Sunlight on Mylar and Kapton

[Pyrrho]

I own a pair of Apogee Stage speakers. The bass panel is Mylar with aluminum, and the midrange/tweeter is Kapton with aluminum (see link). I am thinking about rearranging my room in such a way that the speakers would get direct sunlight. I was wondering if any of you knew the effects of sunlight on Mylar and Kapton.

I am also considering putting cloth on the back of them to shade them from the sun, but I am concerned that that may adversely affect the sound.

Thank you in advance if any of you have links to this sort of information.

 

[Grador]

Heat and UV over time will degrade most anything. Both of these materials have a high stated resistance to both of those issues, but I just don't know if i would risk it.

 

[Pyrrho]

That was more or less what I was thinking, but I was hoping for a more definitive answer. If the Mylar were destroyed, I would have to simply replace the speakers, because no one is making replacement bass panels. (And these are the best sounding speakers I have ever owned.) If the Kapton were destroyed, I could buy replacements, though it would be expensive and bothersome.

I tried the speakers in the new position, and unfortunately, they sound better in the place where the sun will hit them. And I have tried a cloth on the back that I think is good enough to block UV, but unfortunately it degrades the sound (though combined with the new placement, it is still better overall). So I think I might use them with protective cloth added to the back, but it would be nice if it were not necessary and if I knew that.

 

[Grador]

If your windows are relatively new they probably have a UV coating on them. That combined with the known resilience of the materials might give you a little more peace of mind?

 

[slipperybidness]

If your windows are relatively new they probably have a UV coating on them. That combined with the known resilience of the materials might give you a little more peace of mind?

Good point. For that matter, go ahead and treat the windows with UV resistant coating as an insurance policy.

Also, why not call the manufacturer to get their input?

 

[Grador]

Also, why not call the manufacturer to get their input?

Also, this. Do it.

 

[Pyrrho]

The windows are from the 1980's. Apogee is no longer in business, so there is no contacting them. (They were bought out by another company, and then they were closed. It would seem that either the other company wanted their patents, or they changed their minds about what they wanted to do.)

 

[slipperybidness]

The windows are from the 1980's. Apogee is no longer in business, so there is no contacting them. (They were bought out by another company, and then they were closed. It would seem that either the other company wanted their patents, or they changed their minds about what they wanted to do.)

Then the next step would be to find the OEM or the company that manufactured the raw mylar or kapton material.

 

[Pyrrho]

Good point. For that matter, go ahead and treat the windows with UV resistant coating as an insurance policy.

Also, why not call the manufacturer to get their input?

I think I might go to a hardware store to look for UV window coatings. Thanks.