How To Break In A REL Subwoofer

A question that comes up regularly is “Do subwoofers require break-in and, if so, how do I do it properly?” Great question, for which the answer is an emphatic “yes”, RELs needing it more than relatively heavier-coned, slower subs that will eventually break-in on their own.
It’s funny that many who readily accept that audio electronics such as preamps, power amps and DACs need to warm up and run in for a few days to sound their best act surprised when told the same for subwoofer—it’s as though they think that subwoofers exist in a different realm from other audio components. In fact, subwoofers offer arguably the most complete-and complex-combination of any component in audio.
A subwoofer comprises essentially every component present in a complete audio system, except for the source itself. A subwoofer comprises a preamp (input filters) a power amp—ours feature dedicated, high current power supplies—as many as 5– often on their own board and a separate power amplifier board. It also features a pretty specially developed active driver that can include multiple stages of suspension and, of course, the cabinet which is, hopefully, nothing more than inert and plays no part during the break-in process. But even here, there is one small tweak worth doing at the end of break-in.
Breaking Things in Properly: As with most things in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to break-in a sub. Among the many wrong ways, turning your new sub up to “11” (on a scale of 1-10 metaphorically) as soon as the turn-on delay circuit passes sound is a no-no.