[Boatanchors] Do Headphones Age-Away?

[Al Klase]

Jeo Conner said:  Sometimes, it's simply the "aging" of our ears. LOL.

That's not a joke.  I tested some headsets back in 1997.
http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/xtalset102/headsets.htm

I repeated the tests with some of the same 'phones last year.  I'm about 
10 dB down.

That said, it may be possible to spiff up the classic metal diaphragm 
'phones by stroking the pole pieces with a strong (Chinese) rare-earth 
magnet.

Al

ARK Sig Block Al Klase - N3FRQ
Jersey City, NJ
http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/
On 8/13/2022 8:17 AM, Joe Connor via Boatanchors wrote:
>   Sometimes, it's simply the "aging" of our ears. LOL.
>                        Joe Connor
>      On Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 06:42:36 AM EDT, Rob Atkinson<ranchorobbo at gmail.com>  wrote:
>   
>   If a xtal element goes bad then you're done.  In theory the element
> could be rebuilt with a new crystal but I've never heard of anyone
> doing that.
>
> So, prevention is the best solution if your microphone or cans have
> not sailed away on you.
>
> It's not complicated:  Keep them in a room temperature dry
> environment.  I have a number of D104s and they stay in the house
> where I have A/C in summer and heat in winter and a dehumidifier for
> spring and fall.  Don't take a xtal element anything and put it in a
> box and put the box in the garage, attic, or back seat of a car and
> leave it there.  That's how these accessories get destroyed.
>
> Old mics like 1930s D104s are around, but I've never seen or heard of
> one with an original element.  I have a 1937 Youngstown but its
> element is from the 1970s.  They're identifiable because they have 1
> inch deep heads, and the knurling on the front grill edge is engraved.
> The original Astatic elements are no longer made just like a number of
> other vintage things like certain vacuum tubes.  Let's preserve them.
>
> 73
>
> Rob
> K5UJ
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