming issues. But even that can be solved with an xstatic batcap they’re amazing.

Wow, I didnt think it would be that significant!

Great video. My 12s were slapping as soon as I put them in the box

I can personally say the every advice in this video is the truth and thus i am thankful for finding this video I just received my new sub and followed every tip here and lemme tell you, it keeps on giving me surprises and joy I never thought of the voice coil bubbles but after examining my sub’s vc I ACTUALLY SAW THE BUBBLES just shows the level of truth in this video

Well spoken!! that’s why I buy your products

I learned so much from this video thank you!!

Thanks for the information on subwoofer break in👍😊

Cant wait for tomorrow's episode

This channel kicks ass

We all know who is the most knowledgeable guy on yt on audio besides maybe Mark but I think u got him, enjoy your videos a whole lot, I wish we could get together have an idea for a car audio part thay would be a great seller

Thank you for this.

Thanks man very good info

I absolutely agree with what was said here. I wish more would think this way when it comes to this subject.

Lowballer basket looks a lot like Skar EVL thanks for the video just what I was looking for 😁

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. I’d like to see what classifies as over powering, under powering subs and the effects of both on the sub(s). 👌🏾

Thank you for a great video.

Great vid! Thanks

I think it would be awesome if you make a video explaining all of the specs, like qts bl etc. I know just a couple but the rest are just numbers to me, I want to learn what they mean for sure! thanks!

Wow what a nice content! Your vids are like going to college 😆👏🏻👊🏻 thx

Great video, just don't apply this information to shoes. Shoes do need to break in or you can get blisters on your feet.

Back in 2001 I was sponsored by Treo I was in the super street 9 plus class and they had told me to install the subs and play them at 30Hz at 3/4 volume for 2 minutes let it cool down for 10 minutes , then do it again and that was it. Speaker was ready for full burps at 8k watts.

I have a JBL 1000 watts rms so what’s the setting for it?

Amazing video!!! Now what I am really curious about is when it comes to putting new woofers in to expand your system. In my case: I have a no wall with 4 15s, but I bought a van to build a 9 15 6th order. What are the dangers or precautions I should take when it comes to the woofers? Do I need 9 equal (new) woofers or can I buy 5 new ones and use them all in one system?

I know this much... I didn't really "break in" my HCCA 152 which we all know has a extremely stiff spider. However!.. after playing it for over a year it started getting much louder. So it did break in finally. Output wise at least. I just wired it up and started bumping. Orion customer service told me I was going to damage it. I do 150's with a single 15.... it's so broken😂

Can you explain spider color or material diffs?

I wanna see a video on box tuning and the explanation of the different orders of box builds.

I’d always play regular volume then turn up full. Not enough to blow speakers. Enough to break them in nicely.

Saen.. with the same principal. Does this applied to the the small 6.5 door speakers.? I also wish that you do a video about them.

Very informative not everybody has a test bench to be breaking inn subwoofers anyway. Besides if you don't properly break in a sub will it void warranty lol.

What app did you use our what test time generator did you use for the around 2-3 min mark? TY in advance

Good Video!! I do however have a basic question, for getting the TS specs right (e.g. using DATS) don't you think its better to break-in the sub before measuring? In the video you did talk about change in Qts (I think more precisely its Qms), Vas etc.

Man I have been saying this for years and No One Believes Me

Good day. What's your take on a strong motor and an underhung coil?

Setting the filters on the amp is key... especially with ported enclosures...care to elaborate

In my opinion I think it comes down to design and quality of materials being used. Its kinda hard to answer the myth about speaker break In due to the amount of different speakers out there. I have noticed that my system did start to sound better slowly over time the more I listened to it. May I also mention that clipping can be bad for any speaker. So its important that your amp and input signal are not clipping while you are attempting to break in your speakers. Cleaner the better. That means that proper tuning of your system is also important.

If our specs change.. is the box recommendation for the sub also going to change? Say if we build to a spec sheet on the sub.

Glad you put this I hear people saying the surround is the break in which made no sense to me. I never broke in a sub just didn't play full till after about a month and then I would set gains and meter accordingly to specs. I'm sure everyone one has a different theory.

That might explain the smell from my digital design sub. Put it in the car with a ground zero amp. And adjusted the best i could. Turned up the volume and after 30-40 seconds it started to smell. Turned it down and havent turned the sound up again 😂 btw i am from norway so sorry if my English sucks😂

The questions is why should the customer has to break in the subwoofer ? Also, are the T/S parameters measured before break in or after? Because it will give you a wrong box design in software. I'm planning on doing some Dayton um18s for home cinema. I have a single pb-1000 and the first few movies and songs, it sounded like it was not even turned on. After a few days it just came to life.

PLEASE someone send this video to Soundqubed! 48hrs of break in?? Come on!!

I just bought an American bass xr 10d4 which is rated for 1000 rms. I plan on running 1000 rms out the gate and I listen to metal. Will this sub be okay? 1.8 cu ft box tuned to 40hz.

Thanks!!!!!

How do you get blackened voice coil?

Good shit bro

Mind blown 🤯

suggest a gopro camera for such videos

Didnt think bout that

The response will change as the spider gets softer but theres not really a requirement to break them in.

How much need time let to work a new subwoofer at not maximum volume ??

Can't say I've ever seen a spider crack/tear from reaching Xsus before the suspension has softened, nah... :P

This weekend I just noticed i had a spider to former glue joint fail on a week old 15" NVX VS sub. There is no other sign of damage and it never got hot, im hoping NVX doesnt try to say I is definitely my fault like no break in (even tho it's not mentioned in the manual) or overpowered...I did stretch it's legs but don't feel I abused it and I don't have an internal watt meter but I am fairly knowledgeable, being budget sub should I have let the spider get some stretch for a bit before bumping it or is this very likely just a sign of piss poor glue job on a mass produced import sub or could this be legitimately blamed on me? I've always been under the impression NVX builds fairly quality products for there price point. I just want to be prepared when I talk to them I don't want to be bullied by them to avoid covering it.. Any input would be appreciated...

oh wow thank you fascinating

In my years of box building, I've found it best to cycle a sub with different test tones while inside of the box and vehicle for which the sub is housed in. I've witness several changes as you mentioned earlier in s parameters which effects some box designs more than others( tuning help compensate for those changes as well adding or removing polyfill)....I use several test tones to allow the former and its adhesives to better set as well as allow the subs to move freely with the compliance of its coil and leads through its enclosures limits. Everyone has theories, this is mine and it has worked quite well with me and the subs yhat I normally install are of those lower quality that everyone rate them as😏 but its odd that I tend not to have issues of burnt coils, spider seperations,surround or dust caps comong undone. back in the day, several co.pany's did a burn in time period after assembly then retested to assure that the subs parameters, mechanics and connections ( leads, spider and cone, spider and landings as well as the surround and its seals were still ok then they packaged the finish products but now a day, subs are assembled, tested for parameter accuracy and freedom of movement then packaged for shipping. I recall opening subs back in the day smelling the warm coil smell and not just the adhesives use to asdemble them. myth or not, it tend to work better for me, mainly in tuning before a customer even hears their ride....then after a few weeks of beating on it, they give me call or come by to tell me that it seems to be getting louder. it took all of this to say that the former heats up ...it expands and when its cools down it contracts, those gasses that you're reffering to is from both extreme heat ( over powering ) and normal play ( although mi'nute, it still forms around the coils)....and yes subwoofer design can help to remove these gasses and heat but it only can do but so much.

I'm sure there are some cheap speaker manufacturers that a little break in is highly beneficial. Imagine stiff sub suspension and say elmers school glue.... I think that probably the part to most likely fail if not letting the suspension as a whole soften first spider or surround or even coil comming apart do to weak connection. Although i have personally never broken in any sub. Well nevermind. Great vid. Posted to soon 9:30 then got back to view my comment covered in detail. Thank you for mentioning weak spider tearing as well.

I have an alpine type s 12 inch that I was running on an amp that was given to me it was only 200rms at 2ohm I just bought a jl 500rms at 2ohm I set the gain accordingly and I have a slight smell from the sub. So your saying this is normal? Soon as I smelled it I backed my gain down a little bit because I was worried I was gonna blow my sub.

Just subbed as well

I am still not sure if the box was too big. You did not say if it is a ported box or not. If it was they owner may have been driving it hard below the port tuning frequency in a properly designed box. If the box was sealed and the system Q was over .71 he should have been ok and it was just operator error!

So softening the spider does not make a difference?

I always go full tilt right off the rip. Never believed in breaking in

Hey is,there a difference between the preorder SWAG coaxials and the immediate shipping? Also, whoever says a speaker is like an engine needs to be slapped,by both an engine and a speaker.

Just sub to your channel love the content 1/24/19

Hey man, i like the video and find it very informative. Just bought a single Skar 15, as its my first sub of any kind. Although i watched the video im still nervous to send it on the sub. I dont have much money to ruin my sub im only 16 lol. guess i should just play it like a would if it was "broken in"? Thanks.

I feel like over all the messege here is it's good to push your woofer but not good to abuse and overpower your woofer

The way to tell if your car subwoofers are broken in is by pushing the cone in with your fingers if you can't push the cone in then it's not broken in yet and is still stiff

Makes perfect sense. Bands don't "break in" their monitors and PA systems. No one "breaks in" their new home sound system.

Hey guys, i just bought a DD 712f (1500 rms) and powering with T1500bdcp. I tuned amp to clipping at volume 30. But my dumbass installed the sub (in spec box) and immediately turned it to volume 32 with a bass heavy song for about 5 seconds. Coil started smelling (but not really bad like a blown sub, just enough for me to notice it’s getting hot), so I turn the volume down slowly and let it cool. So basically I over powered sub (because Rockfords are underrated) with dirty clipped power. But I’ve been playing it below volume 30 for a few days now and it seems perfectly fine. Should I worry that i lessened the subwoofers life? Or was it the glue on coil “breaking in”? Thanks you guys

Never heard of having to do that in 30 years ago. I thought it was funny. Glad you explained this and dispelled the myth.

Nice

People can say whatever they want regarding their opinion of driver break-in. I have owned a custom home theater business since 2001. IF ONLY driver break in was a myth, and IF ONLY I just needed to install the system and let them break themselves in over time, it would save me SO much trouble. If I don't thoroughly break in the mid and low frequency drivers in my shop before I install them in the system, I HAVE to come back out and re-tune the system in a few months because the frequency response of those drivers, and therefore their respective crossover points, has changed so much that the system sounds messy and the bass sounds boomy and exaggerated. Anyone who doesn't take driver break-in seriously isn't truly effected by it in real-world circumstances enough to know the true importance of it. Sure, to SOME people who don't have much of a distinguishing ear, the gradual change in the sound of their system will not bother them. But that isn't the same for everybody...

If someone could answer a question of mine. The Cerwin Vega XLS-12S subs I have are $500 each, they have good bass, but 250w rms... doesn’t that seem really low? Does the rms really matter. Because some subs I find are $250 but have 1500w rms?? I’m new to car audio and it’s my dads set I got for my birthday so I’m still trying to learn how this stuff works. Would you just be paying more for cleaner bass??

You should do a video about subwoofer tick and how to remedy it in some way or explain why it is bad

A sub does not need to be broken in but it will 100% be louder after it’s all loosened up and a lot louder I’ve gotten a brand new sundown sub and it let me down at first rlly bad but after a day or two it was 4-5x better

Yes.. But break in is more about the sound getting better as it is broken in than actually blowing up the speaker.. Best thing is to start at lower volume and increase bit by bit. But the thing with break in is that the sound changes after some hours of use. Some more than others. My home speakers (and car speakers but they had less difference) sounded way better after 100hours than they did out of the box.

Again sorry for so many questions. I’m thinking about buying the 12” banhammer subwoofer while it’s on sale, what would be the best amplifier to buy for that because at 2000w rms I don’t think my 2 alpine amps would be able to handle it. The alpines are I have are around 400-500 rms but the have really low thd and that’s why we got them. And they were expensive they are he bridgeable power ones. Also what is the sensitivity rating or w/m of the banhammer? My subs are 98db. Oh and would I have to buy new crossovers, midrange, and tweeters if I get a more powerful amplifier?

I believe if it can't play rated out of the box, then it isnt my fault. The company gave a false rating. A coil fails from heat/overpowering, bottoming out and clipping. If the suspension loosens up that is more likely to happen especially with pushing it harder when "broken in". if anything i want the sub to stay stiffer for longer. Just my logic of thinking. My custom 12 i now own that was built i was given 1500w rms, That was according to the builder who built it for a friend 8 years ago, he had 1500w rms on it the day after it was built, now i run it around 1600 clamped with impedance rise. You can still barely push it with your hand. It hasnt dropped any db in his car or my truck. But the quality is there so it can handle it. I wouldnt trust a sub that says break in. For the exact reason for what you said poor build quality.

ok so what i got from this is that you can go full tilt on a new sub as long as it stays within its power rating no problem.

Ohh and what is your take on round vs. flat wire? That is a debatable one there.

Just play like 10-20hz low volume free air that will break the spiders in, I have had brand new subs just reconed and fail the same time giving it full power without break in. Second time it was played on low power free air on a sweep and then installed it took a lot longer to kill and sounded much better.

Hey SoundQubed 😲😲

I've been researching subs the past few weeks and one thing I've noticed looking at product reviews is a lot of people will pair their amp with the peak wattage of a sub and wonder why their sub is blown after a month. Like one review, the customer stated they got an 800watt RMS amp and the sub they were reviewing was rated at 400 rms, they gave 1 star because they thought the sub was trash because it was blown in less than a month. I've also seen a tech "pro" review for a subwoofer on youtube suggesting to get an amp with an RMS that was rated twice the subs RMS. I definitely see a lot of misinformation in this field.

I can state breaking in a sub is actually a true thing. Use a already broken in sub with a new sub and once the new one hits the breaking period you will hear loud punch then smoke. Happened to me 3 times now. It alters the specs in the end

Since buying and installing subs in car's since early 80's iv'e never heard of anybody breaking in a subwoofer and i have never had a problem with the old cerwin vegas sub's back then and everybody i mean everybody just installed them and played them LOUD right out the box........

I went to best buy today and bought a new pioneer subwoofer 1200 watt and it smells like burning since I got it but I bumped that 21 savage and it broke look at it and touch it is hot to the touch good thing I got warrant lmao

To get 12kw out of am amplifier if your running 14.8v you'll need 810+ amps. It's funny to me when people buy a so called 5kw power amp and 5kw sub and install it into a car/truck with standard electrical system 12v and 120-275amp alternators. Just guessing on specs.

damn beeping

Hi can someone help me. ? I need a amp that can "play" from 0.6 - 5 hz I want to play say 0.6 hz with 500 - 1000 w on a subwoofer. (Just for the fun of it.) What amp can do that. How to make that amp? Thanks

I'm still not convinced