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Dummy Speaker

T

tmhutch

Active Member
Hi PF'rs, I read a comment on here fairly recently about a member that used a dummy load to simulate his speakers so he could break-in cables or a component. I looked and could not find the thread so wondering if anyone has done this?

Playing through my speakers 24x7 for 150+ hours every time I swap in a cable or component is a bit of a pain in terms of all the hoops to keep silent while running. I would particularly like to be able to turn the volume up to facilitate speaker cable and amp break in.

Thanks a bunch. Appreciate the vast knowledge here.

Todd
 
a couple of these should do it
https://uk.farnell.com/arcol/hs150-8r-f/resistor-wirewound-8r-1-solder/dp/2678759

but seriously, burn in may be a thing when a component has been just been manufactured but that should be taken care of in soak testing at the factory. as for cables? not even a thing. why not just enjoy your music instead of worrying whether or not you system sounds P**s just because it has only burned in for 148 hrs rather than 150.

Rgds
Stuart
 
stuwils said:
...burn in may be a thing when a component has been just been manufactured but that should be taken care of in soak testing at the factory.
Click to expand...

Can't be repeated often enough.

5rN.gif
 
Thanks guys, appreciate the input. You know how it is with the burn in debate. Someone always gets bent out of shape. I'm glad you don't have to deal with it. I wish I didnt. It is something I notice in my system but I'm not here to convince you, it's just my thing and I appreciate the helpful advice.

I don't know if this would be meaningful for you but my speakers are made by a friend that has been successfully building and selling high end speakers since 1972. He will not send a set out the door without a minimum of 150 hours break in, which is attributed to the electronics/wiring, not cone or speaker mechanics. He has well over 50 years experience and finds this to be true for other electronics and cables. Don't expect anyone to change their mind. Just food for thought.

Hey Stuart, those look like a great option.

James, good point. Their seems to be a lot of options that might affect whether or not the speaker starts clipping. The simplest would be to keep the volume at a reasonable level but I wonder if the various product options will introduce variables into that equation. I'm not really sure about a few of these:

Resistance Tolerance (options ranging between +/- 1% - 5%)
Resistance (0.01ohm - 50kOhm) I might choose 3.3ohm to match my speakers
Resistor Type (General Purpose, Power or High Power?)
Power Rating in Watts (I assume I would match my speakers or maybe my amp)
Voltage Rating (160v - 2.5Kv)

These variables are choices the buyer is asked to make before purchase. Any opinions on the various specs to avert issues like clipping or thermal and voltage cuts?

I have a Naim 250 amp tweaked by Neil Jadman. Nice amp made excellent.

Todd
 
Surely any item without moving parts does not require any ‘running in’ Plug and play, enjoy the music, simple
 
.
tmhutch said:
a friend that has been successfully building and selling high end speakers since 1972. He will not send a set out the door without a minimum of 150 hours break in,. He has well over 50 years experience
Click to expand...

The Kings Speech.

Bertie " My physicians say that it relaxes the throat "

Lionel " They're idiots "

Bertie.." They've all been Knighted "

Lionel.. " Makes it official then "
 
tmhutch said:
Thanks guys, appreciate the input. You know how it is with the burn in debate. Someone always gets bent out of shape. I'm glad you don't have to deal with it. I wish I didnt. It is something I notice in my system but I'm not here to convince you, it's just my thing and I appreciate the helpful advice.

I don't know if this would be meaningful for you but my speakers are made by a friend that has been successfully building and selling high end speakers since 1972. He will not send a set out the door without a minimum of 150 hours break in, which is attributed to the electronics/wiring, not cone or speaker mechanics. He has well over 50 years experience and finds this to be true for other electronics and cables. Don't expect anyone to change their mind. Just food for thought.
Click to expand...
By coincidence, I design and build loudspeakers too. I can almost assuredly tell you that they do need breaking in, but it's not the wires, resistors or inductors. New capacitors (if electrolytic) might form and stabilise after a couple of hours, but not so much the foil types. Most of the change in sound is due to the drivers, particularly woofers and mids, getting their motor systems, diaphragm material and suspension seasoned.

As for your dummy load specs, I suggest nothing rated more than 25W. 8-ohms, wire-wound is fine. Tolerance doesn't matter. If you're pushing more than an average of 25W, the resistor *should* go open circuit and spare your amp from damage.
 
James said:
By coincidence, I design and build loudspeakers too. I can almost assuredly tell you that they do need breaking in,.
Click to expand...

But the OP was asking about dummy loads to break in cables when he swaps them ....not speakers.
 
James said:
By coincidence, I design and build loudspeakers too. I can almost assuredly tell you that they do need breaking in, but it's not the wires, resistors or inductors. New capacitors (if electrolytic) might form and stabilise after a couple of hours, but not so much the foil types. Most of the change in sound is due to the drivers, particularly woofers and mids, getting their motor systems, diaphragm material and suspension seasoned.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Speaker drivers do need 'breaking in'...but, as mentioned above, I think it's the responsibility of the manufacturer to sort that out in soak testing before asking us to part with our money.

Breaking in cables is of course "The height of nonsense", as my old Granny used to say. Though, if you've paid for them, you can do whatever you want with them
 
Bear in mind you'll need to take into consideration the total power you are going to dissipate through the dummy load and will probably need additional heat sinking to that provided by the the resistor aluminium housing.

The heat sink will need to be of the correct thermal resistance for the power you are intending to dissipate.

As mentioned up thread you are not going to know if you are driving your amp into clipping unless you feed it from a signal generator and look at the output across the load on a scope.

I have several dummy load that I use for amplifier test and set-up. They do get hot if asked to dissipate anything much over a few watts.

This, to me, looks like a solution looking for a problem.
 
mark121211 said:
Bear in mind you'll need to take into consideration the total power you are going to dissipate through the dummy load and will probably need additional heat sinking to that provided by the the resistor aluminium housing.

The heat sink will need to be of the correct thermal resistance for the power you are intending to dissipate.

As mentioned up thread you are not going to know if you are driving your amp into clipping unless you feed it from a signal generator and look at the output across the load on a scope.

I have several dummy load that I use for amplifier test and set-up. They do get hot if asked to dissipate anything much over a few watts.

This, to me, looks like a solution looking for a problem.
Click to expand...


Yikes. OK. Does anything else come to mind that I might use besides speakers?
 
tmhutch said:
Thanks guys, appreciate the input. You know how it is with the burn in debate. Someone always gets bent out of shape. I'm glad you don't have to deal with it. I wish I didnt. It is something I notice in my system but I'm not here to convince you, it's just my thing and I appreciate the helpful advice.

I don't know if this would be meaningful for you but my speakers are made by a friend that has been successfully building and selling high end speakers since 1972. He will not send a set out the door without a minimum of 150 hours break in, which is attributed to the electronics/wiring, not cone or speaker mechanics. He has well over 50 years experience and finds this to be true for other electronics and cables. Don't expect anyone to change their mind. Just food for thought.

Hey Stuart, those look like a great option.

James, good point. Their seems to be a lot of options that might affect whether or not the speaker starts clipping. The simplest would be to keep the volume at a reasonable level but I wonder if the various product options will introduce variables into that equation. I'm not really sure about a few of these:

Resistance Tolerance (options ranging between +/- 1% - 5%)
Resistance (0.01ohm - 50kOhm) I might choose 3.3ohm to match my speakers
Resistor Type (General Purpose, Power or High Power?)
Power Rating in Watts (I assume I would match my speakers or maybe my amp)
Voltage Rating (160v - 2.5Kv)

These variables are choices the buyer is asked to make before purchase. Any opinions on the various specs to avert issues like clipping or thermal and voltage cuts?

I have a Naim 250 amp tweaked by Neil Jadman. Nice amp made excellent.

Todd
Click to expand...
The thing that you are breaking in is that grey audio component located between your ears. As others have said, speakers take a while to settle in and electro caps take 20 minutes. The rest? It's that grey stuff adjusting.
 
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