Slamming a cold subwoofer..

[Full Tilt 10+ year member]

Hey guys. I live in Iowa, so in the winter, the temps can get cold. I'm sure anybody around or North of us can agree. Anyway, I heard that starting your car up and slamming your sub (without letting it warm up) can be hard on it, or even kill it.

• Does anybody have any experience with this?
  
• Is it even true?
  
• How long should you let your sub warm up before going full tilt to avoid any damage?
  

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[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Do whatever makes you feel good. IMO to get cold enough for foam, rubber, and nomex to become brittle you'd have to douse them in liquid nitrogen.

What precisely does people think will happen if a woofer is played "too cold"?

 

[Flex68 10+ year member]

...is a very bad idea.

Shud prolly give it at least a couple of songs at low-moderate volume level to allow it to warm up and the surround to gain some flexibility.

@audio_phill talked about this somewhere in regards to the stiffness of the Skar VVX softparts, iirc...

 

[Full Tilt 10+ year member]

Do whatever makes you feel good. IMO to get cold enough for foam, rubber, and nomex to become brittle you'd have to douse them in liquid nitrogen.
What precisely does people think will happen if a woofer is played "too cold"?

I've just heard if some of the soft parts (ie. the tinsel leads) get too cold, the sudden fast movement can cause them to break.

 

[Full Tilt 10+ year member]

[quote name='Flex68']...is a very bad idea.

Shud prolly give it at least a couple of songs at low-moderate volume level to allow it to warm up and the surround to gain some flexibility.

@audio_phill talked about this somewhere in regards to the stiffness of the Skar VVX softparts, iirc...[/QUOTE]

Thanks for bringing him in. Hopefully I can get some decent information.

BTW, your truck a 15 or 2500?

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

I've never had a problem, but I guess it's like the myth about not "breaking in" woofers before you play them full volume. It probably doen't matter, but won't hurt if you have some special ritual you feel you need to perform before playing your music the way you like.

 

[Flex68 10+ year member]

What precisely does people think will happen if a woofer is played "too cold"?

Design parameters are gonna be calculated within a certain T range. If the sub is played at max in a notably colder T than sub's testing/design was intended for, then T/S parameters are gonna change.

The cold T would logically have to increase the Rms, and if you increase the mechanical resistance, then there will be a price to pay...maybe just shitty sound, maybe worse.

OP, my truck is a 1500

 

[MisterDeadeye 10+ year member]

I've never had a problem, but I guess it's like the myth about not "breaking in" woofers before you play them full volume. It probably doen't matter, but won't hurt if you have some special ritual you feel you need to perform before playing your music the way you like.

Weird question, completely off topic, but....

What was your avatar before this one?

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Weird question, completely off topic, but....




What was your avatar before this one?

The sheep in fishnet stockings and high heels.... I have a bit of Scottish heritige and it appeals to that in a strange way.

 

[Flex68 10+ year member]

The sheep in fishnet stockings and high heels.... I have a bit of Scottish heritige and it appeals to that in a strange way.

rotfl, I hope that , in reality , it has to do with something other than a Scottish heritage....otherwise I may be looking for a pet sheep to stick into the old lady's fishnets in the future. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wow.gif.23d729408e9177caa2a0ed6a2ba6588e.gif

Not good!

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

rotfl, I hope that , in reality , it has to do with something other than a Scottish heritage....otherwise I may be looking for a pet sheep to stick into the old lady's fishnets in the future. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wow.gif.23d729408e9177caa2a0ed6a2ba6588e.gifNot good!

How does looking at this picture make you feel?

 

[ancorp 10+ year member]

The cold will make the spiders stiffer. Some more then others. Is there no risk of them separating from the basket, or tearing if you push them too hard when they're so stiff?

In the winter, one of my buddy's futureshop specials (MTX 7500 12") was so stiff it wouldn't really play. I thought it was seized, that's how stiff the suspension was in the winter.

 

[Flex68 10+ year member]

How does looking at this picture make you feel?

Very happy not to be a female sheep anywhere in your vicinity!

 

[wenn_du_weinst 10+ year member]

lmao the cold changing the t/s is not going to do jack ****. T/s are never constant under power anyway.

I live in South Dakota and never had any problems playing full tilt out of the gate.

 

[Falcons 5,000+ posts]

I think if your temps don't go below 0 degrees fahrenheit you'll be good. I've played my system in 20-30 degrees and had no problem.