How do extreme temperatures affect speakers?

[Hector_G]

So I've left my cabinet in the trunk of my car the past couple of nights. It's gotten down below freezing in my area.

Does this really affect the speakers and cabinet in a negative way? It's a Hartke Hydrive 410.

Also my amp head has been in there too. Solid state.

[onosson]

My 410 Marshall cabinet lives in my shed. I've stored it there between gigs for the 4-5 years that I've owned it. Night time temperatures here regularly drop below -30 degrees Celsius for several weeks in the winter, sometimes below -40. It has never caused me a problem. I have left amps out there too, though I don't do that anymore - more to avoid theft (heads are easier to move than big heavy cabinets) but also because I did have an issue once with condensation moving a head from very cold temps to indoors rapidly, and turning it on right away. In my experience, temperatures around the freezing mark should pose no issue to electronics or audio equipment of any kind.

[babebambi]

yup, temp alone doesn't harm your equipment; as mentioned, it's the condensation that you should be aware of

[Rick Auricchio]

At extremely low temperatures the voice coil becomes a superconductor.

[Joe Nerve]

Nice to know. I'm pretty certain my bottom is frozen solid. Was worrying a bit about that actually.

[Plays_For_Dog]

You want to give it plenty of time to warm up to room tempature before you play it. Also, try to warm it up slowly if possible to prevent as much condensation as possible.

[onosson]

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

At extremely low temperatures the voice coil becomes a superconductor.

How low?

[username1]

Cold temperatures wont hurt your speakers. If that were true how would your speakers be able to be shipped to the music store? I have left equipment out in a van during -30 weather with no problems. The trick is to let them warm up to room temperature before using them. Also, how do the speakers in your car stereo manage to cope when the temperature drops if that were the case?

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by username1

Also, how do the speakers in your car stereo manage to cope when the temperature drops if that were the case?

+1 I love that kind of logic.

[alexclaber]

Let them warm up before really blasting them. You could crack the surrounds or spider if its cold enough - we are talking well below freezing though!

If you don't think cold temperatures affect speakers, really listen hard to your car stereo on a cold morning. Until the cabin is fully up to temperature and has been that way long enough for the speakers to warm up, you will get less bottom from the stereo, fact.

[50000 Repairs]

If the driver is cooled with ferro-fluid low temperatures can increase the viscosity of the fluid and the speaker will respond sluggishly. Suggest running low signal (a few watts) through driver to warm it up. Should only take a few minutes.

[Pbassred]

Originally Posted by onosson

How low?

"high temperature" superconductors work at -243C . How cold does the average truck get?

[michael_atw]

One thing you shouldn't do is light it up early when it's that cold - the moisture condensing in a warmer humid environment will wreck havoc - just like any other electronic equipment.

I read in some other thread that parts can freeze up in the speaker. Dunno much about that myself.

[Marko5657]

Hartke… do they have those aluminum drivers?

Not saying it’d make a difference, I don’t know…

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by alexclaber

Let them warm up before really blasting them. You could crack the surrounds or spider if its cold enough - we are talking well below freezing though!

Been there done that!!

Brought my Acme B2s in from the cold, set them up and without thinking dropped a low B into them. Tore the surrounds of one driver in each cabinet. That was a very very long night let me tell you!

Let them warm up to room temperature before you try to use them.

[LoveMyBass]

Originally Posted by onosson

How low?

- 273,9 centigrade or something like that, don't know the Fahrenheit tho

[billfitzmaurice]

How do extreme temperatures affect speakers?

The same way they affect you. Not recommended, unless you let them set for eight hours in a warm room before using.

[Sartori]

I think it's not so much the extreme temperatures themselves but rather the rapid transition between extreme cold and normal temperatures that you have to watch out for.

[Hector_G]

Thanks everyone for your imput. I'm pretty sure the entire country is dealing with really cold temperatures right now.

[Rick Auricchio]

I did so poorly in science class that I got an Absolute Zero.