Does Cold degrade speakers?
#26
Originally Posted by gleepoy
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.
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.
To illustrate I would point out that manufacturing variences commonly cause two speakers to have a paramater like vas that is off by 20% or more... is that audible ? no. You are probably looking at less then .5db of variation between the speakers.... And having seen temperature coeffients for the spring constants of various materials before, Iam still unconvinced there will be some huge difference in something like vas that will cause some blatently obvious change in sound even at -20.... (ie the speaker now sounds like garbage)
As far as ABX testing goes its 100% necassary for any fair A to B listening compairson because our ears are poor scientific instruments and are heavilly biased by our brains... but maybe you have never heard someone talk about the profound difference in sound between amplifiers... or heard the story of the audiophile installer who secretly had a 4" hole cut into his woofer box and didn't notice...
#27
I usually play my system at a lower volume until my car warms up before i turn it up and ive had no problems, common sense goes a long way.. I dont imagine the cold would degrade speakers... think about it; most older cars still have working stock speakers.
#29
ask all the guys with trunk mounted subs...i doubt that the subs ever get warm in the winter!! In fact I know my trunk in the last car I had stayed cold all winter because I had a leaky trunk gasket and the whole spare tire well was frozen until spring.
Last edited by veeman; 02-07-2007 at 09:58 PM.