For those as unfortunate as I...

[ROC585]

Winter is now very close for those who share a northern location. i have started this thread as a warning to all..

For sub freezing temps let your speakers and amps warm up before you blast them. speaker suspensions get very stiff in extreme cold which can cause damage if you decide to blast it right away. solder joints on the boards of your amps can easily break when going from an extreme cold to hot state in only a matter of a couple minutes.

even though i have a dedicated winter system (extreme SPL is just too much when it's 20 degrees out), i always give my stereo a thorough warm up before playing it loudly in the winter. ten minutes at 1/4 volume will do the trick. it's the same concept as breaking in a new speaker. the less "my speakers don't work anymore" threads this winter, the better

[mrfatride]

good thread!

[Spyder]

Thanks for the heads up!

[spots25]

i dunno if i'd get too worried about it. I don't do anything special in the winter and I've never had a problem, and we're talking well below 0. I don't run my stuff especially hard, but...

[ROC585]

^ next time it's that cold, crank it as loud as you can go without a warm up.

let me know how that goes

[Ray]

I have never had an issue, and i live where it gets to the sub 0*F temps. No, i dont crank it and i always "let the system warm up" - actually, I dont crank it when it's that cold anyway, just feels wrong.

I dont know if it matters, tho. But i'll continue to play it safe.

[focusonfocus]

sometimes -20 celcius and no problem so far..

but why would u crank all the way up first thing in the morning, it sure gives me a headache for rest of day..

that will also piss off whole neighbours..

[eriqjo]

Good to know, I just put some new components in the front on Friday and would hate to ruin them.

[spots25]

Originally Posted by ROC585

^ next time it's that cold, crank it as loud as you can go without a warm up.

let me know how that goes

okay, done that, -20, 800WRMS, IDMAX... it was just fine, it still is

[ROC585]

Originally Posted by spots25

okay, done that, -20, 800WRMS, IDMAX... it was just fine, it still is

see that's good info to know in the beginning. a speaker with a stiff suspension like the IDMax can take a hell of a lot of abuse. most people don't have speaker built like that. the average user has kicker comp/infinity reference/insert other low power handling high efficiency speaker. i still wouldn't recommend it, especially at -20.

i am not saying it is guaranteed to blow your speakers instantly, just saying that without a warm up you are definitely risking damage in temps that low.

[Focusized1976]

I have had over 15 systems in many different vehicles in all types of weather and not once have I ever blew my subs, speakers or amps due to the extreme weather. I agree it isn't smart to blast your stuff right away, but 10 minutes to break in.........it only takes me 5 to get to work, lol!

Also I have used stuff from uber cheap to very expensive equipment.

Also where are you getting this info? Have you done this before and just are using it from your experience? Would be one of the first I have heard....and I have been in the field for quite sometime.

[ROC585]

saw it happen to a buddy. he decided to blast his stereo in 15 degree weather and separated the cone from the surrounds on his subs (infinity perfects). ever since then i always recommend it to people.

this thread is for the unintelligent people out there that would do something like that. it's the same principle as warming up your engine. this is what i am talking about. not just listening at a comfortable level, but cranking it to it's max.

on a very cold start would you redline the engine right away?

you may not see the damage that happens. i have had conversations about this with a person that designs speakers and amps for a living because i asked him about it. he agrees that while the chances of completely ruining anything are low, especially if you're using very durable equipment, but it doesn't mean damage doesn't occur that can change the way the suspension moves.


condensation is the other issue. extreme cold to hot will cause condensation issues on the boards of amps and VC's of speakers. condensation can cause shorts.

[Focusized1976]

Well who in the right mind would blast their stuff to max anyway? That is just silly in itself......

Actually a lot of people are like that.

I get what you are saying, but I turn mine up pretty loud, but usually not till I hit the main strip, which in hindsight has been played pretty low for a couple minutes.

I am not surprised at those speakers taking a crap though......One of infinity's better speakers, but IMO still not built that well.......never liked anything from them personally.

[ROC585]

Originally Posted by Focusized1976

Well who in the right mind would blast their stuff to max anyway? That is just silly in itself......

Actually a lot of people are like that.

I get what you are saying, but I turn mine up pretty loud, but usually not till I hit the main strip, which in hindsight has been played pretty low for a couple minutes.

I am not surprised at those speakers taking a crap though......One of infinity's better speakers, but IMO still not built that well.......never liked anything from them personally.

you are spot on. while most people don't blast it right away, there are A LOT of dumb people out there that don't have the sense to give a warm up. they are the same people that max out gains and bass boost and somehow think that sounds good.

[svt3d]

Originally Posted by ROC585

there are A LOT of dumb people out there

well the cat is out of the bag... Personally I agree with you but geesh calling people dumb, its there equipment let em blow it up if they don't want to heed your warning!

[Ray]

Let us not turn this into some pissing contest. If it continues I am going to lock it down.

[tysmagic]

I agree, it makes sense to warm up the subs and people will do as they want no matter what anyone may say.

This is more just my curiosity, is it the surround that breaks? I don't see a rubber surround breaking in the cold as a rubber band will become easier to stretch so I think a rubber surround would too. Maybe a foam surround would give up quicker, could the foam freeze then shatter like ice? Hell, my subs did that during the summer. My trunk was full of little bits of foamy sub surround. Is it the glue that would give up, I could see that being logical. The glue becomes fragile in the cold. Or is it the plastic of the cone that takes a dump?

[zach92r]

Originally Posted by tysmagic

I agree, it makes sense to warm up the subs and people will do as they want no matter what anyone may say.

This is more just my curiosity, is it the surround that breaks? I don't see a rubber surround breaking in the cold as a rubber band will become easier to stretch so I think a rubber surround would too. Maybe a foam surround would give up quicker, could the foam freeze then shatter like ice? Hell, my subs did that during the summer. My trunk was full of little bits of foamy sub surround. Is it the glue that would give up, I could see that being logical. The glue becomes fragile in the cold. Or is it the plastic of the cone that takes a dump?

Rubber gets brittle in extreme cold and will do the same as the foam just not as fast.

[ROC585]

Originally Posted by tysmagic

I agree, it makes sense to warm up the subs and people will do as they want no matter what anyone may say.

This is more just my curiosity, is it the surround that breaks? I don't see a rubber surround breaking in the cold as a rubber band will become easier to stretch so I think a rubber surround would too. Maybe a foam surround would give up quicker, could the foam freeze then shatter like ice? Hell, my subs did that during the summer. My trunk was full of little bits of foamy sub surround. Is it the glue that would give up, I could see that being logical. The glue becomes fragile in the cold. Or is it the plastic of the cone that takes a dump?

the surround is the biggest issue. it can break, as i saw happen to my buddy. the other thing that can happen is when the surround is that stiff, it won't move as freely as it is supposed to.

what happens to a speaker when it doesn't move the way it was designed? (hint: it's the same effect that sending a square wave has)

Answer: less cooling of the voice coil which relies on mechanical piston motion to move air through the coil and former area. this can cause major issues with the VC overheating simply because the speaker isn't cooling itself properly.

^that is also where the myth about "underpowering" a speaker can blow it came from. this is why a 250 watt amp can hurt a sub capable of 4 times that power. amp is putting out that 250 watts as a square wave (achieved by maxing out gains and boost due to lack of output on 1/4 power). voltage to the VC's is actually lower than what it would be with clean power which causes restricted cone movement. now the speaker isn't dissipating heat the way it should, and now you have issues with the speaker overheating because the temp of the VC's just keeps going up.

*crosses fingers that the last paragraph doesn't open up that pandora's box*

[Ray]

You dont have to worry about that - we've covered that issue so many times in past years i just tend to lock threads that argue against it by people who "know".