How to Take Care of Your Home Speakers to Make Them Last for Years
The speakers are some of the most important components of home theater systems. Indeed, your viewing experience can be ruined by speakers that produce cracked or garbled sounds. Thus, to maintain the quality of your home theater, you need to take care not just of your TV but also your speakers. Here are some simple tips to maintain their good audio quality and maximize their lifespan:
Connect the Wires Correctly
If you’ve only just bought your home theater speakers, make sure to consult the manual for installation instructions. Verify which plugs or connectors go in which slots; if you get this wrong, you can blow up your brand new speakers.
After setting up, it’s also a good idea to organize the wiring. Use cable ties, Velcro straps, or even spiral wraps so the wires don’t get in the way. This can help prevent wear and tear, and can also make repairs and cleanups much easier by preventing tangles.
Don’t Let Them Get Dusty
Dust has a lot of negative effects when it comes to your home. For one, it can trigger or exacerbate allergies. It can also make even the sleekest appliance look drab and unpleasant. When it comes to speakers, an accumulation of dust on the wire connectors can disrupt the electric signals between the power source and the speakers. This can result in distortions or noise in the sound output; it can even completely damage the wiring after a long-enough exposure.
Fortunately, it’s easy to keep dust away from your speakers. The most important thing is to clean them regularly. Use a dry cloth, duster, a can of compressed air, or a vacuum cleaner for safe and efficient dusting. The key is to be more careful around the cone drivers and the tweeters. Also, avoid any liquid cleaners because they can be harmful to electronics.
Static Is the Enemy
That is, static electricity. A build-up of static can burn-out your system unexpectedly. The good thing is that this isn’t a big problem if you don’t have carpeting in your home theater. If you do, consider installing anti-static floor mats or investing in electrostatic flooring (although this can be expensive).
Static electricity can also build up if the air is dry. An effective humidifier inside your home theater can solve this issue, but be sure not to place it near the speakers or any other electronic appliance.
Give Them Some Space
All things that run on electricity—including your home theater’s speaker system—eventually get warm or hot as they operate continuously. Simply put, you need to give your speakers a break from time to time so they don’t overheat.
In addition, make sure to allocate enough space between the speakers and the wall so that air can flow freely; this helps in cooling down the speakers. Placing the speakers a bit farther away from the wall can also improve sound quality, since there will be less distortion caused by vibrations. Finally, you should also inspect the speakers if there are any vent holes in the back or bottom. If yes, then make sure that these aren’t blocked.
Keep Them Away From Sunlight
As previously mentioned, speakers need to stay cool so their circuits and wires don’t get fried or melted. Thus, it’s best to set up your home theater in a room that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight. If this isn’t possible, then position the speakers and other appliances so that they don’t get exposed directly to the sun’s rays.
If you have some money to spare, consider using black-out curtains in your home theater. This will not only prevent the sunlight from streaming in, but it can also help with soundproofing. Do note as well that there are some speakers that are designed to have better thermal dissipation. Thus, you don’t have to worry too much about sunlight exposure. Nevertheless, keeping them away from sunlight is still a good idea if only to prevent damaging the other parts (e.g., plastic casings).
Don’t Expose Them to Magnets
If your speakers are exposed to powerful magnets, the force of the electromagnet in the speakers can be distorted. This can result in distorted audio. Eventually, after continuous exposure, the speaker can break down. The good thing is that it’s rare for any household to have magnets that are strong enough to distort speakers. Still, it’s a good thing to keep magnets away from your speakers in general so you can get in the habit of doing it.
Last but not least, if there’s something wrong with the speakers, consult the manual for basic troubleshooting procedures. If you’ve done everything that’s reasonable, don’t attempt to DIY the fix unless you have the technical knowledge and experience. Bring your speakers to an official repair center for good service and warranties.
As you can see, it’s pretty straightforward to keep your home theater speakers in good shape. With proper care, they can deliver high-quality sounds for years to come.