MasterT Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 While browsing E-Bay and other sites I often see equipment for sale with the owner touting, "owned by non-smoker". Does cigarette smoking harm electronics and speakers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 the grill cloth will stink and the wood finish could be dirty from the smoke. i doubt electronics would be affected. but worst of all, it hurts you, man! -hard to enjoy music while lying in a hospital, nearly dead from lung cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 I heard once that smoke will cause problems with the older paper cone woofers. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 Very few speakers smoke, but those that do are usually played too loud with poor amplification. The smoke comes from the driver elements frying with noisy and dirty power. The old rule of thumb is NOT to run amps more than half power. That is the cleanest and safest that an amplifier can be played loudly. Small drivers are more prone to smoking than older, more mature drivers. Horns are incredibly efficient and yet are not so prone to smoking. Perhaps it is because of the greater efficiency of the horn versus the paper cone of the conventional speaker. Either way, if a speaker is smoking, it should be encouraged to stop immediately. Smoking causes long term damage to key components. It can build up excess waste on the drive elements. A speaker that continues this smelly and messy habit, despite decades of evidence showing that it is harmful and addicting, has serious control problems. It needs careful guidance to develop more determination and self esteem. A twelve step program gradually introducing tube components should begin. A tube CD player or pre-amplifier is a good start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 My systems have never been subjected to cigarette smoke except in the early days in college when I first owned them and we used to throw a few parties. Even still it wasn't much. We do however, have a fireplace in the family room with all my equipment. Does anyone know if second hand wood smoke damage is possible? The room doesn't really smell like smoke when we have fires but on occasion a little smoke gets away from the flue. Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 Smoking makes stuff stink. That's all. One menber bought a pair of Klipsch (Cornwalls?) out of a bar. They sounded great, but stunk so bad he (wife?) couldn't keep them in the house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 Old stale cigarette smoke has got to be the worst smell on the planet to try and get out of something. Not only does it stain, but the smoke smell gets absorbed into wood and fabrics. No amount of cleaning will get rid of it completely, unless it is a hard, non-porous surface like metal or glass. Porous surfaces soak up liquids and smells like a sponge. A friend of mine bought a used video game table from a bar. After a thorough cleaning, and sitting outside in his garage for 5 months, he brought it in the house. Well, after a few days, it smelled like a dirty used ashtray. He finally had to get rid of it, as his wife has allergies, one of them being cigarette smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiNNi C P Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 smoking taste like egg rolls try them both at the same time, and you shall see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 I retreived my Old Sansui Receiver from my Ex's house..........it had been sujected to cigarette smoke for 17+ years........... It took 3 cleanings about 3 hours total to get the smell, and the sticky film off of the cover and dials...........Yuck!! It was like a wax film covering everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluless Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 I was a heavy smoker for about 25 years. The tar leaves behind a yellow/orange sticky film on anything that it is exposed to. I would think that electronics would be more susceptible to the ill-effects of smoking, but gunky stuff is gunky stuff.... Oh Yeah, What Bill H. said too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodog Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 I played in bars for years, and my Fender Twin had to have its pots cleaned at least once a year, and my keyboards had to have their key switches cleaned at least that often. It was the cigarette smoke. I stopped playing in bars about ten years ago. I've only cleaned the switches in my Korg synth and Fender Twin once. However clean the switches are doesn't make them smell any better. The Twin is the worst 'smell' offender. I don't believe it will ever smell like anything other than a bar filled with smoke. I keep it because the sound is so good. forrest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 I'm pretty sure Tip O'Neil smoked, and I haven't heard of any ill effects. Don't know about Newt Gingrinch. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 ---------------- On 11/28/2003 6:44:22 PM Bill H. wrote: I retreived my Old Sansui Receiver from my Ex's house..........it had been sujected to cigarette smoke for 17+ years........... It took 3 cleanings about 3 hours total to get the smell, and the sticky film off of the cover and dials...........Yuck!! It was like a wax film covering everything! ---------------- Bill, How did you clean it? I have a massive Sony STR-7800SD receiver that has a thick layer of this goo all over and through, in and out. I wish there was something I could dip the whole thing in... fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeesGuy Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 I used to service AV equipment some years back. The only component I've seen that were really affected by cigarette smoke were VCR's. The gap on the video heads would become clogged with oxide and yellowish gunk. In those cases, the entire tape path would need to be cleaned to remove the gunk that would find its way back into the rotating heads. Speakers would seem to be for the most part immune to the smoke except perhaps electrostatic ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Cigarette smoke is one of the nastiest residues on the planet. If we had someone on the forum who would come up with a patch for smoking speakers, this would be a good place to test market what would have to be huge on the open market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 gary, Wood smoke would probably be more harmful to your gear over the long haul. If the wood smoke collects on electronics, and the humidity goes up, it can be incredibly corrosive. This is a big problem with house fires, as the smoke damage can hurt tons of stuff. With that said, we have a wood stove in our house (the stove is iron and burns wood. Had to put that in for fini). I don't worry about it too much. Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Marvel, You're trying to make it harder for me, eh? fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 ---------------- On 11/29/2003 1:44:58 PM Marvel wrote: gary, Wood smoke would probably be more harmful to your gear over the long haul. If the wood smoke collects on electronics, and the humidity goes up, it can be incredibly corrosive. This is a big problem with house fires, as the smoke damage can hurt tons of stuff. With that said, we have a wood stove in our house (the stove is iron and burns wood. Had to put that in for fini). I don't worry about it too much. Marvel ---------------- My guess is I shouldn't worry about it. The amount of actual smoke that gets into the room is miniscual. Thanks for the response Marvel. Fini, As hard as I tried, I couldn't think of a comeback for your speaker pun although I have heard that Newt only smokes when he's on fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Some find the aroma of hickory smoke pleasant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Years ago my wife and I would have unprotected sex in the same room with some of my equipment. I wonder if it had any long term ill effects on my stuff? Does anyone know? There is a gooey reside on some of it that is hard to get off. I've tried to get it off but just can't lick it. Any suggestions? Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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