the stranger Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 I've noticed that most speakers seem to need to warm up. Is this true? Some speakers even seem harsh/distorted until they get going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattC Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Is it the speakers that need a period to warm up, or is it the amp? I know you'll recall that tupe amps require a period to actually warm themselves. Of course, I'm sure that some speakers are the same way, especially if they're older, with stiffer cones and such. ...think funky thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Speakers don't need warm up time, per se, but their characteristics will change as they heat up. Thermal breakdown can distort or destroy speakers over time. Cheaper speaker manufacturers test their speakers in a few moments, with simple tests, utilizing narrow band signals, which exaggerate the realtime performance of the speaker. Manufacturers of higher quality boxes will use a standard test over 8 hours, utilizing broadband noise. This is a much more rigorous test which can tell you not only maximum peak and rms power, but also how the speaker will react to continuous vibration and self-generated heat. Basically, it can tell you if the speaker is designed to withstand real world abuse. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Worthington Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 How about speaker cabs stored in a garage during these cold winter months, and dragged to a gig in a cold car? Does anyone see any issues to be concerned about? (e.g., should they be given a certain amount of time to acclimate to a warm room, or doesn't it really matter?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuri T. Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Eric Worthington: [b]How about speaker cabs stored in a garage during these cold winter months, and dragged to a gig in a cold car? Does anyone see any issues to be concerned about? (e.g., should they be given a certain amount of time to acclimate to a warm room, or doesn't it really matter?)[/b][/quote]Casn't think of any. I ran sound for 10 years and the gear sat in the truck all the time. Even when the temp was in the teens I han no problems. Except for one Carver power amp that just wouoldn't work until it warmed up to a certain temp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Well, I certainly wouldn't peg your power amp with signal, then plug in a cold speaker, but I believe Yuri T. is correct. Most speakers won't fry if you bring them in out of the cold. Anyway, before you play the gig, you'll attach your power amp, do some system tests, and by that time they should be warmed up. Now, if you're talking about northern Minnesota, Canada, or Alaska, you may want to let 'em warm up just a bit before applying high powered signals. ;) It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not Cereal Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 i have had inexpensive speakers tear the foam surrounds when they were too cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark V Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 A while ago I was reading a review on Alesis Monitors and the reviewer reckoned they sounded better after they had "warmed up". I once had a quasi-religious experience..then I realised I'd turned up the volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
where02190 Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Definitely let both amp and skepakers warm for a bit before powering up. Condensation coming from cold dry air to warmer inside are can wreak havoc to coils, and glue on surrounds can crack and break if not allowed to warm up sufficiently. Hope this is helpful. Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie-brm Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I'll go along with all that about glues, seeing as I wound coils and assembled 10" and up drivers at one time. There are about 4 different adhesives used in one speaker, depending on the two surfaces and the location. Those adhesives are very rigid when cured to keep the motor in alignment. If you keep the driver away from UV and ozone, the other parts will hold up enough for several rebuilds. Recently a 10 in my vehicle was failing after 14 years :) , and it was definitely more noticeable by playing loud first thing on a sub-freezing morning. Coil knocking and distortion. I tore it down and the coil had gone out of alignment enough to cause knocking and rubbing on the pole piece (hmmmm). So I replaced it with another 14 year old unit. It's OK to tempt fate. Just don't drop your drawers and moon her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick K. Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I'm kinda assuming you're talking about FOH speakers from a couple of previous posts... I can't even imagine NOT running the system before downbeat just to be sure some knob (me, usually) didn't accidently unplug something, or plain forget to plug it in! Are there those out there that don't do this? Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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