storing speakers in freezing temps

[adaug]

we are in the process of moving, and a heated storage space is being replaced by an unheated garage. looking for guidance on whether freezing midwest winter temperatures are likely to damage stereo speakers. the stored speakers are standard cone/dome types. thanks for any experiences or input.

 

[OldNuke]

Hmmm, I would ask some industry pro's. Maybe an email to GPA? Even an unheated closed storage garage can stay above freezing but I don't do Midwest winters so I'm not the person to ask.

 

[MikeyFresh]

Midwest Kansas City? Or Midwest Minneapolis? Both get cold, but one gets stupid extendo-cold.

Even Chicagoland seems to have that week or so each year of 0℉ (and below zero at night), to me that's just a little too cold for storage of speakers.

 

[MikeT.]

Midwest Kansas City? Or Midwest Minneapolis? Both get cold, but one gets stupid extendo-cold.

Even Chicagoland seems to have that week or so each year of 0℉ (and below zero at night), to me that's just a little too cold for storage of speakers.

Agreed, too cold for me to store speakers in an unheated space. Technically, I’m not sure but it would keep me up at night.

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Frigid cold usually means high moisture....so....no...

 

[Punker X]

Frigid cold usually means high moisture....so....no...

No opposite, extremely dry in extremely cold. I have never had any issue with result of cold storage. Unheated garage. When you get drastic change from really cold to warm then you will get condensation. Never an issue with speakers, but have seen some corrosion on metal surface on stuff that has been out there for years. Don't think there will be any issue for short term storage.

 

[adaug]

No opposite, extremely dry in extremely cold. I have never had any issue with result of cold storage. Unheated garage. When you get drastic change from really cold to warm then you will get condensation. Never an issue with speakers, but have seen some corrosion on metal surface on stuff that has been out there for years. Don't think there will be any issue for short term storage.

thanks for the input. i am in chicagoland, fwiw.

 

[JohnVF]

I think if there were a huge problem storing 1970s speakers in freezing cold midwest garages and storage units, forgetting about them, and then somebody finding them and firing them up years later to utter amazement, AudioKarma wouldn't exist.

 

[MikeyFresh]

Don't think there will be any issue for short term storage.

Short term is often forgotten about and turns into longer term when it comes to storage, and that's probably where the problem can lie.

If the speakers were placed in cold storage when it was already cold and dry, and then removed from storage while still cold and dry, that should be fine, but if the storage period were to last longer and get into a series of thaw and refreeze cycles, potentially adding moisture to the equation in that process due to condensation, that would undoubtedly cause at least some deterioration.

But even just the most severe cold could cause damage, cracking of anything glued for instance, even a circuit board or solder joint in the crossover wouldn't be entirely immune, it gets and stays pretty damn cold in Chicagoland for at least a stretch or two every winter.

But no doubt moisture due to condensation or otherwise, in combination with the cold, would be far worse. Where I live the roads crumble every late winter and early spring, due to the repeated freeze/thaw/freeze cycles. Maybe placement of a few of those bags of volcanic rocks that absorb moisture would be a good idea if the storage period were to last beyond just the cold dry winter.

 

[Pat McGinty]

Here too, the repeated freeze/thaw cycles tear things apart. The force of water expanding into ice is irresistible. Things just break apart; that's how mountain ranges crumble. I'm in the exterior millwork biz, and this problem is the #1 consideration for all of our work.

I've seen speaker cabinet problems after just one cycle from joined materials having different thermal coefficients of expansion. In one case a laminate didn't contract as much as the MDF substrate and ended up protruding slightly where it should have been flush. In another, the coating crazed.

I think the biggest issue for metals comes from water condensation when returning to normal temps. I lost heat in the shop once, mid winter, and some tools rusted when the room was reheated. Stupid me, I heated with combustion, making things worse, shoulda gone with electricity. Most driver motors have ferrous components. If you can't avoid it, maybe pack them in sealed bags with plenty of desiccant. Maybe dry the desiccant first.

 

[JohnVF]

All joking aside, perhaps use this as incentive to sell the extras and consolidate the effort into one pair of speakers that don't need to be stored..a good all-rounder that covers all the bases?

 

[RPMac]

In a low humidity environment, wrap the speaker/speaker box in plastic to make it as airtight as possible and you should be fine. If water can’t get to it, it can effect it.

 

[adaug]

I think if there were a huge problem storing 1970s speakers in freezing cold midwest garages and storage units, forgetting about them, and then somebody finding them and firing them up years later to utter amazement, AudioKarma wouldn't exist.

bazinga!

 

[adaug]

All joking aside, perhaps use this as incentive to sell the extras and consolidate the effort into one pair of speakers that don't need to be stored..a good all-rounder that covers all the bases?

this is great advice. and i'm working toward it - slowly and incrementally. two steps fwd, one step back . ironically, given my previous speakers and the relative costs, the rega elas would be my "one" speaker set at the moment - tho perhaps not big or dynamic enough for "forever" speakers.

the speakers at issue are literally garage speakers - vintage 70's dynaco and advent speakers that sound very good in the way i listen to them. theyre not worth a ton of money but still i dont want to ruin them needlessly either.

 

[adaug]

In a low humidity environment, wrap the speaker/speaker box in plastic to make it as airtight as possible and you should be fine. If water can’t get to it, it can effect it.

thanks for this tip. that had not entered my mind but is worth a try.

 

[Golden Gate ER]

I have turntables, amps, reel2reel, antique radio, many speakers along with mountains of parts cartridges & test equipment stored in my garage. It's currently 12°F outside. This weekend it will drop into the negative temperature & I'll have about 2' of snow on the ground....again.

I do not heat my living room at night. Durring the winter months my 2 main systems experience 20°F to 70°F temperature swings every 24 hours. Durring snow storms these temps swings are even greater.

In the past 10 years I lived here ive never had a issue storing electronics in freezing temperatures, nor have I ever worried about doing so.

 

[240sx4u]

We have a place in northern WI, and it seems.. without fail.. that the tweeters in speakers just "die" a slow death. They spend extended time in extremely cold temps and it's my theory that it damages them eventually. My klipsch outdoor speaker tweeters were absolutely ruined after about 9 years outdoors.

This reminds me I need to find new speakers for our place up north.... or new tweeter diaphragms.

 

[Drugolf]

Nah.

 

[JohnVF]

We have a place in northern WI, and it seems.. without fail.. that the tweeters in speakers just "die" a slow death. They spend extended time in extremely cold temps and it's my theory that it damages them eventually. My klipsch outdoor speaker tweeters were absolutely ruined after about 9 years outdoors.

This reminds me I need to find new speakers for our place up north.... or new tweeter diaphragms.

Everybody knows that Klipsch speakers aren't really Klipsch speakers until you replace every single thing in them except the enclosure, so you're still good.

 

[240sx4u]

Admittedly I didn't like them much when they were working properly either.