sub break in period

Spydie · Post by **Spydie** » July 28th, 2003, 1:11 pm

So I just got another new sub...MTX Audio Thunder 6000....3rd one in a month. Thank God for the extended warranty I got. Anyway I keep blowing them. There is a possibilty the box I'm using is too big, but first things first. What's a reasonable break in period for most subs? Perhaps I'm not waiting long enough before thumping it.

BumpNGlow · Post by **BumpNGlow** » July 28th, 2003, 2:26 pm

do not turn the amp up as high as you would regularly for at least a month. It depends what type of music you'll be listening too and how often... but in general, a sub that size should break in for about a month. Is that the only one you have, or do you have 2 or 3 being run?

Spydie · Post by **Spydie** » July 28th, 2003, 2:43 pm

yeah just the one sub.....and a month might be the problem. I've been only giving about a week and then cranking it out....within 2 weeks it's gone.

BumpNGlow · Post by **BumpNGlow** » July 28th, 2003, 5:26 pm

a week is definately not long enough unless you drive like 40 hrs a week.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » July 28th, 2003, 6:24 pm

A break in period is really unneccesary. It's one of those car audio myths that keeps getting passed around for some reason and never seems to stop. All that will change with break in is the Thiele Small parameters will change ever so slightly, but not enough to make a difference with power handling.If you're blowing subs, and your amp is within the power limits of your sub, then it's a poor encloure design and tuning. I see alot of people blow subs in prefab boxes, but as soon as I build them a box built according to a box I model and design, they all of a sudden stop blowing subs.I'd suggest a medium sized, low tuned ported box. The low tuning will help power handling in the lowest octaves because it will limit cone excursion around the tuning frequency.

Spydie · Post by **Spydie** » July 29th, 2003, 1:25 am

IC.
Okay thanks....I'll investigate this further I guess. So when making a box selection what am I shopping for? Or better yet if a custom enclosure is required what am I asking for? I assume an installer would just know what to build?

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » July 29th, 2003, 6:30 pm

If your installer can't name at least 7 different Thiele Small parameters (i.e. FS, CMS, RE), walk away, and find someone who does. And make sure the installer has his own box modeling program. Some installers will just put it in a manufacturer recommended enclosure. While that might be OK for some manufacturers, others give really bad box recommendations on thier own subs just so they can make obsene claims on power handling and SPL.

bulldog131775 · Post by **bulldog131775** » July 29th, 2003, 8:33 pm

breaking in a sub is needed its not a myth you dont want to take something brand new and put it to the max because it has not been warmed up yet. Anyone who has done stereo installs or comps know that you always warm up your system before you push it hard. Thats like trying to run 5 miles before you strech. If it was not necesarry then why would manufacturers recommened it. Also the amount of time for most subs to break in properly is about 20-40 hours of normal play. Unless you have a way to run around 40hz cont. for about 8-12 hours. Im not trying to affend anyone just pass the knowledge

Spydie · Post by **Spydie** » July 29th, 2003, 9:22 pm

gotcha.....well I did some shopping today....I bought a 2nd MTX sub so I now have 2 10"s and a new Rockford Fosgate Punch Amp 900watts. I'll give it a few weeks at least before kicking it up. Better safe than sorry I guess. Thanks guys...I'll repost if any problems.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » July 29th, 2003, 10:48 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by slow one:
breaking in a sub is needed its not a myth you dont want to take something brand new and put it to the max because it has not been warmed up yet. Anyone who has done stereo installs or comps know that you always warm up your system before you push it hard. Thats like trying to run 5 miles before you strech. If it was not necesarry then why would manufacturers recommened it. Also the amount of time for most subs to break in properly is about 20-40 hours of normal play. Unless you have a way to run around 40hz cont. for about 8-12 hours. Im not trying to affend anyone just pass the knowledge <hr></blockquote>Kicker recommends sealed boxes with QTC's near 1.1 for thier L7 subs. Does that mean you should put it in a configuration like that just because the manufacturer recommended it? I'd rather take a 40 grit orbital sander to my nads than put a sub in a 1.1QTC box.All breaking in does is loosen the suspension a little. If anything, this lessens the power handling because the suspension has more give and will let the mechanicals smack into each other. The only kind of sub I'd say you should really break in first are metal cone subs. That's because when the surround is too tight. it can warp the metal around the surround, and metal cones won't bounce back to thier original shape like polypropylene.Anyways, your analygy is bad because you should stretch every time you run. However, you shouldn't warm your sub up before you run it hard. Especially in SPL comp lanes. You want your sub's mechanicals to be as cool as possible.

BumpNGlow · Post by **BumpNGlow** » July 29th, 2003, 10:55 pm

manufacture's box recommendations and break-in periods are unrelated...Certain subs lose some of their SPL abilities over time, but almost all subs require a "break in period" to handle the power they can, cleanly.If you take a sub right off the shelf and give it full power, most likely you will kill it.
If you take that same model sub, break it in for a month, it's probability of living is increased.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » July 29th, 2003, 11:02 pm

Well, in a decade of car audio, I've never, ever, ever, ever blown a sub. Never broke in a sub before. I'll let my track record speak for itself.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » July 29th, 2003, 11:07 pm

BTW Darren, what size and impedance of MTX 6000 are you using? I just built a ported box for someone's 12" 4 ohm 6000 last month. Maybe I can run some numbers and see what I come up with. Also, what amp were you running to it, and what size are the chambers in the box that they keep breaking in? And is it sealed or ported?

Spydie · Post by **Spydie** » July 30th, 2003, 12:30 am

well here's what I know anywayMTX Audio Thunder 6000 10" 4ohm
polypropylene/aluminum cone single coil
Recommended Amp power 50-250 Watts RMS...I was using a Sony 222W amp for the single.
Now using the R.F. amp to power both
I'll have to measure the box cuz I'm not sure...but it's 1 sub per box sealed.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » July 30th, 2003, 6:02 pm

OK. After running it, I've found that even in a smallish 1 cubic foot sealed box, it still would only be able to handle about 150 watts below 40 Hz. Not very much.However, if you put it in a 1.5 cube ported box tuned to 23Hz, you'll get the full 250 watt power handling down to 20 Hz. There is a slight power handling dip to about 170 watts at 38 Hz, but the impedance is also peaked at that point at about 10 Hz, so you won't be pulling more than 170 watts out of a 250 or even a 300 watt amp at that point anyways. To get a 23 Hz tuning in a 1.5 cube box, you'll need a 3" round port of about 22" length.

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