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Can temperature fluctuations affect audio gear?

Don't know about this...some owner's manuals say that you should allow equipment and tubes to warm to room temperature before using them, but this is different. My audio room is upstairs, isolated from the thermostat. Have to keep the door closed so the dogs don't venture in there and create havoc. Hence, in summer, the temperature in the room regularly goes to 85 degrees or so. In winter (like now), it will easily drop below 60 degrees. No need to worry about equilibration, since the gear is always in there, but should I worry about the temp fluctuations? Could get a baby gate to keep the dogs out, then it would stay 70-72, but otherwise, in winter a space heater is the only option.
afc

Showing 2 responses by elizabeth

elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
The mention of temperature in literature is really for extreme cold. If a very cold piece of electronics is brought into a warm room, it will condense moisture out of the air on ALL the electronis inside. You want to wait until this condensation goes away before turning it on.
That is the primary reason for the warning.
So if the stuff is the same temperature as the environment, that warning doess not apply.
Enjoy.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
A lot of amps HAVE a thermal shutdown relay so they cannot 'cook'. I would think that would protect in the immediate case, as for the long term problem of 'being hotter shortens electronics lifespan'.. that is debatable IMO, as it is true in theory, but I have never seen any sign of it in reality (and I am ALWAYS at 78F to 82F in my place Summer or Winter (with outside variation from 102F tops Summer to -10F coldest in Winter..)
So I never have worried about stuff being a little hotter.
(that sort of worry is for the 'AudioPhile Nervosa' types,
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