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Can you smell your speakers when youre rockin out?

Lol, I know this a funny question, but whenever I'm listening at loud volumes, I can smell my speakers. It's always the same smell no matter what speakers I've had. It's not a burning smell, more like the insulation used in the boxes. Is it the air blowing through the insulation and then out the port, or cooked voicecoils? Like I said, it doesn't smell like burning electronics but I 'm not sure what it is. It kind of smells good; like new rubber in a bike shop or race gas smells to me. It's the association of good times :-)
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shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
In the first few hours of use this might be ok - voicecoil adhesives are getting "baked"

But later in life - you are burning up the ferrofluid and possibly damaged the kapton paper over the coil wires and may have caused arcing (that strong smell)

The op speakers probably failed a short time after the original post unless it was "baking"


dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
The OP said he smelled something, no matter what speakers he used....isn't it obvious?  The smell has nothing to do with the smell he smelt, but has everything to do with the smell that's smelling from the one common denominator in his system that hasn't changed.  If more than one electrical item hasn't changed he may have to narrow it down by a process of desniffification....my bet is on a current hungry component such as his amplification.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
b-limo you will not smell it over your herb odor!
royj's avatar
royj
151 posts
 
shadome, you are completely right about the outgassing of adhesives going away sooner than later. Now, concerning your idea about ferrofluid burning up- first, it is a synthetic oil very similar to Mobil One, which means it burns at a temp much higher than any voice-coil winding and voice-coil former should be able to survive. Regardless, I am glad you suggested  that.

But dave_b got it right-- the point we all missed was the smell always being present. I would suspect the transformer in the power amp. desniffifying? Yes!
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
Don, if you're my neighbor I'm sorry ;)  

The smell I was / am smelling is just the glue, wood, insulation, possibly wiring.  Speakers just have a certain smell and to me it's a good smell!  

Happy smelling!
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