How long can speakers last?
I have seen people post selling their 20 30 years old speakers and I have heard from my friend's house speakers they are 30 years old but still sound like in perfect condition. So I am wondering how long can speakers last? do they need tune up? I just got the VM serious can they last long?
How long your speak been with you? Any special treatment you need to keep it up?
How long your speak been with you? Any special treatment you need to keep it up?
Post edited by mr2sw21 on
Comments
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how do you keep it? Do you need to put any treatment to it?
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Think of it this way, if you abuse your body hard (drinking smoking etc.) how long are you going to last as if you take care of your self? if you drive your car hard don't really care, how long will it last? same goes for your speakers if you drive them hard and don't power them properly how long will they last?
also the quality of speaker you buy plays into this as well. Your VM's should last you a very long time, as long as you take care of them and don't drive them into the ground.
Larry. -
How long your speak been with you?
Does goo-goo, ga-ga count or does it have to be a real word?Any special treatment you need to keep it up?
Pretty young things never fail me, but at some point I quess we'll all need Viagra.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Pretty young things never fail me, but at some point I quess we'll all need Viagra.
HA HA sorry had to laugh.;) -
TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »HA HA sorry had to laugh.;)
x2 on that...lol
If you take care of them, they'll last a long time. I've got a pair of Monitor 7A's that were produced in 1978, and they still sound absolutely fantastic. I'm planning on doing some crossover upgrades later this year to make them sound even better.
Depending on the quality of parts used, capacitors and resistors can wear out over time, and benefit from replacement. As long as you're powering them with good clean power, and not driving them to the point of distorting the drivers should last a very long time, especially with a rubber surround. Speakers with foam surrounds will need a replacement surround every 15-20 years or so on average depending on usage.The nirvana inducer-
APC H10 Power Conditioner
Marantz UD5005 universal player
Parasound Halo P5 preamp
Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's -
From the first day you run new speaker drivers their deterioration begins.If you check their factory specs after a couple of years the VAS and FS will be out due to the fact that the mechanical compliance(QMS) changes because the surround and spider wear out.So anybody telling you that speakers still sound "fine" after 20 years has a ear who's ability to function has deteriorated with his speakers!:)If the specs are out the speaker is not producing sound according to how the factory designed it.PERIOD
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Cough....Crackpot....CoughPolitical Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
LMFAO Jesse!
So your decline began at conception? This could explain why you're so F'd up now. :rolleyes:
It could have been worse.I could have landed up being brain dead and spineless like you!!!:cool: -
some say take care of them. What you mean by that? Do I need to use some treatment on the speakers? Or simply just don't play loud? Also for some reason I got a pair of TSI200 instead the lovely VM10 for my back surrounding (sad story) will TSI200 last shorter than the VM? Since it is wood not metal?
Sorry F1nut, I mean how long do your speakers been with you? -
From the first day you run new speaker drivers their deterioration begins.If you check their factory specs after a couple of years the VAS and FS will be out due to the fact that the mechanical compliance(QMS) changes because the surround and spider wear out.So anybody telling you that speakers still sound "fine" after 20 years has a ear who's ability to function has deteriorated with his speakers!:)If the specs are out the speaker is not producing sound according to how the factory designed it.PERIOD
What? So you're saying that a brand new pair of speakers, right from day one, is going to sound worse and worse, each and everytime you use them?
Interesting...I've never heard that before.:rolleyes:
Keiko-When did you go brain dead and become spineless? Seafire knows about this, and you didn't bother to tell me? Damn man...and here I thought we were friends. I thought you'd have told me that you had such a serious affliction.:rolleyes: Is life hard without a spine? I could imagine it makes a lot of things complicated...like walking, standing, sitting...etc...The nirvana inducer-
APC H10 Power Conditioner
Marantz UD5005 universal player
Parasound Halo P5 preamp
Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's -
My speakers are 19 years old and still have the original everything. How do I take care of them?
I have them hooked up to an amplifier, so that when I want to play them loud I can without worry.
If I have to move them, I do so carefully. I leave the grills on so that dust, fingers & other miscellaneous objects can't get at them. I wipe down the cabinets to keep them shiny & free of dust.
But most important, I just leave them the hell alone & listen to them. That is what they are there for, to listen to, not to play around with.
Which means...NO ONE TOUCHES MY GEAR EXCEPT ME! If you are curious ask me & I'll do what I have to to satisfy your curiousity. But you touch my gear, you will lost a body part!some say take care of them. What you mean by that? Do I need to use some treatment on the speakers? Or simply just don't play loud? Also for some reason I got a pair of TSI200 instead the lovely VM10 for my back surrounding (sad story) will TSI200 last shorter than the VM? Since it is wood not metal?
Sorry F1nut, I mean how long do your speakers been with you?Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2 -
No they will actually have a period of break in where they will sound better than new.From then on a gentle slope of deterioration begins.Just like a car,any mechanical motor etc.Remember that speakers are mechanical things.Cones made of spruce pulp paper will dry out during years and lose there internal damping.The same with polyprop....contact with air and sunshine will start a slow process of deterioration.Don't believe me ask any speaker manufacturer.BTW there is a hint in the last sentencecomfortablycurt wrote: »What? So you're saying that a brand new pair of speakers, right from day one, is going to sound worse and worse, each and everytime you use them?
Interesting...I've never heard that before.:rolleyes:
Keiko-When did you go brain dead and become spineless? Seafire knows about this, and you didn't bother to tell me? Damn man...and here I thought we were friends. I thought you'd have told me that you had such a serious affliction.:rolleyes: Is life hard without a spine? I could imagine it makes a lot of things complicated...like walking, standing, sitting...etc...
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Nice post Cfrizz...I play the guitar, and the first time I bought an expensive one, I was almost scared to play the thing. Funny thing about guitars, the more you play them, the better they sound. I was always curious about "Breaking in" of speakers and what that exactly means.
With my speakers, at first, I didn't even use them. It was almost as if they were too valuable to use (And I don't have audiophile speakers to say the least). Now, I use them every day and get a ton out of them.
I can understand what Seafire was saying. I also find it hard to believe that 30 years after buying a speaker, it can sound just as good (Although some well taken care of 30 year old guitars sound more fantastic than brand new ones), but as someone said...parts do wear down over time. I guess you could think of it this way. As soon as you start listening to them, the clock has begun...the clock ticks faster if you abuse them (Overdrive them, etc.), but depending on the quality of the speaker, it can last 20-40 years (Had a neighbor that had a 40 year old pair, and I thought they sounded fine...finally, they just gave up).
Pycroft2 Channel/HT:
Sony SS-M9 P's (ES version)
Sony SS-M1CN Center Channel
Polk RT800 Surround Speakers
Odyssey Stratos Dual Mono Amplifiers
TAD 150 Signature Tube Preamp
Harman Kardon HK354
Sony SACD Player -
Ok Sea.
Good to see you can post outside the cable thread! So in your OPINION, which sounds like it carries enormous weight! About how long will a speaker last?
Or should we not even bother buying them because they are just like birth in Buddhism where being 'born' is the beginning of one's journey toward DEATH. Each breath you breathe is one less than your 'total' number.
And perhaps all those cars that have been on the road with minimal repairs should be junked as well because they just don't 'drive' like they 'used' to. And while we're at it...why wait for an LCDs or plasma's Half-life, why not measure a sets demise like Zeno's paradox. Perhaps we should measure in ever decreasing increments so we can have a 1/4 life, a 1/8 life, a 1/16 life/ a 1/32 life....a 1/256 life...a 1/1024 life and so on. That way we can assure ourselves that within less than an hour of our purchase our set is already unwatchable.
Or are we just discussing the 'obvious' here! The term
SOPHISM comes to mind quite instantly....don't you think?
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
Nice post Cfrizz...I play the guitar, and the first time I bought an expensive one, I was almost scared to play the thing. Funny thing about guitars, the more you play them, the better they sound. I was always curious about "Breaking in" of speakers and what that exactly means.
With my speakers, at first, I didn't even use them. It was almost as if they were too valuable to use (And I don't have audiophile speakers to say the least). Now, I use them every day and get a ton out of them.
I can understand what Seafire was saying. I also find it hard to believe that 30 years after buying a speaker, it can sound just as good (Although some well taken care of 30 year old guitars sound more fantastic than brand new ones), but as someone said...parts do wear down over time. I guess you could think of it this way. As soon as you start listening to them, the clock has begun...the clock ticks faster if you abuse them (Overdrive them, etc.), but depending on the quality of the speaker, it can last 20-40 years (Had a neighbor that had a 40 year old pair, and I thought they sounded fine...finally, they just gave up).
Pycroft
Ditto to what Pycroft says.Speakers can last 20-30 years but they will NOT sound the same.Maybe fine but not perfect.Here are some tips
Always turn the volume up gradually
Try not to overdrive the speakers
Rather use an amp with over rated wattage as clipping (DC leakage) can destroy speakers in seconds
Try and keep them out of direct sunlight.
If you have butyl rubber surrounds I feed them silicon oil 4 times a year to preserve the surrounds(if cones are polyprop this can be applied on to the polyprop too).
After about 10 years replace all caps on the xovers.
Use a good quality wax based furniture polish on wood cabinets -
Good point pycroft.
Does a Stradivarius get 'worse' with AGE??
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
I really wasn't trying to be funny here.What I said is true and is a very good thing to always remember and so get maximum life out of your speakers.Ok Sea.
Good to see you can post outside the cable thread! So in your OPINION, which sounds like it carries enormous weight! About how long will a speaker last?
Or should we not even bother buying them because they are just like birth in Buddhism where being 'born' is the beginning of one's journey toward DEATH. Each breath you breathe is one less than your 'total' number.
And perhaps all those cars that have been on the road with minimal repairs should be junked as well because they just don't 'drive' like they 'used' to. And while we're at it...why wait for an LCDs or plasma's Half-life, why not measure a sets demise like Zeno's paradox. Perhaps we should measure in ever decreasing increments so we can have a 1/4 life, a 1/8 life, a 1/16 life/ a 1/32 life....a 1/256 life...a 1/1024 life and so on. That way we can assure ourselves that within less than an hour of our purchase our set is already unwatchable.
Or are we just discussing the 'obvious' here! The term
SOPHISM comes to mind quite instantly....don't you think?
cnh
10 years is the going rate for high quality drivers ie.sounding as close to the factory spec as possible.But they may still sound fine after 20 years with some TLC and minimum abuse -
sorry for not being intelligent to ask this but how can I tell when my speakers break in? I been using them since last week (about 15 to 20 hrs already) is that good enough? But I don't feel the difference yet?
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Good point pycroft.
Does a Stradivarius get 'worse' with AGE??
cnh
Yes.Although the slope will be very subtle because of the HQ drivers and materials Sonus Faber uses
PS.Are you asking if I am a sophist in the new order? Answer is no.Like in Greek times yes
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Yes.Although the slope will be very subtle because of the HQ drivers and materials Sonus Faber uses
Sorry, but I'm referring to the Violin not the speaker...how the wood in some instruments actually matures with age!
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
No they will actually have a period of break in where they will sound better than new.From then on a gentle slope of deterioration begins.Just like a car,any mechanical motor etc.Remember that speakers are mechanical things.Cones made of spruce pulp paper will dry out during years and lose there internal damping.The same with polyprop....contact with air and sunshine will start a slow process of deterioration.Don't believe me ask any speaker manufacturer.BTW there is a hint in the last sentence
Ok Seafire.
One question though, what's this hint you're talking about? "Don't believe me, ask any speaker manufacturer." Is that the hint?
Sorry, but I'm not going to contact any speaker manufacturers and ask them this question.
Yes, speakers will deteriorate over time, but if they're taken care of and not abused, they can last a very long time. My Monitor 7A's have all the original drivers, and they still look like they're brand new, and sound absolutely fantastic. Capacitors and resistors wear out over time and need to be replaced eventually. That's why you see so many people modding their vintage Polks with better than stock components in the XO's. Who's to say that a drivers "worn out"? Maybe it's just "broken in".
I just got a pair of RTi8's over the weekend, which are a much newer speaker. As far as music goes, there's no competition. The "worn out" 30 year old speakers beat the RTi8's by a wide margin as far as musicality goes.
Not everything wears out with age. Take a cars engine for example, there are cars out there with half a million miles on the original engine and they still run great. It's about maintenance...you have to take care of it. A cars engine runs smoother and more efficient after you have 5000 or so miles on it...it needs to settle in. If it's properly taken care of, maintained and not ignored, a car will basically last however long you want it to.
As Pycroft said, musical instruments get better with age. The wood ages and it's density changes...an older guitar is typically going to have a more open sound, and almost a natural reverb to some extents. My '69 Strat is roughly 40 years old, and it beats the pants off of my 5-6 year old American Deluxe Fat Strat...there's no competition.
CNH mentioned the Stradivarius instruments, these are regarded as basically being the greatest string instruments ever produced. Nobody can even really explain why it is that they sound better...there isn't a logical explanation for it. People have attempted to explain and analyze why they sound so much better than other instruments, but it's continually defied explanation. I can guarantee you they sound even better now than they did when they were new.
Yes, things wear out over time, but that's not always a bad thing. A better term could be "broken in".
Side note-The Duport Stradivarius, one of the most famous cello's ever produced, sold last year for over 20 million dollars.:eek::eek: That's insane.The nirvana inducer-
APC H10 Power Conditioner
Marantz UD5005 universal player
Parasound Halo P5 preamp
Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's -
Rather use an amp with over rated wattage as clipping (DC leakage) can destroy speakers in seconds
If you have butyl rubber surrounds I feed them silicon oil 4 times a year to preserve the surrounds(if cones are polyprop this can be applied on to the polyprop too).
Sorry man, I am not at that level yet (still beginner) Do you mean the Amp can destroy the speakers? Is that mean if the amp is 200w per channel and the speaker can only exceed 150 it can destroy it when it goes all the way up? OR what do you mean.
About oil you mention where do you apply it on the speakers surface or you have to open the cabinet and apply on the inside?
Thanks, -
Most but not all will sound thin in the bass department and brash in the treble department.100-200 hours should see them at their best on average.The bass should be faster(attack) with more extension and the tweeters should sound ''sweeter".Hope this helpssorry for not being intelligent to ask this but how can I tell when my speakers break in? I been using them since last week (about 15 to 20 hrs already) is that good enough? But I don't feel the difference yet? -
Most but not all will sound thin in the bass department and brash in the treble department.100-200 hours should see them at their best on average.The bass should be faster(attack) with more extension and the tweeters should sound ''sweeter".Hope this helps
I see can't wait when it breaks in Hope I can tell the difference. -
Don't worry those VMs will give you at 'least' 10 good quality years...and more as said if you just don't abuse them.
Yeah treating them with silicon etc., helps....but I wouldn't worry about that till you actually break them in.
Break in depends on the materials and a number of other factors used to produce your drivers...at least 100 hours or more...depending..
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
Ok.9 out of 10 times it is safer to play a 100 watt speaker on a 300 watt amp rather than vice versa.What kills speakers are small amps driven into clipping distortion.This will fry your tweeters in seconds.I apply silicon oil (silicon spray) on the surrounds of the speakers(the rubber around the speaker).If it's paper cones make sure the silicon doesn't touch the paper cones.If it's polyprop(plastic) you can wipe the with silicon spray too on the speaker surface.Don't do this too often.4 times per year I apply thisSorry man, I am not at that level yet (still beginner) Do you mean the Amp can destroy the speakers? Is that mean if the amp is 200w per channel and the speaker can only exceed 150 it can destroy it when it goes all the way up? OR what do you mean.
About oil you mention where do you apply it on the speakers surface or you have to open the cabinet and apply on the inside?
Thanks, -
LOL sorry.Yes I agree the older the violin gets the better.Unfortunately the day does arrive when the wood starts breaking downSorry, but I'm referring to the Violin not the speaker...how the wood in some instruments actually matures with age!
cnh -
I still love the sound of my 30 year old Tannoys. Granted, they have new electronics(wire, inductors, capacitors), I wouldn't be afraid to put them up against any new speaker in their price range or even double."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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My Altec 604B 'duplex' (coax) speakers were made in the early 1950s. Like all vintage AlNiCo speakers, they could probably benefit from a magnet recharging (Great Plains Audio will do it) but they should have 50 or more good years left (the woofers will need to be reconed at some point).
Most speakers around here are from the 1950s and 1960s, with a few from the 70s. Most could benefit from new capacitors in their crossovers (if so equipped) but the drivers can last a long, long time.
I am sure that the issue of replacing deteriorated foam surrounds on drivers so equipped is well known to all and sundry here. -
comfortablycurt wrote: »Ok Seafire.
One question though, what's this hint you're talking about? "Don't believe me, ask any speaker manufacturer." Is that the hint?
Sorry, but I'm not going to contact any speaker manufacturers and ask them this question.
Yes, speakers will deteriorate over time, but if they're taken care of and not abused, they can last a very long time. My Monitor 7A's have all the original drivers, and they still look like they're brand new, and sound absolutely fantastic. Capacitors and resistors wear out over time and need to be replaced eventually. That's why you see so many people modding their vintage Polks with better than stock components in the XO's. Who's to say that a drivers "worn out"? Maybe it's just "broken in".
I just got a pair of RTi8's over the weekend, which are a much newer speaker. As far as music goes, there's no competition. The "worn out" 30 year old speakers beat the RTi8's by a wide margin as far as musicality goes.
Not everything wears out with age. Take a cars engine for example, there are cars out there with half a million miles on the original engine and they still run great. It's about maintenance...you have to take care of it. A cars engine runs smoother and more efficient after you have 5000 or so miles on it...it needs to settle in. If it's properly taken care of, maintained and not ignored, a car will basically last however long you want it to.
As Pycroft said, musical instruments get better with age. The wood ages and it's density changes...an older guitar is typically going to have a more open sound, and almost a natural reverb to some extents. My '69 Strat is roughly 40 years old, and it beats the pants off of my 5-6 year old American Deluxe Fat Strat...there's no competition.
CNH mentioned the Stradivarius instruments, these are regarded as basically being the greatest string instruments ever produced. Nobody can even really explain why it is that they sound better...there isn't a logical explanation for it. People have attempted to explain and analyze why they sound so much better than other instruments, but it's continually defied explanation. I can guarantee you they sound even better now than they did when they were new.
Yes, things wear out over time, but that's not always a bad thing. A better term could be "broken in".
Side note-The Duport Stradivarius, one of the most famous cello's ever produced, sold last year for over 20 million dollars.:eek::eek: That's insane.
I agree with you on the above.You may even have a situation where someone has 20 year old speakers that haven't even run in yet.Unfortunately the environment will get the better of surrounds etc.But that's not expensive to fix anyway
