[Dobrescu George]

that is pretty much the question. 
 
Is it safe to use your headphones when outside the water freezes, or it is over 35C?
 
i have a hood i am used to wear over them to protect them, but i wonder if i am damaging my headphones by taking them outside.
 
Also, the same question about IEMs?

 

[RRod]

  that is pretty much the question. 
 
Is it safe to use your headphones when outside the water freezes, or it is over 35C?
 
i have a hood i am used to wear over them to protect them, but i wonder if i am damaging my headphones by taking them outside.
 
Also, the same question about IEMs?

 
I've worn my ER-4Ps in ~10°F weather with no issues.  The main problem for regular cans probably wouldn't be the cold so much as condensation once you come back inside.

 

[castleofargh]

no clue ^_^.
I would suspect that having the headphone or IEM on our head is already enough to keep the driver's membrane from really freezing unless you really live in some cold place.
I know that with my camera I try to avoid rapid temperature changes. when I come back from a day outside, I would leave the camera in the bag for hours before taking it out, to get a slower temperature change.
I would tend to think the same thing with my IEMs. if they spent the night in the car outside, maybe not just put them on and blast music. but going outside with them on isn't a concern to me. I start getting concerned when the cable becomes really stiff, but that's the cable.

 

[hypersonic]

i think u should consult the manufacturer for the temp tolerence.
headphones are sensitive electronics afterall

 

[Dobrescu George]

this was why i was asking around here... more importantly, has anyone ever had problems with headphones breaking due to temperature, high or low?

 

[MindsMirror]

i think u should consult the manufacturer for the temp tolerence.
headphones are sensitive electronics afterall

They're not really. Headphone electronics are completely passive, unless your talking about noise canceling or Bluetooth headphones. All there is as far as electronics go is a coil of wire and a magnet. They are not sensitive to temperature in the same way that semiconductor electronics are. I think if a human can tolerate the temperature, headphones should be fine too. Rain or moisture would obviously not be good, and maybe direct/intense/prolonged sunlight could damage some headphones, depending on the materials they are made of.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  They're not really. Headphone electronics are completely passive, unless your talking about noise canceling or Bluetooth headphones. All there is as far as electronics go is a coil of wire and a magnet. They are not sensitive to temperature in the same way that semiconductor electronics are. I think if a human can tolerate the temperature, headphones should be fine too. Rain or moisture would obviously not be good, and maybe direct/intense/prolonged sunlight could damage some headphones, depending on the materials they are made of.

the plastic/ whatever material membrane that produces the sound itself.. that is what i am afraid could be damaged, that, and the chamber between the magnet and the membrane. i am afraid, as posted above that some condensation could take place, and deterriorate the acoustic propreties of a certain headphone, if used in cold/hot envoirment. for example, i am walking with my hd380pro, in dead cold blizzard, at -10C, then i enter a shop, where the temperature is around 30C, then i go back outside.
 
this is what i am very afraid of.
 
Semiconductors should be fine until you go under -30 and above 60 celsius, as far as i remember. the properties tend to change after 100C in most semiconductors. for example, no phone acted different in hot or cold days. 
 
i am worryed about iems too. i am still to figure out what made my ie8 stop working. i opened the unit, all cables and everything was at it's place, so it was the ineer driver that stopped working, so i am wondering why...

 

[RRod]

  the plastic/ whatever material membrane that produces the sound itself.. that is what i am afraid could be damaged, that, and the chamber between the magnet and the membrane. i am afraid, as posted above that some condensation could take place, and deterriorate the acoustic propreties of a certain headphone, if used in cold/hot envoirment. for example, i am walking with my hd380pro, in dead cold blizzard, at -10C, then i enter a shop, where the temperature is around 30C, then i go back outside.
 
this is what i am very afraid of.
 
Semiconductors should be fine until you go under -30 and above 60 celsius, as far as i remember. the properties tend to change after 100C in most semiconductors. for example, no phone acted different in hot or cold days. 
 
i am worryed about iems too. i am still to figure out what made my ie8 stop working. i opened the unit, all cables and everything was at it's place, so it was the ineer driver that stopped working, so i am wondering why...

 
You can always buy some cheap cans to test things if you're really worried. For IEMs, the proximity to the body should keep things relatively warm near the driver. I had my ER-4Ps on yesterday in single digits (°F) and they sounded great. For regular headphones, having your ears and head right on the pad should also transfer some heat as well.