Speaker Setup – How to break in new speakers.
So you just got your brand new Audioengine speakers and you’re ready to pull them out of the box and get them set up so you can start rocking out.
Straight out of the box, your speakers should sound great, but what if your speaker setup could sound better with time?
One thing that you can easily do to make that new speaker setup sound top-notch is a thing called “break-in” and it’s actually really simple.
So why would you want to break the speakers in?
The materials we use for our speakers are quite robust, so right after manufacturing they can be a bit stiff.
One way to help out with this stiffness is to break them in so that these materials, such as the rubber surrounds of the aramid fiber drivers, loosen up. As mentioned earlier, the speakers should sound great from your first listen, but after they move around a bit and loosen up you should notice smoother low end response and sweeter mids/highs.
From time to time, we get asked about how to break in new speakers.
The break-in period doesn’t really require anything special other than listening to music and over time your speakers will become more and more broken in.
For proper break in, we generally recommend around 40 to 50 hours of at least mid-level playback before doing any critical listening. Some our customers have mentioned that they play tones or white noise while they are away, such as while they’re at work, to help the process along, but we’d recommend just listening to them normally at a medium-level during the break in period.
Breaking in your new speaker setup is a simple and crucial thing to do to make your speakers sound better and open up their potential. Some things do get better with age!
Audioengine – Doesn’t Your Music Deserve It?
To minimize unwanted resonances and distortion, Audioengine cabinets have thick high-resin MDF walls with extensive internal bracing. Heavy internal sound-damping material is used to reduce unwanted sound reflections inside the cabinet. All cabinet edges are rounded which look great and reduce high-frequency diffraction effects on the front baffles. The HD3 cabinet contains tuned, front-port slots.
0.7" (18 mm) thick MDF cabinets with real wood veneer
0.75" (20 mm) silk dome tweeters with neodymium magnets
2.75" (70 mm) aramid fiber woofers with advanced voice coils
Operating temperature: 32 degrees F to 95 degrees F
Non-operating temperature: -4 degrees F to 113 degrees F
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
Dimensions (HWD)
Each speaker - 7"(17.8 cm) x 4.25" (10.8 cm) x 5.5" (14 cm)
Weight
Left (powered) - 4 lb (1.8 kg)
Right (passive) - 3.4 lb (1.5 kg)
Total Shipping Weight
10 lb (4.6 kg)
Shipping Box Dimensions (LWH)
11.75" (30 cm) x 8.8" (22.5 cm) x 11.6" (29.5 cm)
Headphone Amp Type
OPA2134
Full-scale Headphone Output Level
2.0 V RMS
Output Impedance
2 ohms
Recommended Headphone Impedance Level
10 ohms to 10K ohms
Connector Type
Micro-USB
USB Device Class
USB 1.1 or above
Input Bit Depth
24 bit (padded)
Input Sample Rate
44.1 kHz/48 kHz
Internal D/A Converter
PCM 5102
Internal BT Receiver
N/A
Input Bit Depth
24 bit (padded)
Bluetooth Receiver Type
Bluetooth 5.0
Supported Codecs
aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC
Supported Bluetooth Profiles
N/A
Wireless Operation Range
Up to 100 ft (30 m) typical
Input Data Rate
Determined by Bluetooth
Wireless Latency
~30 milliseconds (ms)
Type
Powered Bluetooth aptX HD speaker system
Amplifier Type
Class AB
Rated Power Output:
15W RMS per channel at 4 ohms (measured in compliance with 16 C.F.R. § 432.3)
Peak Power Output:30W per channel at 4 ohms (AES)
Total Peak Power Output: 60W (AES)
Drivers
2.75” aramid fiber woofers
0.75“ Silk dome tweeters
Inputs
3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, RCA L/R, USB, Bluetooth
Outputs
RCA variable line-out, 3.5 mm mini-jack headphone out
Input Voltages
110-240 V 50/60 Hz auto-switching
SNR
>95 dB (typical A-weighted)
THD+N
Less than 0.05% at all power settings
Crosstalk
<50 dB
Frequency Response
65 Hz-22 kHz ±2.0 dB
Frequency Response w/ Bass Reduction Switch selected
100Hz-22kHz ±2.0dB (<5dB down)
Analog Input Impedance
N/A
Nominal Impedance
N/A
Input Impedance
5K ohms unbalanced
Crossover Frequency
N/A
Protection
Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection
Power Consumption
Idle: 10W
Standby Consumption
N/A
Phase
N/A
Recommended Amplifier Power
N/A
Battery Life
N/A
Battery Charge Time
N/A
If you are experiencing issues with your speakers when connected via USB on a Windows 10+ operating system, it might be due to the DCH (Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support Apps) drivers. While DCH drivers offer many benefits, they can sometimes cause compatibility issues with USB audio devices, resulting in problems such as delays when sound starts, poor audio quality, or the speakers not being recognized properly.
Solution: To resolve these issues, we recommend switching from DCH drivers to non-DCH (standard) drivers. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you do that:
- Uninstall the Current DCH Drivers:
- Open the Device Manager on your PC.
- Locate your audio device under "Sound, video, and game controllers."
- Right-click on the device and select "Uninstall device."
- Ensure you check the option to delete the driver software for this device to completely remove the DCH drivers.
- Download the Non-DCH Drivers:
- Visit the support website of your motherboard or computer manufacturer.
- Navigate to the driver download section and find the non-DCH Realtek (or appropriate) audio drivers for your system.
- Install the Non-DCH Drivers:
- Download and run the installer for the non-DCH drivers.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
- Restart Your PC:
- After installing the non-DCH drivers, restart your computer to apply the changes.
By switching to non-DCH drivers, the compatibility issues with your USB speakers should be resolved, allowing you to enjoy optimal audio performance.
Additional Tips
- Check for Firmware Updates: Ensure your speakers have the latest firmware installed. Visit the manufacturer’s website for firmware updates that may improve compatibility and performance.
- USB Ports: Try connecting your speakers to a different USB port to see if the issue persists.
- Contact Support: If you continue to experience issues, please contact our customer support team. Provide details about your operating system, motherboard model, and the specific problems you are encountering.
We hope this helps you resolve any issues and enhances your experience with our speakers. If you have further questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team.
1. Turn Off and Unplug:
- Make sure your system is turned off and unplugged.
2. Dust the Surfaces:
- Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe away dust.
- For hard-to-reach places, use a soft brush or a can of compressed air.
3. Wipe Down the Exterior:
- We do not recommend using any solvents
- If cleaning off stains or build-up is necessary, we recommend doing so with a very small amount of mild cleaning solution applied only to the affected area, followed by quickly wiping the area dry completely.
- Any scoured pads or objects like a 'magic eraser' too easily run the risk of removing sealers and top coats of the painted finish that can leave a clearly visible change in the uniformity of the paint/finish
4. Clean the Speaker Grills:
- The speaker grills can be gently cleaned with a vacuum, preferably using a soft bush attachment.
- A lint roller can also be used.
5. Clean Buttons and Knobs:
- A dry cloth is recommend for cleaning any knobs, buttons or other surfaces
- Be careful not to let water get into any gaps.
6. Clean Ports and Connections:
- Use compressed air to blow out dust from ports and connections.
7. Let Everything Dry:
- Make sure everything is completely dry before plugging back in and turning on.
8. Regular Cleaning:
- Dust your system regularly to keep it in good shape.
By following these steps, you can keep your Audioengine system clean and working well.
Audioengine operates two websites, audioengine.com and audioengineeu.com. If you go to any other site but these, they are not an Audioengine site. For Canada, Mexico and most of Europe and the UK, we only sell through Amazon. There are also a host of authorized retailers and sites across the US, and they can be found here. For international sales, we have distributors that operate independently, and they can be found here.
What happens if I buy from an authorized site claiming to be Audioengine? Unfortunately, there is not much we can do. We are taking all the action we can to make sure those sites don't get indexed, but we recommend you work with the provider of the card you used to make payment to get your money back.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open Terminal:
- You can find Terminal in your Applications folder under Utilities, or you can use Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Space and typing "Terminal".
- Execute the Command:
- In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:
bash
Copy code
sudo pkill bluetoothd
- Enter Your Password:
- After pressing Enter, you will be prompted to enter your password. Type your Mac's administrator password and press Enter.
- Note that when you type your password, it won't be displayed on the screen (not even as asterisks). Just type it and press Enter.
By following these steps, you should be able to reset your Bluetooth service on your Mac, which can help resolve connectivity issues with your Audioengine devices or any other Bluetooth peripherals.