Electronics like cold... if they didn't guys wouldn't be running liquid nitrogen to computer cpus... that goes for amps voice coils and alternators...


the only detrimental effects to a speaker are going to be mechanical.... ie you might be more likley to tear a spider or break it away from the basket....

 

Aslong as the speakers don't become brittle in the cold it's all good.

 

yep thats exactly what i do not want happening to my subs so i pull them for the winter

 

Good speakers are made to last through winters. Cheap ones aren't.

I've had systems in 4 cars, going back almost 20 years. Yup, i'm old.

I've never had a speaker quit because of cold.

My old pioneer 12 pack changer used to play slow, and skip on bumps when it was cold, about -20. And an old alpine display used to be dim and slow.

I've never had an amp or speaker problem in the cold.

 

Never had any problems in 10+ years and I don't baby my subs. I used to beat the sh*t out of my old fosgate 15's the minute I got in my car and never had an issue with the subs or the old VW they were in electrically. Now I don't so much but it's more becuase I'm old and i've only got 10's hahaha

As far as your electrical... once the car is running you're not on battery power anyhow so it shouldn't matter too too much but i'd keep the tunes down a little if you've got the rear defrost, heated seats, fan and maybe even a heated steering wheel goin'

 

Agree with most of this...except that T/S parameters go out the window when it's very cold...hence speakers sound like crap.

 

yeaup t/s will be different since the suspension will be stiffer and the motor/coil will obviously change with temp but I think you'd be hard pressed to hear an audible diff...

even if you could Id say 'sound like crap' might be an exageration since t/s normally varies quite a bit between speakers already...

 

I don't know about you, but I notice a very audible difference when it's -20C.

At those temperatures FS and VAS don't just change a little bit, they change drastically. But nevermind quantifiable evidence...you don't hear any difference at -20C?

 

Ive never percieved any major difference, of course at -20 my mind is usually on getting where Iam going and not on the SQ of my system.... but an abx comparison where the only difference was speaker temp would be very difficult to setup... and that is really the only compairison you could trust.... (otherwise Id infer that personal expectations along with any phisiological differences of being in a car at -20 may influence your perception)

millage may vary from speaker to speaker.... and obviously a butyl rubber surround will be effected more then a foam one... ect... but I still don't think the difference will be enough to warrant saying a speaker will inheriently sound like garbage...

I suppose you have measured t/s of various speakers at 20 C and -20 C ?

 

Actually no, but John Zaph (Zaph Audio) did.

I have to honestly say I'm shocked. ABX test? We're not talking about trying to find pixie dust differences in wire here. Personally, the difference is so huge that I really don't think an ABX listening test would be warranted.

For me, the biggest difference is in my sub. When I first turn my car on (in this weather, -15C) my sub has very little output. Same goes for my midbass. They sound much different after the interior of my car warms up.