For those who have spent time making music either at home or in a studio, you would know that it is important for you to have a studio monitor that can keep up with your endeavor, especially when you spend hours working on your music every single day.
But, because studio monitors are constantly used on a regular basis, how long do they last? On average, they usually last somewhere between 5 to 10 years depending on how often they are used and on certain environmental factors that can affect their longevity.
There is a good reason to believe that your studio monitors can last for more than ten years or possibly even 15 years when taken care of.
However, realistically speaking, five to ten years might be the best they can give those who do not know how to take care of their studio monitors properly.
As such, it would be a good idea to know what shortens their lifespan and how you can maximize the lifespan of a studio monitor.
Factors that shorten the lifespan of studio monitors
Usage
Of course, usage is the number one factor that could shorten the lifespan of your studio monitors. The fact is that any electrical device that relies on a lot of different moving parts will obviously wear out and break down quickly the more you use it. This applies to studio monitor speakers, which function like any other typical speaker.
Studio monitor speakers rely on different moving parts such as the cone and the internal amp to produce sounds. The more you use the studio monitors, the more wear and tear these moving parts go through.
And when they begin to wear down, the quality of the sound they produce will also deteriorate, thereby signaling you that the studio monitors are at the tail-end of their lifespan.
Similarly, continually putting them at full blast (even if you are not using the studio monitors often) can also make the different parts work at their maximum. This can also drastically reduce their lifespan.
Environmental factors
The type of environment the studio monitors are in can also drastically affect their longevity. Studio monitor speakers can produce a ton of heat when you leave them on for too long.
This means that, when used in a warm environment, they can get hotter than normal. And when it comes to electronics, heat can be dangerous because of how it can cause a lot of damage to the internal components of the device.
But the hot temperature isn’t the only environmental factor that can affect your studio monitors.
There will be times when the air in the surrounding area can carry different sorts of gases that can deteriorate the materials that are used to attach the different moving parts of your studio monitors.
The rubber foam surrounding the speakers’ end can deteriorate due to the different gases and chemicals in the surrounding air. So, even if you are not using the studio monitors, the chemicals in the air will still deteriorate their quality.
Handling
Usage and handling are two very different factors. When you talk about usage, it pertains to the way you use the studio monitors.
Meanwhile, when you talk about handling, it pertains to how well you take care of them when carrying or transporting them.
In this case, how you handle your studio monitors if you often carry them from one place to another (such as when moving houses or studios) can affect their lifespan.
They may look hardy and durable, but the different bumps that they may experience when you are on the move can cause small increments of damages that can contribute to your studio monitors’ overall wear and tear.
How to lengthen your studio monitors’ lifespan
Let them rest
Letting your studio monitors rest is the best way for you to lengthen their lifespan. Even when you are grinding and working hard on your music, you and your equipment require rest so that you can grind another day.
In the case of your studio monitors, turn them off and don’t use them the entire day.
As mentioned, studio monitors can produce a ton of heat when left turned on. While this may be useful for keeping the temperature up in cold environments, this can eventually damage the studio monitors because how the heat produced can deteriorate its different internal parts.
So, in that case, the best solution here is to let the equipment rest.
Keep them in a good environment
Since environmental factors can drastically affect studio monitors’ lifespan for the worse, it is best for you to keep them in a safe environment that has conditions optimal enough for your equipment.
In that sense, keep the studio monitors away from a direct heat source and try to make sure you do not expose them to direct sunlight for an extended time.
Also, the air quality in the surrounding environment matters, such as when there are certain devices or equipment that produce ozone, which can deteriorate some of the components in your studio monitors.
Just make sure that the room isn’t too warm and that there is nothing that can produce gases and chemicals that can affect your studio monitors’ quality.
Handle them properly
This is just plain and simple. You have to make sure that you are handling your studio monitors properly whenever you transport them from one place or another.
Do not place heavy objects on top of them when you transport them in a vehicle, and make sure that you find a way to cushion the impact of the bumps along the way.
Conclusion
Studio monitors are just like any other electrical device in the sense that they do have maximum lifespans depending on how well you use and take care of them.
But while using them can deteriorate their lifespan, you should never be afraid of using your studio monitors because they were designed and meant to be used.
Just make sure that you don’t abuse them and provide a safe and optimal environment that will allow you to maximize your studio monitors’ lifespan.
