Subwoofers in EXTREME cold weather!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Subwoofer: lddy.no/1jqmo (Use the code diyaudio for a discount) Test Device: parts-express.sjv.io/b3BEDP (Use the code DIY5 for a discount)

[@kjata77]

DAG (aka. Justin), out of curiosity, I wonder how the "extreme cold" (a FL resident here, know me as Mark Yok... on fb) affects mechanical limits/sub blowout. More specifically what Parker the Basshead (no people, nt like the Public Enemy song... BASShead, not Basehead). Anyway, there was the consumer line of amps in the late 90's-early 200's which utilized a channel cooling through the amp with anit-freeze to maintain amp temperatures. Since heat & (copper or aluminum, hybrid metal) voice coils are arch enemies, would it be beneficial to sustained subwoofer performance to have an "in-enclosure" cooling method? Of course, a fan would never work, nothing which could potential cause condensation or other moisture build-up, or anything which might work to alter the magnetic performance of the motor assembly/voice coil. There is one thing which would help reduce the temperature of the voice coil BUT it would probably have to be built into the basket or motor technology (but not necessarily). Although, if lower temperatures don't make a significant difference in regard to driver efficiency or reliability, it would not be worth the research. *Yes it matters of course :) I may need to start researching this out... NOT a subwoofer builder/repairer... that's an EXO thing. Voice Coil temperatures in regard to reliability, efficiency, sustained power handling... something to think about.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@kjata77 definitely something to think about

[@The_RC_Guru]

I used to work 12 hr swing shifts at a warehouse and one particular morning coming out to the lot we’d had 5 inches of mostly powdery snow. So there’s 200 people out there cleaning off their cars. Well I had a jeep wrangler with a soft top, two 15in Orion XTRs, and 3,000 watts. Started that ignition and let that baby boooooom. Snow shuddered right off and away I drove right on past all the folks still cleaning off their vehicles lol. This was 15+yrs ago and I will never forget the laugh I got out of that.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is awesome!

[@joefries365]

haha thats so awesome

[@Thumper68]

I used to do the same thing in my 91 Grand Prix back in 2003 with two L5 12’s and 600 rms to each of them. It was so hard to get enclosure in the trunk I had to angle it weird and then last bit kick it in. I had a unknown rock chip on edge of front glass and after I got my setup I went to show my friends one morning it was like zero degrees outside and I turned system on full tilt and it sent crack all the way across the front window I was like wtf!

[@ptinker106]

Lol. Great story man

[@crazyfoot490]

​@@Thumper68my license plate says thmpn-15. The Box goes in from the interior. Next time Remove the driver's seat and remove the back seats. Box slides right in.✌❤😃

[@20smgreen]

I applaud you for doing this test.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@20smgreen Thanks!

[@OlaJustin]

Yeah, here in Sweden it's super obvious in the sound that the sub changes a lot when it's really cold and before it's warmed up. They sure don't like it when it's -20 C (-4ish F). I never bang it loud when it's that cold before I can hear the sub behaving like it should. It is clearly something you can hear. Fun video! :)

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for watching.

[@Onewheelordeal]

Warming up the air space in the vehicle makes a pretty big difference as well

[@OlaJustin]

@Onewheelordeal 100 %. Its probably what makes the most difference.

[@jedpetersen3806]

Nice demo Justin, maybe do an SPL test with extreme temperature differences. Just quick burps so not to heat up the compliance 😁

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is a good idea! I filmed this last year when we had a cold front roll through the area, If it happens again, I'll do some more tests, I can definitely see some opportunities to approve this video.

[@richiewitkowski7142]

Maybe unrelated, but the midwest is getting very cold as winter comes through and my subs kept cutting in and out the colder it got out and I was starting to think they really hate the cold! Which is odd because my normal door speakers could handle this cold no problem. Turns out the alternator ground wire with CORROSION hates the cold! It's amazing what a 5 minute wire clean up can do to fix all your problems! Check your grounds everyone 😅😂

[@junkyardhemi]

Something else to consider is that when they’re frozen so is the glue that holds the spider and surround. Glue IMO is the weakest point of a sub. Gets more brittle as the temps drop. More likely to cause damage if you push them when too cold.

[@davidbuff3066]

Thanks for all your well thought out information. Real information is what is needed

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for watching!

[@JustDave00]

Gets as low as 30 below here. Ive known for decades the cold changes the specs. Actually broke an old rubber surround not lettin my stuff warmup once. Science !!!!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's too damn cold for me.

[@PhiTheProducer]

@@JustDave00 I guess that answers my previous question 😵‍💫

[@JustDave00]

@PhiTheProducer in due fairness it was an old butyl that had seen use in sunlight. Contrary to popular belief all surrounds fail eventually. Nothing is forever. And for real temps of -30 in my life have weakened even the things i once thought strongest. So to add weight. Yes. Foam too. And as an old head i support this stuff. Need nore folks asking questions like yours as well.

[@djrez2107]

@@DIYAudioGuy 30*? Lol thats nothing

[@thecarbonfiberkid]

I’ve had a set of 6.5 midranges break the surround completely around in the cold. After that I’ve always let everything warm up before bumping.

[@chrishernandez2490]

Im confused on the part where you said a higher Vas = a softer suspension. All the drivers that I've seen that have a relatively low Vas seem to perform very well in small enclosures. From what I can gather, a stiff suspension would not allow a driver to work well in a small enclosure. I kinda agree with RobotUnderground's rule of thumb for Vas. He states the Vas is the bare minimum amount of airspace required to hit FS with authority.

[@AngryManSki]

I used to keep the volume low for about ten minutes of the drive to allow them to warm up. Taking care of your equipment is the way to go.

[@jacemelridge6595]

great topic, refreshing to see something new that I haven't seen covered! Amazing. Keep it uo.

[@zarboaudioprojects1430]

Before I had a house with a garage, I noticed that on VERY cold days, the low bass response in my car seemed to be weaker than normal. I've always suspected this, but now you've proven it! It's nice to know that my bones are not the only thing that gets stiff when cold!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's what I thought as well, subwoofers hate the cold!

[@PhiTheProducer]

I know you talk about the spider and suspension being fine, just stiff. What about the surround? Can’t it become more brittle? For instance foam … maybe the material science is different for automotive applications. I’m asking out of ignorance of course.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's a good question, I really don't know.

[@twdll]

Id love to see a series on the loudest best SQ sub in certain sealed boxes for simplicity sake. Like say 1 cube or 1.5 cube with either a 12 or 15. The loudest best sq in the smallest box possible any driver any size.

[@bdc211]

jl audio w7...

[@ColeSexton]

SQL

[@ColeSexton]

Thank you for making this video, so glad to finally see some data on this and some great explanation of what is happening.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You're welcome!

[@RAW-CAt]

Great test!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad you liked it!

[@kjata77]

RAW-CAt... go eat dinner or get working on your next YT video, lol! If it wasn't for Justin I would not have found your channel. Greetings from Central Florida, USA!

[@1ohmwrecker]

I be banging even below zero. Just don't crank it immediately and all is good 👍

[@RedCan_Rick]

Another great video! Thanks for sharing testing info.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@RedCan_Rick Hey man, good to see you, hope things are going well!

[@davidlong1786]

It's well know for decades that drivers with rubber surrounds become stiffer than ones with foam in cold temperatures.

[@chadm9715]

I've lived in Nebraska my entire life, we get some brutal winters. Almost 30 years of running subs, and yes there is some difference when cold. I discovered another issue from a set of Massive subs a few years ago. They sounded great when I installed them in July; first cold day, sounded like a spider separated. Nope, their crappy foam cracked all the way around. I've ran Cerwins, Rockford's, Diamond, Kenwood, heck I've got a 20 years old set of Lightning Audio in one vehicle. Never have I seen cold do this before.

[@jedpetersen3806]

@@chadm9715 I live in Kearney, what town are you in?

[@thomaswalton9089]

It's just common sense if you get in the car first thing in the morning and it's 25° out and you feel tilt your sub then it's on you something happens this common sense to play a song or two at least that like low to medium volume before you send it

[@EiLLskillz]

I have a install scheduled for my 24 Mustang GT. At my price point the shop doing the install recommended the DD audio 300E series 12" loaded enclosure with the ss series 600 w monobl9ck amp. Any thoughts? Not too familiar with DD audio and these particular products.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thought that their single 12 enclosure was fantastic. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHOylJ2paMRnbdksi=jHynnwhc8P8s0zSZ

[@CrystalClearSQL]

What a great test. Well done.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks!

[@michaelzernie7092]

Here in Northern Ontario it gets down to -40c alot during the winter. I ALWAYS let them play at low volume before inturn them up.

[@carlhayes-ze5nd]

Interesting science. I’d like to see someone do some testing to see if speakers or drivers act differently with differing elevations and air pressures/densities.

[@monkeyjustice]

In the dats software, if you click edit and then open driver editor, it will show you all of the detailed parameters that include the cms value.

[@Silentroller93]

I have never been able to measure it but the bass in my truck always seemed to have less low end in the winter until the inside got warm. Actually seeing this now makes sense.

[@A1B3R7I]

When it gets cold your car also rattles more I swear.

[@bigbraintime8632]

Outer Dimensions (Width 25" Height 20" Depth 8" Thickness 0.75" Mdf Front Pipe Port) would this be a good enclosure for my (Jbl 12" 325 Rms) Subwoofer. I am tight on the space, pls tell will this give Quality output ??

[@BrianWaller-qe7gr]

In my experience the subs don’t seem as loud when the voice coil is really cold. But on the up side you can bass out longer on cold amps and subs unlike a hot car in the summer

[@CarAudioEnthusiasts]

Nice video!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks!

[@jdrissel]

What about what happens to the air itself? Doesn't the cold dense air throw off the tuning of a ported system? Would cold air have any impact on a sealed system? Do any pro sound systems have any temperature compensation other than compensation for thermal compression?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yes, the temperature and the barometric pressure all matter. As for how much, I'm not sure.

[@91CavGT5]

Yet another reason why I’m glad that I live in south Texas where it MIGHT get below freezing a couple of times a year on average.

[@ThatOneUnityGamedev]

and also, copper shrinks slightly in colder weather. this may cause the coil to rub easier against the magnet inside :p

[@farmingthc3256]

lol guys fully bundled when in +9 .. that’s tshirt weather in Canada

[@Onewheelordeal]

Only thing I notice from the cold is sometimes when it's far below zero an amp won't turn on until the car is warmed up and you restart it. I've always been real gentle with a cold sub tho in fear of the surround being brittle

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have not had that happen.

[@roughboygarage1475]

-3 where are you located?

[@mikeallen7349]

Hey brother where are you located we had snow too I live in Asheville NC were u located

[@rkzooplays]

W upload

[@memyselfandi3925]

In freezing weather i like to turn my amp up a touch. Coil stays cooler longer. When i smell coil i turn it back down. Coils cool off fast in the freezing weather. Benefits of an aluminum coil.

[@poohboy81]

Hey I'm was just wondering if anyone could help me out i built a box for a single cab s10 that holds 2 10s i think it's right at 1 cube but I'm having trouble on what length my port should be using 3 inch pvc box dimensions are 31 L 14 H 6 W at bottom 4 W at top 3/4 mdf no baffle inside speakers are ctsounds hydro. Any help would be appreciated

[@osmds]

I would usually let the truck warm up than slowly let the subs raise the volume little by little till it was ready to bump

[@fredbloggs4829]

Of course there's only one country in the entire world that knows what a Frankenstein temperature unit is!!!!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

F is for freedom

[@FriendlyPhoton]

Here in northern Vermont, I've shattered the carbon fiber cone on multiple subwoofers when forgetting to turn them down in negative temperature weather. It's not so much the suspension I needed to worry about, but the actual cone itself

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Ouch.

[@ah4800]

Here i am bumpin at -40

[@eanlarson9641]

I was just wondering about this, i got into car audio during the summer and moved my 2 12s from my room to my car, but didnt take weather into consideration as im in northern Minnesota 😂 it definitely affects the bass response if i dont let them warm up, and they almost sound like theyre about to blow if i try to pound on them, i was also wondering if cold weather could affect the amplifier aswell 🤔 maybe a fun test would be to take a small monoblock and put it in the freezer for a night and test it on the cold sub 😂

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Who knows?

[@Peter-p7e]

😱😨😨😨 😱😱😱na mraze sa kondenzuje sa voda vo vnútri zosilňovača

[@RandyPeterson-b6m]

Hey guy, I really appreciate and enjoy your videos and your heart and sincerity. I do have a question though... I miss the video collaboration you did with Toid. What happened? Are you guys going to do any more Monday night live vids anymore?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You're talking about the live stream? I had a change in my work schedule (most people who do KZbin have a day job). Plus we were not getting the traction we needed with the algorithm.

[@RandyPeterson-b6m]

@DIYAudioGuy OH bummer. I understand. Well keep up the good work. Congrats on 100k subscribers! 👍😉

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@RandyPeterson-b6m Thanks!

[@scottw5253]

*extreme* (just sayin'...respectfully). Love your vids man.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Good catch, it's fixed now.

[@HighVybeTribe]

50 bucks says the next video will be😊 review on space heaters for the gara6

[@DIYAudioGuy]

🤣

[@crazyfoot490]

I always wondered if my Subs like the cold. Didn't really care warm them up quick lol but I wondered

[@DIYAudioGuy]

The definitely get stiffer in the cold.

[@taylorouellet7068]

Or just get a soundstage subwoofer as they are made in canada, i love my soundstage ps10s4 subwoofer.

[@rikuzonex]

"Extreme cold" only -12°c thats just normal winter day...

[@CougarSand-t1v]

My DSP hisses for a few minutes before the amps heat up

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is unusual.

[@robertnewland9730]

It should be louder the air mass is smaller

[@DIYAudioGuy]

?

[@robertnewland9730]

@DIYAudioGuy air volume in the air is less when its cold an old drag car trick

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@robertnewland9730 Yes, the air gets denser when it is colder, so you can force more air into a cylinder.

[@keijojaanimets4460]

But why!?🥺

[@JonathanDFielding]

Am I the only one that noticed the bad grammar in the thumbnail? "To" should be "Too". Please fix this, I know that you can change the thumbnail. I love your videos though.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

💩

[@warrior21poet]

Awesome test. Great info.