6
SPEAKER BREAK-IN
In the same way that a new car requires a break-in period before it can be safely operated
at high engine RPMs, speakers require a break-in period before they can be safely operated
at maximum volume levels. Proper break-in ensures that the moving parts of the speaker
(the cone and cone suspension) are allowed to flex and soften, losing the initial stiffness
and allowing the speaker to move through its full intended range. After the break-in
period, the speakers will produce richer and fatter sounding lows, warmer and smoother
sounding mids, and cleaner and more accurate highs, without any hint of distortion.
The best way to break-in speakers is simply to play normal music or watch movies at
moderate volume levels. The amount of time required for speaker break-in varies based on
the operating environment, but is typically in the area of 50~80 hours. It will take a bit
longer in a cold or dry environment and a little less time in a warm or humid environment.
Note that the break-in period does not have to be continuous.
SPEAKER WIRE PREPARATION
Before attempting to make any connections it is best to look at the situation, get all the
necessary materials together, and then make all the connections at once.
First, look at the back of your amplifier or receiver to determine what options it offers for
making connections. Amplifiers and receivers typically employ either 5-way binding posts,
spring-loaded terminals, or a combination of both for the speaker connections.
A 5-way binding post can accept bare speaker wire, spade plugs, pin plugs, and banana
plugs, while spring loaded terminals can accept either bare speaker wire or pin plugs. Refer
to the documentation that came with your amplifier or receiver to determine the
maximum size/gauge speaker wire the speaker terminals can accept.
These speakers feature water resistant push terminals, which can accept bare wire up to
14AWG. If your amplifier can accept it, you should use 14AWG speaker wire.
Rather than using fixed length speaker wires, it is best to get a roll and cut the wires to the
length you will need them. This ensures that there is a minimum amount of excess wire.
However, even if your amplifier is off-center, the lengths of wire used for each speaker pair
