I play music all day and play white noise all night on my active speakers I’m thinking they probably won’t last very long
2745 hours 6 minutes and 12 seconds. Approximately.
The reason actives die over time is usually capacitors leaking or blowing up eventually after aging for 20+ years. Or solder joints cracking in cheaper shit.
It honestly probably won’t hurt them to run them 24/7 for 20 years Vs only running them a few hours a day for 20 years. Unless they’re hot. Otherwise you’re probably fine.
I worked in broadcast for a long time and we had ancient analog gear that ran 24/7 for YEARS and was totally fine. Until it wasn’t ha!
My Meridian DSP5200’s lasted about 7 years. Now that they’re broken, I have no idea what to do with them as the nearest dealer is 12 hours away and I don’t want to pay $1k+ just to ship them back and forth…
Continuous use, especially at higher volumes or for extended periods, can contribute to the wear and tear of active speakers. The lifespan of active speakers depends on factors like build quality, usage patterns, and how well they are ventilated to dissipate heat. While using speakers for music and white noise isn’t inherently problematic, it’s essential to be mindful of potential overheating.
To maximize the lifespan:
- Monitor Heat: Ensure proper ventilation and avoid placing them in enclosed spaces that could lead to overheating.
- Volume Levels: Avoid consistently playing at maximum volume, as this can strain the speaker components.
- Quality of Speakers: Higher-quality speakers tend to have better durability.
Even with these considerations, it’s challenging to predict an exact lifespan, but proper care can help extend it. If you notice any decline in audio quality or performance, it might be a sign that the speakers need attention or replacement.
Hard to say… I’m not that big a fan of powered speakers for this and servicing issues.
The foam or rubber surround will deteriorate over time. It is the most common failure mode of a speaker that is otherwise used with care. Foam surrounds are known to last 15-18 years. Rubber surrounds could last more than 20 years. A worn surround can cause a distorted low and mid-frequency response.
What he says…and keep your loudspeakers out of direct sunlight which in addition to overheating the speaker electronics, raises holy hell with the drivers and the rubber surrounds.
you’ll be fine.
I’ve been using the same google mini speaker for sleeping music every night for (how old is the mini…) 7 years now and it’s just fine.
As for the amp surviving, with a little bit of luck it will last as long as you need it to, I just retired an old Yamaha AVR that was left on 24/7 for 18 years and it still works fine, even the display still works after all those years.
I had a pair of KEF wireless speakers that lived maybe 4 year. That was a model KEF quietly discontinued.
Ooh do tell which model? The KEF wireless speakers are top notch in my eye but would love to learn of any KEF shortcomings