How To Use A Variac

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How exercise y'all utilize a variac to pause in a speaker?

• Thread starter 59Vampire
• First engagement Jan 31, 2010

• #1

Somewhere I idea I read that yous tin can take a variac and hook it upwardly to a speaker and utilize a depression voltage to help break it in. How is this washed? Practice yous but take a 2 prong plug, say from an one-time lam, cut the wire and hook up one wire to each speaker pb and plug it in? If so how much voltage practice you apply and for what time frame?

Or is this a totally preposterous thought that I completely misunderstood?

• #two

60 HZ constant doesn't seem like a adept way to interruption in a speaker. I'1000 not certain of the voltages speakers normally operate at...

Personally I'd stick with more tried and truthful methods.

• #3

I've read of using a heater/filament tranny which is 6.3vac at 60hz (in the United states.) Variac would be the same thing at whatever voltage it takes to get the cone moving. My only concern would be driving myself crazy since this is "hum." An isolation chamber would be ideal.

• #half-dozen

A better way, if you actually need to pause your speaker in before installing information technology, is to run it with audio textile via a small power amp for 24-48 hours. If you attempt this at your place of residence, it will drive your pregnant other insane.

• #7

I just jam it out to break the speakers in.

• #8

A drum machine on infinite loop can piece of work, too.
Y'all need a closet and/or blankets to mask the sound.

• #nine

I just jam information technology out to break the speakers in.

+11

• #10

I've used a variac method (with Weber calculation) with practiced results.. The idea is to exercise the suspension, so I recall 60 Hz is probably about right (most speaker cones resonate between 55 and 75 Hz). Just be Careful.. And go away from the sound - information technology volition drive y'all crazy!!

• #eleven

slap-up info but i accept no thought what a filament transformer is

• #12

bang-up info but i have no thought what a filament transformer is

It's a transformer that puts out 12.vi volts Air conditioning to power tube filiments, commonly used in tube amps.

• #13

Variacs are skillful to break in guitar speakers considering the 60hz point is below their free air resonance. Lots of other ways volition work also.

I personally don't have time to "play them in" and listen to crappy sound for 40 or more hours at high volume.

• #xv

A variac is a neat way to loosen upwardly a new speaker...merely it even so takes a yr or and so of playing fourth dimension to complete the process. The terminal new amp I had was a Fender '59 Bassman reissue and it definitely sounded amend as fourth dimension went on, fifty-fifty subsequently the variac speaker handling.

• #16

A variac is a great style to loosen up a new speaker...just it still takes a year or then of playing time to complete the procedure. The last new amp I had was a Fender '59 Bassman reissue and it definitely sounded improve as fourth dimension went on, even after the variac speaker handling.

Yep. At that place are other things involved in breaking in besides loosening up the spider and environs IMHO.

• #17

Yep. There are other things involved in breaking in also loosening up the spider and surround IMHO.

Very true. You need the bodily fibers of the cone to start softening upwardly.

At that place are indeed means to accelerate that process, but it'south unsafe & I'grand reluctant to discuss them here.

• #18

Very true. You lot need the actual fibers of the cone to start softening up.

There are indeed ways to accelerate that process, but it's dangerous & I'thousand reluctant to hash out them hither.

Ummmm, I heard about one that involved soaking the cone with dish detergent or dry out cleaning solvent or something similar that and so running a tone through information technology...the owner was complaining that the speaker fell apart. I asked him where in hell he'd ever heard of such idiocy-he'd heard about it on the net.

If y'all google the term you lot can read virtually it, but anyone taking such 'communication' is on their own-don't bother with a warranty claim either.

What well-nigh merely taking the amp out to the barn, powering it up, and playing some music? Inquiring minds desire to know.

• #nineteen

Very true. You demand the actual fibers of the cone to start softening upwardly.

At that place are indeed ways to accelerate that process, merely it's unsafe & I'm reluctant to discuss them here.

Mark and I performed this "dangerous" method on a 10" Jensen alnico and information technology was an immediately aural change. I was very pleasantly suprised.

• #20

...and, for the record: Information technology dod NOT involved dish detergent or dry cleaning solvent and the speaker did NOT fall apart!

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How To Use A Variac,

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