Hi All,
I was talking to a customer at work today and they asked me if their speakers would be ok when one was positioned approx 1.5 feet from a log burning stove.
I thought maybe the glues on the cones could be affected if they got hot, and suggested swapping left and right every couple of months to stop one from changing more than the other.
What do you guys think ? Maybe measure the temp on the side of the speaker and see if it's really a problem ?
Add some sort of heat shield ?
On a side note my TV speakers are 20" away from an open fire, with the brick side of the fireplace seperating them, and they've been fine for 6 years at least.
Thanks,
Rob.
I was talking to a customer at work today and they asked me if their speakers would be ok when one was positioned approx 1.5 feet from a log burning stove.
I thought maybe the glues on the cones could be affected if they got hot, and suggested swapping left and right every couple of months to stop one from changing more than the other.
What do you guys think ? Maybe measure the temp on the side of the speaker and see if it's really a problem ?
Add some sort of heat shield ?
On a side note my TV speakers are 20" away from an open fire, with the brick side of the fireplace seperating them, and they've been fine for 6 years at least.
Thanks,
Rob.
Last edited:
I know this isn't going to be a helpful answer but it depends entirely on the speaker.
Aluminium cone, polypropylene cone, paper cone, doping compound, surround material, glues used etc. The all behave differently when heated.
I wouldn't expect the heat to actually melt anything but with long term exposure it could accelerate the out-gassing of compounds from plastics, rubbers and glues. This would cause a premature aging/stiffening of such things and shorten the life of the drivers. In the short term warming things up would soften them causing a shift in T/S parameters.
It also depends heavily on how the speakers are positioned. Either side of a fire, with the front of the speakers facing away from the fire is one thing, but to have the cones/domes pointing at the heat source is another. It might be worth seeing how hot the cones/surrounds actually get to see if this is really going to be a problem.
If it really comes down to it...
W4-2099 - 4" High heat resistant driver - TB SPEAKER CO., LTD.
W6-2090 - 6.5" High heat resistant driver - TB SPEAKER CO., LTD.
But I would imagine the veneer would peel off before the drivers fail.
Aluminium cone, polypropylene cone, paper cone, doping compound, surround material, glues used etc. The all behave differently when heated.
I wouldn't expect the heat to actually melt anything but with long term exposure it could accelerate the out-gassing of compounds from plastics, rubbers and glues. This would cause a premature aging/stiffening of such things and shorten the life of the drivers. In the short term warming things up would soften them causing a shift in T/S parameters.
It also depends heavily on how the speakers are positioned. Either side of a fire, with the front of the speakers facing away from the fire is one thing, but to have the cones/domes pointing at the heat source is another. It might be worth seeing how hot the cones/surrounds actually get to see if this is really going to be a problem.
If it really comes down to it...
W4-2099 - 4" High heat resistant driver - TB SPEAKER CO., LTD.
W6-2090 - 6.5" High heat resistant driver - TB SPEAKER CO., LTD.
But I would imagine the veneer would peel off before the drivers fail.
Thanks for your reply. I think maybe put a thermometer on the side and see if the heat is really a problem.
Rob.
Rob.
If he has to, he can use the material used to insulate firewalls.
You pretty much just have to worry about the side towards the stove
It's adhesive-backed insulation with a layer of metal foil to reflect the radiated heat.
This can be painted(or veneered), if you keep it thin. Adds box damping, too!
By the by, no thermometer needed- too hot to leave your hand on it is too hot.
You pretty much just have to worry about the side towards the stove
It's adhesive-backed insulation with a layer of metal foil to reflect the radiated heat.
This can be painted(or veneered), if you keep it thin. Adds box damping, too!
By the by, no thermometer needed- too hot to leave your hand on it is too hot.
Depends on how old the stove is. If it has jacketed sides, he might be OK. If it's an older stove .. he's looking at (48") 1200mm away.
If the speakers are in a wooden enclosure then the heat may impact the density of the box which may change its resonance! I know someone who made speaker boxes out of plywood and they were near a heat source and the plywood delaminated! Definitely affected things. I've seen MDF and chipboard start to crumble!
Cover the speaker cabinets with copper foil and polish them once a week ( and if anyone gets finger prints on them give them a death stare.
I once set a pair of 8" mids down on their magnet, laid some plastic over the cones and cast them in epoxy so I could make phase plugs for them. The heat of the curing epoxy was enough to make the surround glue soften and they slipped up by about 1mm all around.
Maybe stove means something different in the US ? Over in the UK they are often used as secondary heating, rather than an appliance that heats the whole house. (maybe around 3kw to 7kw heat output)
I'm going to cut and paste all the advice and send it to her.
Thanks,
Rob.
Here's a pic of my old missions that the TV plays through. Still going strong after at least 6 years that close to fire.
I'm going to cut and paste all the advice and send it to her.
Thanks,
Rob.
Here's a pic of my old missions that the TV plays through. Still going strong after at least 6 years that close to fire.
Attachments
Last edited:
Not a good example; that brick wall is an insulator and stops at least 90% of the infrared , it´s not in a straight line from "the fire".
If you want to brag about it, put it 20" in front of the fire and tell us how long it lasts.
If you want to brag about it, put it 20" in front of the fire and tell us how long it lasts.
Over here that would be considered a fireplace RobWells. Oddly enough, where you have your speaker I'd bet is the coolest spot in the room. A "stove", over here, is cast iron or steel and radiates heat in all directions. They get plenty hot.
I see. Being newer designs they allow much closer clearances. Your friend should be fine with one of those (350mm side clearance) jobs.
I remember as a kid the old man would stoke the stove till it glowed. 🙂
I remember as a kid the old man would stoke the stove till it glowed. 🙂
Last edited: