Safe to spray paint amps ?

[Radik]

I'd jus like to know if it's safe to spray paint amps or speaker cones, etc. Also if possible, do you need any special spray or can anything work.

[kelticwizard]

I see that nobody has answered yet. I am not a car audio expert, so I can only tell you what I would do until somebody really experienced in car audio comes along.

I would not spray paint audio amps unless the amp manufacturer or somebody with an unquestionable reputation and experience in car audio told me it was OK. That is because the outside of your amp is also your heatsink-the device which transfers the heat from your hot output transisitors to the coolness of the air outside.

In order for your heatsinks to do their job properly, the surface of the heatsink must be able to contact the outside air. The manufacturer goes through a lot of testing to make sure that this happens. If you paint the outside, the aluminum heatsink will not be able to properly make that contact. It would be like spraying an insulator around the heatsink-exactly the opposite of what you want to have happen. Result? Limited effectiveness of the heatsink. If you drive the amp hard, possible fire.

You might not have to completely abandon the idea. For all I know there might be some heat conductive paints out there that will do nicely-not block the transfer of heat from the heatsink to the air. But I would not spray paint unless a got a recommendation from someone very, very experienced in car audio installation.

[kelticwizard]

I would not spray paint speaker cones either, unless I got a recommendation. Most paints contain solvents. Speaker cones are carefully tested to have the right qualities do give the best, most even response. Change the nature of the cone-which solvents in paints are likely to do-and you can effectively ruin the speaker.

There are stores that paint cones as a service. Which paint they use, I do not know. I certainly would not proceed until I got the go-ahead from either the manufacturer or someone who does this sort of thing for a living and can give you a guaranteed answer.

[Radik]

I neva new that the amp's shell was a heat sink. I always just looked at i tas a casing. Thanx alot .