Okay, How Important Is Speaker Break In? (Dynaudio Contour 60i)

In essence, it's a lot like getting a new room mate~you have to get used to each other.

I agree with a lot of what is been said above, if it does not sound remotely close to what you would like initially, no amount of break in will help.

honestly, you should’ve stuck with a new Bowers.

Takes about a week of playing at listening levels. 

Also, before you keep going on your merry-go-round, having good room acoustics will make a lot more speakers sound good in your room.

The assertion that all gear (particularly speakers with mechanically moving parts) must sound fantastic straight out of the box or you need to immediately send them back to the manufacturer/dealer is ridiculous.  Particularly among higher-end speakers where many of the differences between brands at similar price points can be quite nuanced - this is important if you're thinking of making a change to coax some sonics out of your system that are more desirable.  In audiophile terms we aren't just talking "does this sound good or does this sound bad?" and then act on that to exercise return policies.  It's about giving the speakers a chance the perform at their best so better listening comparisons can be made to inform our buying decisions.

When I first acquired my Devore O/96's with the intention of replacing my Spendor D7's it was clear cold out of the box that the O/96's didn't sound as good as the D7's that I had been using for years.  John Devore even states that his speakers will take 600 hrs to fully run in and can benefit incrementally up to 1,000 hrs.  I found the sonics in the O/96's to improve over the D7's at about 100 hrs and smoked them by 200 hrs.  All the while the 0/96's never sounded "bad" from day 1 - they simply didn't sound better.  Should I have returned them? lol That would have been a tragic mistake as they now have close to 1,000 hrs an amaze me every day.  It's a mere matter of physics - the speakers benefitted greatly from loosening up the huge foam surrounds and spiders on the 10-inch woofer.  While not all speakers require the same run-in time to coax the best sound from them, these categorical statements about immediately returning them are utter nonsense.

I still vividly remember my present day loudspeakers when I took them out of the box and plug them in they didn’t sound very good. I had live demoed these speakers at the dealers so I knew what they were capable of. It took upwards of 400 hours until the speakers settled in and then it was night and day by that time

Speaker break in/burn in can be fairly significant.  The suspensions need to flex to loosen up, and good caps can take many hours to burn in.  The first several hours tend to make the most dramatic difference.  I used to place new speakers face down on the floor, crank em up, close the door, and let them thump for a few hours.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.  The good thing - interesting story - is that I got them for a song due to a series of retailer and OEM errors, so I could easily sell them in the used market for what I paid.  I can wait a bit to let articdeth's experience play out, and I have kept the old speakers - I will be setting up both in the room (like an audio demo room!) for better A/B testing.

If you think about all the material and mechanical elements that go into the construction of speaker drivers, it's clear that speakers will need a break-in period (just as car engines used to do).  On the other hand, it's true that whatever change is going to occur, is not going to be night and day.  Audiophiles trade in hyperbole, because small differences matter a lot to them.  Be aware also that there's another school of thought that contends that part (or all) of break-in is your ear getting used to the new sound.  So a reality check against the old product, if possible, is a good idea.  Above all, just don't let indecision take you past whatever deadline exists for a full-refund return.

@jjss49
Yup, about 200 hours.
That is how long it took mine to relax, the bass was tighter, deeper, mid much more accurate, highs less tinny, and more natural sounding.

Even after 200 hrs, you will notice differences. Enjoy!

Those speakers are amazing! Enjoy them!!


midrange....WILL be amazing, have patience.
I thought mine were muddy, after time they are simply smooth, and accurate, guitar, vocals, are all superb!

Thanks everyone.  It'n not that I was not aware of break in as a concept and need, I am just not experienced with how significant it is.  My instincts align with millercarbon; I expect break-in to improve the sound, but not reinvent it.  These speakers simply do not sound as good in at least the mid-range.

The Dealer will tell you that the speakers will take 35 days to break in.  That’s 5 days after the Dealer’s full refund return policy. Kidding aside, the speakers should open up with time. 

In the winter months you have to let your equipment adjust to your house's temperature, say 3 days.  Then what JJSS49 said.

I’m surprised your dealer didn’t mention break-in. Speakers need dynamic music or a break-in disc played through them. They are one of the components where break-in is truly necessary. The drivers, especially the woofers are stiff right out of the box and need to physically flex in order for the sound to open up. There’s also the voice coils which move the drivers and some capacitors inside.

I agree with the 200 hour timeframe. If possible, leave them playing overnight. You can cover them with blankets or reverse the polarity on one speaker (swap + and - ) and face them toward each other. The sound will be cancelled out and there will only be a low level tinny sound.

Good advice...
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/usa/en/blog/how-run-speakers

Speakers or anything else: if it doesn't sound good right out of the box send it back, it never will. Good gear will sound great right from the beginning, and only get better with time. My Moabs were a perfect example, and a great choice if you want great sound. More speaker, better sound, less money. Right out of the box.

give it 200 hrs of solid playing time at normal volumes, shorter if you play louder