George, i guess one question in this forum leads to another and begins an endless cycle with theory after theory. I, IMHO, believe the "break in period" for a speaker is about 10 minutes. If it don't "break", its "broke In".
As for amp settings, I turn the amp wide open, all mixing boards i use have slides with factory reccommemded pre-settings, and the trim control is recommended to fine tune one's sound to prevent clipping. Again, never blown a speaker in over forty years setting up sound for clubs, arenas, and outdoor venues.
I, however, did like your phrase of the gas pedal and brake. Quite a good comparison i thought.
Enjoyed your imput
muzicman144:
