If you have just built a sound system or are looking to upgrade your sound system’s speakers, you might be wondering if speakers wear out. There are many kinds of speakers on the market these days, and you might be worried that your extra expensive speakers will still have a short shelf life. Speakers are a big investment, but if you get a quality speaker set for your sound system, you will have invested your money wisely.
Thankfully, while speakers will eventually wear out over time, they can last for years if they are cared for properly. You will need to be sure that you are taking the right care of your speakers so that you get the full expected lifespan out of them. Most brands will indicate that their speakers will last for about 10-12 years, but you can usually expect much longer than that from a quality speaker.
What Makes Speakers Wear Out?
Speakers will wear out if they are exposed to certain stresses. You should keep your speakers out of direct sunlight because UV rays can be very hard on speakers as well as other components of your sound system. If your speakers are exposed to moisture, they can also fail. Speakers that are not made to be used outdoors will suffer greatly from being exposed to humidity and other forms of moisture.
Physical damage can also be really hard on speakers, and you should be sure that your speakers are not exposed to being run into, bumped hard, or problems like tipping over. Lastly, you will need to make sure that you are not using your speakers at a very high volume for a long period of time. The heat that is generated from cranking up the volume can cause damage to the speaker’s components and make them perform poorly.
Speakers that are rated for 10-12 years of use can actually last as long as thirty or forty years in some cases. You will just need to take good care of them so that they are usable for as long as possible. Speaker systems that are moved around a lot, dropped or run into, or exposed to moisture in the air might not even last five years.
Speakers Don’t Wear Out Very Fast
While speakers can wear out over time, they are not going to wear out quickly in most cases. Just be sure that you are taking the proper care of your speakers and that you have built your sound system the right way. Speakers that are not paired up with the right amp can suffer damage that will reduce their lifespan. Physical damage and moisture can also be really hard on speakers.
If you get a quality speaker, you will probably get more than thirty years of life from your speakers. Speakers will eventually start to be less effective at producing sound as the cone and other components inside of them age, but that does not mean that you will not get lots of life out of well-made products.