Varying degrees of driver degradation

[Tomm Williams]

As a driver ages through extended use (or mis-use) but still functions, is there a way to measure/determine if it's no longer performing to spec ? I believe it's quite difficult to determine this by ear as the degradation could slowly develop over an extended period. Assuming the driver doesn't sound obviously damaged, how can you tell ?

[wesg]

Do you ever "sweep" your speakers?

 

I haven't owned PA equipment long enough to have a driver degrade due to age, but I sweep my speakers as loud as they will go before an important show, to make sure they are working okay. I takes 10 seconds with an iPad app I have. Last show I found two with vibration rattles that I need to check out more thoroughly. Luckily I didn't need them, I just left them in the van after tightening up all the external hardware. And I put a piece of tape on them with the offending frequency.

 

Wes

[Axisplayer]

In short, if I couldn't hear issues, I would not worry about them. The degree of detail and accuracy required to measure slight changes through time using tools like SMART or Spectrafoo, are almost impossible to achieve lacking a dedicated facility for this type of activity.

[agedhorse]

One way to do this is to use a TS parameter analysis tool to determine a shift from as new values. Another way is to look at free air fs, which tends to decrease with damage.

[Craig Vecchione]

One way to do this is to use a TS parameter analysis tool to determine a shift from as new values. Another way is to look at free air fs' date=' which tends to decrease with damage. [/quote']

 

This would imply that you need to take an 'as new' baseline with that tool, rather than assuming the tool matches the manufacturer's published TS specs, correct?

[agedhorse]

Correct, unless you can trust the manufacturer.