new speaker/break in

[kleuck]

Just my experience : all speakers i had had a break-in time, more or less long, and with more or less noticeable differences, and indeed sometimes it sounds like a improvement in loudness.
The stock loudspeaker of my VHT Special 6 beginned to sound louder after a few hours for example (amp loaded with not-new tubes)
Don't know if it's efficiency related, or only perceived (ferquency/bandpass) related.
I have a Jensen P10R, it took tenths of hours to get a good sound (some lows and somewhat soft highs) out of it, played with a 15-18 watts amp maxed most of the time.
My last and preferred speaker is an Eminence Ramrod, i use it with my VHT Special 6, and after 6 months it began to exhibit, not more lows, but something like lower lows.
I can hear that, as i modded the SP6 to cut the lows exactly where it's useful for my axe, and it was just slightly too high, it's now and for a few weeks just slightly too low.

[J M Fahey]

Speakers *do* break in, in a noticeable way.
I test it every day.
I make my own speakers, so every cabinet I sell has fresh, just built speakers.
Stiff.
I have an unfinished cabinet (no tolex/grill cloth/handles/feet) by my workbench which, of course, gets worked heavily.
Every new head or combo chassis or amp on repair gets plugged to it.
It gets guitar, bass, keyboards, voice, you name it (the test cab has also a couple switchable piezos, for PS/acoustic/KB testing).
The difference is clearly noticeable.
When you break in a speaker it takes long (I'd say, over a week) and human ear does not have much memory, so itīs not easy to compare, thatīs why there are so many differing opinions about it.
But I can instantly compare *the exact same speaker model* "mellowed" and "fresh out of the oven".
The difference is important enough for some customers to feel pissed off : "you showed me one (good) sound but you deliver another (not so good)"
I explain them what happens, and offer them the "used" speakers instead.
A few take them (no problem for me because the new ones I fit in the test cabinet will soon be mellowed too) and others say "OK, Iīll mellow them at home".
Just a practical test.