Variac for breaking in speakers

[amplifiednation]

If you are doing multiple speakers, do you wire them in parallel? Change the voltage?

[Scumback Speakers]

If you are doing multiple speakers, do you wire them in parallel? Change the voltage?

You wire them up in parallel, that way they get the same voltage. If you wire them up in series it takes twice as long.

[pula58]

It is a whole lot quieter if you break-in the speaker while it is out of the cab. I just put them face up on the floor. This way, the sound from the front and back of the cone tends to cancel-out and the resulting volume is not anywhere near as loud as it would otherwise be.

This works for one or two speakers well. Not so much when you're doing 8 or 12 at a time, though.

8 or 12 ,omg...you're right..I am doing only one at a time!

[amplifiednation]

All right...finally got around to doing this. I have a series I Altec 417- 8C with a brand new cone.

I'm only putting 3V through it right now. Its humming pretty bad in the basement, but my wife hasn't noticed it yet....so I think we are good! Gonna let it run until wake up at 5:45am, then go for another 8-9 hrs starting at 7am.

From some of the info i've been reading, and from some of this info in this thread, I think I should be running this a little harder...but 3v it is for now

[vibratoking]

Check its temperature often.

[Scumback Speakers]

The voltages I've described previously are for 1.75" (1 3/4") voice coils used in the Celestion type / style speakers.

If you move to an Altec, JBL or EV you can use more voltage if you want.

Those speakers have 4" voice coils (IIRC), or at least much larger than the 1.75" used in the Celestion style speakers. So bringing up the voltage a little shouldn't be a problem.

I'd say 12-13 volts would be safe with a JBL, EV or Altec with the large voice coil, since it dissipates more heat.

[briane]

I believe Jim has built isolation boxes for breaking in speakers.

I just hook em up to a music player - 2 blankets with a large chunk of foam in between over the cab helps a lot - then play it loud while I go off to work. Around here its ok as long as its during daytime.

recorded guitar tracks would be a better input.

makes a big difference.

[roberto]

Instead of start and stop the process due to overheating, isn't easier to use a thermostat in series with the speaker?

[Scumback Speakers]

Instead of start and stop the process due to overheating, isn't easier to use a thermostat in series with the speaker?

I use a digital timer to start and stop the variac.

[roberto]

This won't tell you if the speaker is hot or not.

I'm building a "push-pull" closed cab with air recirculation, I will tell you more when I'll have tested it.

Step 2 will be current limiting on speaker temperature (less abrupt than just cutoff).

[Scumback Speakers]

This won't tell you if the speaker is hot or not.

I'm building a "push-pull" closed cab with air recirculation, I will tell you more when I'll have tested it.

Step 2 will be current limiting on speaker temperature (less abrupt than just cutoff).

Actually knowing what is safe for the speaker you're breaking in is the limiting factor on the heat, plus turning it off after a certain amount of time. That's why my recommendations for this come with voltages specific for the power handling of the speaker.

After breaking in 7-8000 speakers I "think" I've got a pretty good idea of what those are now.

[roberto]

You misunderstood my point.

YOU have your own experience on speakers, but for the others 6.999.999.999 people on the planet (and on other planets too of course) it's useful to have a control that does automatically the job for every speaker you put into.

Do not feel under attack.