Twenty Watt Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Hey guys...I found a pair of Heresy's that sound great but they are old beat up cabinets. I spend a lot of my leisure time here in Charleston, SC on our screened in porch and really enjoy listening to music out there. I am considering putting these heresy's out there but have a few concerns about our humidity levels, corrosion etc. on crossovers, speaker cone paper, etc. I can certainly keep them out of the rain and mist but I can't control the temperature swings and humidity levels. I'm sure that the anal rententive types are going to chime in and say "...don't do it...they need to be in a temperature controlled environment!" I would really like to hear from folks that have used their Heritage speakers outside for extended periods of time and to see if they had problems or not. Thanks in advance for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I've never kept any of my speakers outside. When I have wanted to listen to music outdoors, I have simply opened my windows and hit the volume a little harder, is that an option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 There are speakers that sound great and are made of weather resistant materials. A poorly sealed wood cabinet and paper coned woofer wouldn't be very happy on your porch. If you lived in Arizona yes, in South Carolina no. Perhaps you could seal the cabinet well and use something like urethane on the cone. Would that change the sound of the driver too substantially? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I am considering putting these heresy's out there but have a few concerns about our humidity levels, corrosion etc. on crossovers, speaker cone paper, etc. I can certainly keep them out of the rain and mist but I can't control the temperature swings and humidity levels.I'd say that the paper in the woofer cones are the most vulnerable to high humidity. Perhaps a very light coating with something that is moisture repellant? Scotchgard comes to mind.The box itself is almost airtight, so the effects of moisture seeping into the inside can be controlled with a good desiccant - which is available at most UPS stores, etc. Periodic replacement of this would be on the order of 1-year cycles? I'm sure that the phenolic diaphragms in the teeter and midrange drivers are also sensitive to high humidity, but they will probably dry out once the voice coils begin to heat the compression driver assemblies -- assuming that you are going to play them louder than elevator music... [8-)] Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I've used them in the garage before... for extended periods. they do get pounded by dust and smootz. Yes it will work, yes they will be trashed after a year out side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twenty Watt Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 The dessicant idea is great...thanks so much for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twenty Watt Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 Too picky about a good soundstage to do the window thing! Plus I'm out on the porch because wife doesn't understand the higher noise level thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Richard Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Here is a product made to protect paper cone speakers from temperature, humidity, UV, salt. http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=340-512 They also list the same product in clear, part number 340-510 The compression drivers should be OK, the crossovers may get surface rust on ferrous parts but that won't affect operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Richard Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Duplicate post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Here is a product made to protect paper cone speakers from temperature, humidity, UV, salt. http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=340-512 They also list the same product in clear, part number 340-510 Cool! I knew that there had to be something available since I'd seen the glossy black coating on driver cones before.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 The dessicant idea is great...thanks so much for that.The only other comment that I'd make is that you should seal up any cabinet nicks, dings, scratches, and thinned paint areas with something that will reject moisture.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Too picky about a good soundstage to do the window thing! Plus I'm out on the porch because wife doesn't understand the higher noise level thing! How do your neighbors feel about it? Or do you live in a remote area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted November 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted November 10, 2012 I have some speakers in a workshop for a few years now and they are fine, the humidity and temperature is whatever it is outside, but it is dry. What about using a cover to keep moisture off of them when not being used, (along with coating them with something )first thing that came to mind was a garbage bag, that's the idea anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 You can get some condensation inside the garbage bags depending on the weather. You would be surprised how good they still sound with garbage bags over them! I've used some in the shop for a couple of years and I've only taken the bags off to verify that I'm not hurting the finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Hey guys...I found a pair of Heresy's that sound great but they are old beat up cabinets. I spend a lot of my leisure time here in Charleston, SC on our screened in porch and really enjoy listening to music out there. I am considering putting these heresy's out there but have a few concerns about our humidity levels, corrosion etc. on crossovers, speaker cone paper, etc. I can certainly keep them out of the rain and mist but I can't control the temperature swings and humidity levels. I'm sure that the anal rententive types are going to chime in and say "...don't do it...they need to be in a temperature controlled environment!" I would really like to hear from folks that have used their Heritage speakers outside for extended periods of time and to see if they had problems or not. Thanks in advance for your help! Not exactly what one would call anal retentive, but Don't do it! Here is why... (1) the cabinets may be bad but on a HERESY that is the cheapest thing to replace! (2) the money you spend to make the Heresys more protected for a screened-in area are about the same as you would spend for an All-weather Klipsch outdoor speaker pair in good used condition. (3) if you opt for the outdoor speakers, you can always wheel your Heresys out on nice days to get the Heritage experience! -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twenty Watt Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 That "Wet Look" product looks like the answer to my concerns...that and the dessicant for the crossovers. What a great response to this thread...thanks for all the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panacea Engineering Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Andy hit on a great point and just in case you might want to browse Klipsch's Outdoor offerings, here is the page: http://www.klipsch.com/outdoor-speakers I've had a set of the 500's outside on my (Covered) deck for years and they still sound as good as the day I hung them. They are high in the corners and aimed dowh toward the middle of the deck which gives great coverage. You will also not be sacrificing any floor space for the Heresy's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 This forum's "Picky" (aka Glenn) has used H3s in his Michigan garage for several years. The temperature and humidity swings rival Charleston,SC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Krylon makes several products for art work that should be fine, their automotive clear also works well. http://www.krylon.com/products/kamar_varnish/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Micheal Hurd helped out Colter a few years ago with some very faded K22 woofers. I procured a spray can of the SEM 15243 Color Coat Satin Black Flexible Coating as recommended by Michael Hurd, henceforth known as Mr. Paint. Per SEM, this product 'changes or renews color on most flexible & rigid plastics, carpet, vinyl & velour'. Guess it works on speaker cones also.Was easy to locate as the SEM website had a locator. Local shop had in stock at a whopping price of $9.50 US. Not bad.I tried it out on a section of corrugated cardboard to check for soak-through and ability to color hide. One of the K22's was terribly faded, basically a light gray at this point. First a light mist coat, then two thin coats within 5 minutes each. This put a very dense, very black hard vinyl surface on the cardboard, so tough that fingernail scratching would not leave the faintest mark. Upon tearing the corrugated apart, I noted that the spray had indeed stayed on the surface, barely soaking into the surface. I considered this important because I didn't want to have to build up several layers on the woofer cones, possibly adding to their density. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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