How to Break in a Subwoofer Fast?
Subwoofers are a fun way to enrich your music experience, especially while driving your car. Some powerful subwoofers can provide bass ranging from 30Hz to 500Hz.
Moreover, they offer a full range of low-frequency sounds that give the music depth and power. Unfortunately, subwoofers can take a while to break in properly, like all speakers.
Most of the time, I receive calls from my friends or clients about a break in a subwoofer. Suppose you’re going to start something.
Before you begin, you take some time to prepare yourself fully for that particular thing. Then you go! The same scenario goes with the subwoofer. It has to go through a break-in process to give its full performance (An improved sound quality). Let’s begin!
Subwoofer Break in Myth or Real:
You must have probably heard the word “break in” through any audio community. Yup! It’s been a long discussion over this topic.
I’ve met some people who think it’s just a myth, while some claim it’s real. So, I did my research on it and started the experiment.
When subwoofers are newly installed in the car or home theater systems, they are stiff, especially the spider responsible for moving the cone back and forth.
That’s why you need to break in the subs to soften the subwoofer’s components so that it reaches its full potential.
So, I’ve installed the two subwoofers with the same model in the same environment. One subwoofer was new, while the other was already broken in.
When played the same track through both subwoofers (were played individually), the properly broken-in subwoofer performed better than the new subwoofer.
However, in my second test, I took two new subwoofers of the same model where the brand claimed that both subs had already broken in.
Still, I took the one subwoofer and broke it myself by playing the music track on low to mid-volume level for 20 hours before I started the experiment, while the second sub was untouched.
When I played the music track through these subs, I still determined the difference in music performance but not too much. The break-in subwoofer gives 35Hz performance at a lower power level than the one which wasn’t.
Subwoofer break-in is not a myth. It actually helps your new subwoofer loosen its components before you notice a much-improved bass tone. However, there are some rumors in online resources that say a subwoofer break-in is a myth, which is totally wrong.
What Is a Subwoofer Break in Period?
In case you need to learn about this period properly. A subwoofer break-in period (aka burn-in) is the process where you play an audio track on a new subwoofer to help it reach its intended performance characteristics by loosening up its components.
As mentioned above, the new subwoofer has really stiffed components that need to be loosened up so that it can provide you with its full potential. During the break-in period, the suspension and cone of the speaker will become more flexible and allow for better sound quality.
The process usually takes several hours or days of moderate usage (not at high volumes) to be effective. Playing music too loudly can cause permanent damage to the new speaker since it has yet to be fully broken in.
It’s essential to avoid sudden high spikes in volume during the burn-in period so that your subwoofer is conditioned correctly over time.
How to Break in New Subs Fast?
First, you should connect your new subwoofer with an average amplifier. You can break in your subwoofer quickly (using the free air method or enclosure) by following the below steps carefully:
1. Play Music at Moderate Volumes:
Once you have installed the new subwoofer in your home or car audio system, you must start the break-in process. Play the heavy bass track at moderate (low to medium) volume.
Excessive volumes can cause the speaker and its components to overheat, reducing their effectiveness and potentially damaging them. Moreover, playing at higher volumes will not break in the speaker any quicker than at lower levels.
2. Play a Variety of Music:
One more thing you must follow is playing a different type of music throughout the process. Playing different tracks with different frequencies and dynamic ranges while breaking in a subwoofer can help the speaker’s moving parts loosen up and settle into their intended performance characteristics.
You can use pink noise track for this purpose. However, the best frequency to break in a subwoofer ranges from 30hz to 50hz, depending on the subwoofer type.
3. Use a Sine Wave Generator (Optional):
You can also use a sine wave generator (a digital signal processor) for extra help. However, it’s not a really essential component. You can still break in the sub without using it.
A sine wave generator can help improve your audio system sound quality by giving you more setting options while breaking in a sub. If you want to use sine wave generator, I recommend setting up frequencies between 20Hz to 30Hz for subwoofers dedicated to very low frequencies, or 40Hz to 50Hz for more general-purpose subwoofers.
By playing a continuous tone slightly below the speaker’s resonant frequency, the user can help to loosen up and flex the subwoofer components.
This helps to distribute power evenly across each component of the speaker as well as stimulate it for a break-in period.
4. Increase Volume Gradually:
You should play the subwoofer for 2 hours continuously at the resonant frequency (or 40Hz) daily for the first six days after installing it.
As mentioned above, you must use the low to medium volume level during this time period. After that, gradually increase it until you reach mid-level output levels – but make sure not to exceed your model’s recommended maximum power handling capacity.
Doing this allows you to establish an optimal “comfort level” for all components within your new sound system on average SPL levels.
When you play louder music with more excellent dynamic range, later on, everything will respond accordingly without exceeding any threshold limit.
5. Give the Speaker Time to Rest:
Giving the speaker time to rest during a subwoofer break-in process prevents damage and prolongs its life. During a break-in (in the car or home sound system), the subwoofer has to generate a lot of power to reach its full potential, leading it to overheat if not appropriately monitored.
Regular rest periods between listening sessions give the speaker time to cool down and recover while maintaining peak performance levels without risking any damage due to overheating or other related problems.
After a successful break-in period, you will notice a gradual increase in bass. However, there are also other signs of whether the subwoofer has broken in.
Different Brand Subwoofers Break-in Process:
Here are resources that will help you break in a subwoofer, depending on the brand:
Things You Must Follow While Break in Subs:
You should follow my guidelines if you want to succeed with the break-in period for your subwoofer. The guidelines are below:
- Follow the Manufacturer’s Guidelines: Every subwoofer model has its own frequency level and guidelines to follow. You should always read them before starting the breaking-in step for your subwoofer. It will help you ensure you don’t mess up with the speaker (preventing it from damage).
- Avoid Using Overly Compressed Audio: You can play heavy bass music but not overly compressed audio or audio with extreme bass frequencies. Playing these frequencies can damage the subwoofer and negatively impact the break-in process.
- Be Patient: Some subwoofers may take some time to get into shape. So be patient and don’t rush the process. A properly broken-in subwoofer can provide better performance and longevity over the long term.
Subwoofer Break in Track:
Below is the subwoofer break-in track (you can also use this for the free air method) that you can use in your audio system for a successful process. You can also use a pink noise track. These sound waves are beneficial:
General FAQs
Do You Really Need to Break in Subwoofers?
Yes, it is recommended to break in subwoofers with a few hours of listening time. This allows the woofer to adjust and maximize its output while balancing out any defects that may have been overlooked during manufacturing.
How Long Does It Take To Break in a Subwoofer?
It typically takes 4-8 hours of continuous playback to break in a subwoofer at a moderate volume. However, my recommendation is to play the subwoofer for 2 hours only for 6 days. This allows the speaker’s components to settle and adjust to a stable performance level, ensuring it reaches its maximum potential.
What Happens if You Don’t Break in a Subwoofer?
Without adequately breaking in a subwoofer, it can cause damage to the speaker. It won’t be able to perform at peak efficiency, which could lead to potential distortion or a decrease in sound quality. Additionally, there’s a risk of permanent damage due to mids-adjustments of settings while playing music too loud too quickly.
Is It Easy to Break a Subwoofer?
Yes, it is easy to break a subwoofer if the power output or input signal is too strong. Excessive bass output can also cause damage to the speaker cone and voice coil, eventually leading to a broken subwoofer. It’s essential not to overdrive your subwoofer and use proper settings for sound quality.
Do Speakers Get Louder After Break-In?
Yes, speakers do get louder after a break-in period. During the break-in process, all of the internal components of the speakers are loosened up, so they start to work more efficiently and at higher levels. This leads to increased loudness and better sound quality over time.
When Should You Break in Your Subwoofer?
It is recommended to break in a subwoofer before long-term use. This process helps the subwoofer reach its peak performance and extends its lifespan. Depending on the type of driver, you should play music for at least three hours or longer at a moderate volume to properly break in a subwoofer.