To begin you will want to make sure that the settings on your radio are flat or at zero. You should never have to use “bass boost” or “loudness” with a properly tuned system. You can use the subwoofer level on your radio for fine tuning. You’ll want to get your system tuned to a level that is loud without distortion or popping. Take your time. Listen carefully to the sound being produced by the subwoofer(s). Once you have found your ideal level, drop your settings (gain) to half of that. For instance, if you are at half gain, drop it down to a quarter gain.
This is your “break in” setting. You will want to keep these settings for the first 24 to 36 hours of actual play time on the new subwoofer(s). We find that it is usually about a week of regular music listening in a daily driven vehicle. After those initial 24 to 36 hours; you can retune your system back up to the original setting. Your subwoofer(s) is now broken in and ready.
NOTE this is the absolute simplest explanation of only one method to break in your new DS18 subwoofer(s). There are much more involved methods that require specialized tools but, this method is a basic suggestion. Let us know if you have any other questions.