Solve : Headphones left out in below freezing weather?

1.	Solve : Headphones left out in below freezing weather?
Answer» I ordered some headphones and they were delivered earlier today, but I didn't get them until just now. Right now the weather is below freezing, so I'm wondering if they could have been damaged after being out there for around 8 HOURS. The packaging was cold, and so were the headphones themselves. They work, but I have no way of knowing if they weren't a little affected by the cold. Should I return them just in case? Or should they be fine? Temperature outside when I got them: 29°F or -2°C Type of headphones: $20 Studio Headphones Time Outside: Around 6-10 hoursThe cold weather shouldn't hurt them at all. From personal EXPERIENCE the one thing that could damage them is bringing them out of the cold and into your room temperature home, which allows condensation to build up inside the headphones. As long as you let them sit for a little bit before you use them just in case there is moisture inside, then you should be fine. I live in the middle of nowhere and back in 2005 I had bought a computer online. The UPS guy delivered in the the dead of winter when it was 25 degrees below zero wind chill and I was scared of this exact same thing. I let it warm up by our wood stove for a while before TURNING it on, but it was still pretty cold (I was just too EXCITED to wait). It worked fine from the time I started it until the time I had bought a NEW one several years later. I had no issues with it. The risk of condensation would be the biggest issue, but that was not a problem for me, even on this large electronic device. Electronics either work or they don't, in my opinion. If they were damaged, they would sound goofy, something would have fried, or they would not work at all. If the headphones have since warmed up and they work, you'll be fine. FYI - heat is the worst enemy of electronics. If a component could run cool, it would last a lot longer. Quote from: Darthgumby on November 16, 2011, 09:00:52 AM The risk of condensation would be the biggest issue, but that was not a problem for me, even on this large electronic device. Please be cautious about what you're saying. You almost give the impression condensation is not a significant issue. But, it is. Moisture inside an electronic/electrical device should always be avoided. For a device brought inside after sitting out in cold temperatures, merely allowing the device adequate time to warm to room temperature and for any condensed moisture to evaporate is all that's necessary to avoid damage. To be on the side, don't get in a hurry to start/use the device; give it plenty of time, perhaps hours or even overnight, to sit in room temperature before its first use. Quote from: Alternative Solution on November 16, 2011, 01:21:05 AM Temperature outside when I got them: 29°F or -2°C That's still warm. I run with my iPod in that and colder weather all the time. Like everyone is saying, the warming back up is the tricky part. I've seen a laptop run fine in -25°F (-31°C) weather (I, on the other hand, was not running at all at that temp.) Quote from: Raven19528 on November 16, 2011, 05:54:37 PM That's still warm. I run with my iPod in that and colder weather all the time. Like everyone is saying, the warming back up is the tricky part. I've seen a laptop run fine in -25°F (-31°C) weather (I, on the other hand, was not running at all at that temp.) The device being on in those conditions isn't the issue. it's the device being off in a cold environment, and then being brought into a warm one.

Answer»

I ordered some headphones and they were delivered earlier today, but I didn't get them until just now. Right now the weather is below freezing, so I'm wondering if they could have been damaged after being out there for around 8 HOURS. The packaging was cold, and so were the headphones themselves. They work, but I have no way of knowing if they weren't a little affected by the cold. Should I return them just in case? Or should they be fine?

Temperature outside when I got them: 29°F or -2°C
Type of headphones: $20 Studio Headphones
Time Outside: Around 6-10 hoursThe cold weather shouldn't hurt them at all. From personal EXPERIENCE the one thing that could damage them is bringing them out of the cold and into your room temperature home, which allows condensation to build up inside the headphones. As long as you let them sit for a little bit before you use them just in case there is moisture inside, then you should be fine. I live in the middle of nowhere and back in 2005 I had bought a computer online. The UPS guy delivered in the the dead of winter when it was 25 degrees below zero wind chill and I was scared of this exact same thing. I let it warm up by our wood stove for a while before TURNING it on, but it was still pretty cold (I was just too EXCITED to wait).

It worked fine from the time I started it until the time I had bought a NEW one several years later. I had no issues with it. The risk of condensation would be the biggest issue, but that was not a problem for me, even on this large electronic device. Electronics either work or they don't, in my opinion. If they were damaged, they would sound goofy, something would have fried, or they would not work at all. If the headphones have since warmed up and they work, you'll be fine.

FYI - heat is the worst enemy of electronics. If a component could run cool, it would last a lot longer. Quote from: Darthgumby on November 16, 2011, 09:00:52 AM

The risk of condensation would be the biggest issue, but that was not a problem for me, even on this large electronic device.

Please be cautious about what you're saying. You almost give the impression condensation is not a significant issue. But, it is. Moisture inside an electronic/electrical device should always be avoided. For a device brought inside after sitting out in cold temperatures, merely allowing the device adequate time to warm to room temperature and for any condensed moisture to evaporate is all that's necessary to avoid damage. To be on the side, don't get in a hurry to start/use the device; give it plenty of time, perhaps hours or even overnight, to sit in room temperature before its first use. Quote from: Alternative Solution on November 16, 2011, 01:21:05 AM

Temperature outside when I got them: 29°F or -2°C

That's still warm. I run with my iPod in that and colder weather all the time. Like everyone is saying, the warming back up is the tricky part. I've seen a laptop run fine in -25°F (-31°C) weather (I, on the other hand, was not running at all at that temp.) Quote from: Raven19528 on November 16, 2011, 05:54:37 PM

That's still warm. I run with my iPod in that and colder weather all the time. Like everyone is saying, the warming back up is the tricky part. I've seen a laptop run fine in -25°F (-31°C) weather (I, on the other hand, was not running at all at that temp.)

The device being on in those conditions isn't the issue. it's the device being off in a cold environment, and then being brought into a warm one.

Solve : Headphones left out in below freezing weather?

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