Most reliable. Least reliable.

[zumbo]

I thought it would be fun to see personal experience on this issue for speakers. I know that it can be the electronics used, or the operator. But, just for fun.

Most reliable: Cerwin Vega

Least reliable: JBL

 

[MDS]

Not sure how you can attach the term 'reliable' to a speaker. I've had JBLs for many years and they have never given me any problems, so my experience differs from yours.

 

[zumbo]

That is why I was careful with the wording of the question. "personal experience" is the key word. Would you like to reply to the question? Would you list JBL as your choice for most reliable? And, if so, which in your (personal experience) would be the least reliable?

 

[Az B]

Any quality speakers are generally reliable if not abused. I've been involved in this hobby a long time and have speakers older than many of you. After 20-30 years some of them may need reconing, or at least new surrounds, but I've had 0 failures over the years that weren't due to abuse or rot from old age.

 

[zumbo]

I hear you. My Cerwin Vega D7's are from '85 and are still kicking. I have had bad luck with JBL tweeters in auto & home. I had the JBL home speakers on the same equipment as the Cerwin's. Sherwood seperates. The amp eventually gave out. Replaced with a Onkyo pro-logic receiver. The system is in use in my shop.

 

[cbraver]

JBL pro audio stuff (sound reinforcement, not studio monitoring) are fantastic and considered among the best.

-Chad

 

[zumbo]

Looks like this is not going to work.

 

[Yamahaluver]

Cerwin Vega have traditionally made speakers with 100db efficiency, your D series were all close to that rating, when my friend wanted a party system for house music, I got him a MTX amp with a CW DX-9, rest assured his neighbors bore the brunt of this system and the speakers never flinched, till today they are running, with that much efficiency, you will never have a chance to clip your amp even at insane SPL levels, most speaker damage occur from clipping, one thing a CW would never suffer even with wheezer amps.

 

[sjdgpt]

Short of abuse, initial damage from shipping or poor manufacturing qc, the failure rate of audio equipment is relative to the moving parts on the unit, or dust/debris accumulating on sensitive parts.

I would suspect electrostatic speakers, and all of their cousins, would suffer from the highest failure rate.

Speakers with cones that have a large excursion distance, such as a woofer or large midrange, would be the next least reliable.

That said, some materials are more prone to dry rot. Which of those materials is superior to the other, I have no clue.

In addition, many years ago, I was told that most automotive speaker manufacturers designed their speakers for the ambient conditions within a car (heat, humidity, sunlight). I would assume those same conditions would play a role in the life expectancy of a home speaker, and may actually play a bigger role than the excursion distance or speaker design.

 

[toquemon]

I have a 10 year old pair of CW 280-SE, 12 inch woofer, cone midrange and horn tweeter. I use them when i give parties to take care of my Yamahas NS-300. Yes, they have butt-kicking bass that i used to like a lot when i was in highschool. They're still kicking butts and never been fixed.

One of my friends had a pair of JBL Control 5 plus with a woofer that lighted when abused...well...what can I say...they're dead now.

 

[rschleicher]

speaker "lifetime"

I had a pair of the old "Large Advents" (original Henry Kloss design) that I bought back in college (mid 70's). They lasted until 1996 when a buzzing/rattling sound developed. Turned out that the woofer surround was made out of a kind of foam, that basically dried out and crumbled. I could have bought new butyl rubber surrounds for them, but ended up selling them for a few bucks at a garage sale, to someone who planned on repairing them.

The dumber thing I did at the same garage sale was selling an old Kenwood 60Wpc integrated amp - in retrospect this was a pretty sweet stereo amp.

I did hold on to my Dual turntable, though, which is still connected to my current 7.1 system.

 

[sjdgpt]

Is your turntable a direct drive or belt driven?

If belt driven, watch the belt for cracking/dry rotting.