how long do subs, amps, cd players, rca's last for ? i have my subs below rms power. i was told abotu 5 yrs or so on subs and amps last forever as long as you dont get the magic smoke.hehe thanks
Replies (5)
cplkittle on 02/14/2004 12:37:29
mine last until something better comes along hehe
I don't think there is even an average for things like that. As long as they are taken care of, they should last until you decide to upgrade, whether that be 6 months or 6 years. I have a pair of optimus 10" subs (radio shack brand from back in the days) These subs were in three different cars and likewise three car wrecks, and they still thump to this day... I use them for test purposes when trying crazy box designs.
uochronos on 02/14/2004 12:41:32
my dad had some speakers adn subs from the 80's out of a friends car and the only problem any of these speakers had was since they where kept in an attic they got moisture cold and heat really bad and dried out the surounds on a couple of them and this caused them to break but the ones which still have good surrounds sound fine to this day. not good quality by todays standards but they sound as they should:)
admin on 02/14/2004 13:50:38
Great question! HAPPY
One of the major factors would be how hard and often is the equipment used.
Is it played at levels over halfway?
Is it hot in your car?
Are any of the componets in direct sunlight and how often?
There are so many factors to answer a question like this but I would like to say the forces of nature takes it's toll on all things man made.
Speakers dry rott, Capacitors dry out, analog knobs get worn and start to make noise.
So what I have learned from all this is will help us pick the head unit and other devices that will last the longest.
No internal amplification in the head unit. RCA and other outputs only.
Make sure all controls are digital.
Have the lowest Signal to Noise Ratios -100db or better.
Have low THD%(Total harmonic distortion) percentages.
Have High sensitivity on the FM receiver.
Has CD Controls.
Has remote wire(s).
Heat and extreme cold are the enemies and the forces of nature eventually take it all back... lol
I think it would be a good idea to collect information on failed componets and see if we can develop a reusable article on this topic??
Can we actually collect information on what happen to failed componets and how long did it last??
Maybe we can do it with some sort of survey?
I could send it to the CK Car Audio Email List??
Let us research this one to the end HAPPY
Walt
swez on 02/21/2004 17:55:54
Under normal operating conditions, most amps can last 5-10 years or more. Speakers in direct sunlight may fail after 4-6 years. Subs, depending on design will last equally long if kept out of the sun and minimal extranous heat/cold.
Paper cones, foam surrounds and other cheap speaker components decay in only a few years. The newer materials like butyl rubber surrounds and metalized or coated cones, will greatly extend the life of an average speaker or sub.
On electronic equipment, the most likely components to fail are electrolytic capcitors. After so many hours of use, they dry out and begin to leak current. This is most common in the power supply section of an amp. MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) varies greatly on caps.
Cheap caps may have 3-5,000 hours before they leak. Military/medical equipment grade caps last longer. Maybe 10,000 hours.
Swez
ahardb0dy on 02/22/2004 01:03:15
I don't know how long your system compponets will last but my headunit is 13 years old (sony) as is my PPI and alpine amplifiers, just now started to have a problem with the alpine, but I'm working on it.
Replies (5)
cplkittle on 02/14/2004 12:37:29
mine last until something better comes along hehe
I don't think there is even an average for things like that. As long as they are taken care of, they should last until you decide to upgrade, whether that be 6 months or 6 years. I have a pair of optimus 10" subs (radio shack brand from back in the days) These subs were in three different cars and likewise three car wrecks, and they still thump to this day... I use them for test purposes when trying crazy box designs.
uochronos on 02/14/2004 12:41:32
my dad had some speakers adn subs from the 80's out of a friends car and the only problem any of these speakers had was since they where kept in an attic they got moisture cold and heat really bad and dried out the surounds on a couple of them and this caused them to break but the ones which still have good surrounds sound fine to this day. not good quality by todays standards but they sound as they should:)
admin on 02/14/2004 13:50:38
Great question! HAPPY
One of the major factors would be how hard and often is the equipment used.
Is it played at levels over halfway?
Is it hot in your car?
Are any of the componets in direct sunlight and how often?
There are so many factors to answer a question like this but I would like to say the forces of nature takes it's toll on all things man made.
Speakers dry rott, Capacitors dry out, analog knobs get worn and start to make noise.
So what I have learned from all this is will help us pick the head unit and other devices that will last the longest.
No internal amplification in the head unit. RCA and other outputs only.
Make sure all controls are digital.
Have the lowest Signal to Noise Ratios -100db or better.
Have low THD%(Total harmonic distortion) percentages.
Have High sensitivity on the FM receiver.
Has CD Controls.
Has remote wire(s).
Heat and extreme cold are the enemies and the forces of nature eventually take it all back... lol
I think it would be a good idea to collect information on failed componets and see if we can develop a reusable article on this topic??
Can we actually collect information on what happen to failed componets and how long did it last??
Maybe we can do it with some sort of survey?
I could send it to the CK Car Audio Email List??
Let us research this one to the end HAPPY
Walt
swez on 02/21/2004 17:55:54
Under normal operating conditions, most amps can last 5-10 years or more. Speakers in direct sunlight may fail after 4-6 years. Subs, depending on design will last equally long if kept out of the sun and minimal extranous heat/cold.
Paper cones, foam surrounds and other cheap speaker components decay in only a few years. The newer materials like butyl rubber surrounds and metalized or coated cones, will greatly extend the life of an average speaker or sub.
On electronic equipment, the most likely components to fail are electrolytic capcitors. After so many hours of use, they dry out and begin to leak current. This is most common in the power supply section of an amp. MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) varies greatly on caps.
Cheap caps may have 3-5,000 hours before they leak. Military/medical equipment grade caps last longer. Maybe 10,000 hours.
Swez
ahardb0dy on 02/22/2004 01:03:15
I don't know how long your system compponets will last but my headunit is 13 years old (sony) as is my PPI and alpine amplifiers, just now started to have a problem with the alpine, but I'm working on it.
Copyright ClubKnowledge 2009 * All Rights Reserved
