Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs? (Read 13574 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

In my new apt my CD towers sit right next to my floorstanding Paradigm speakers. Will the speaker magnet damage the CDs?

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #1 –
Quote from: thedisavowed on
In my new apt my CD towers sit right next to my floorstanding Paradigm speakers. Will the speaker magnet damage the CDs?

No.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: thedisavowed on
In my new apt my CD towers sit right next to my floorstanding Paradigm speakers. Will the speaker magnet damage the CDs?



If you believe too much of what you read in the high end audio press (e.g. Stereophile) then you might think so.

Back in the real world - please see pdq's post.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #3 –
Quote from: thedisavowed on
In my new apt my CD towers sit right next to my floorstanding Paradigm speakers. Will the speaker magnet damage the CDs?
No, magnets affect magnetic media only. CDs are optical media and aren't susceptible to magnetic damage.
EAC>1)fb2k>LAME3.99 -V 0 --vbr-new>WMP12 2)MAC-Extra High

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: thedisavowed on
In my new apt my CD towers sit right next to my floorstanding Paradigm speakers. Will the speaker magnet damage the CDs?


Well, you could take apart the speakers and bash the CD's with the tweeter magnet.  I suppose that might damage them a bit.

But just sitting next to speakers certainly won't hurt them even if they are unshielded speakers.  Most speakers today are constructed so that the magnet fields are cancelled very close to the actual magnets anyway.  Very strong magnetic fields can harm a CRT monitor and so these days the fields are blocked or cancelled out by most recently made speakers.  But no magnetic field from even an unshielded speaker will be anything like strong enough to affect a CD in any way.

Ed
Ed Seedhouse
VA7SDH

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Ed Seedhouse on
no magnetic field from even an unshielded speaker will be anything like strong enough to affect a CD in any way.

How strong is strong enough?  Remember, the metal in CDs is typically aluminum or gold.

I am not aware that they are alloyed with ferrous material.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #6 –
I think I'm going to do a "Glock Torture-Test" on a CD I don't care about.

The first phase of my test will be to leave a high-powered magnet on the CD for about a week. I'm going to predict that the disc won't be KIA until I get to the part where I skip it across my driveway a few times. 
The Loudness War is over. Now it's a hopeless occupation.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: greynol on
Quote from: Ed Seedhouse on
no magnetic field from even an unshielded speaker will be anything like strong enough to affect a CD in any way.

How strong is strong enough?  Remember, the metal in CDs is typically aluminum or gold.

I am not aware that they are alloyed with ferrous material.



I have access to a 3-Tesla MRI scanner. If I don't forget, and if scanner operators allow me to do so, I can put a CD in the bore, and check later if it still plays ;-)
Ceterum censeo, there should be an "%is_stop_after_current%".

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Quote from: thedisavowed on
In my new apt my CD towers sit right next to my floorstanding Paradigm speakers. Will the speaker magnet damage the CDs?



If you believe too much of what you read in the high end audio press (e.g. Stereophile) then you might think so.

Back in the real world - please see pdq's post.

Stereophile mag and sites arent reliable?

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: pawelq on
Quote from: greynol on
Quote from: Ed Seedhouse on
no magnetic field from even an unshielded speaker will be anything like strong enough to affect a CD in any way.

How strong is strong enough?  Remember, the metal in CDs is typically aluminum or gold.

I am not aware that they are alloyed with ferrous material.



I have access to a 3-Tesla MRI scanner. If I don't forget, and if scanner operators allow me to do so, I can put a CD in the bore, and check later if it still plays ;-)


I think in the interests of HA you need to do that

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: pawelq on
Quote from: greynol on
Quote from: Ed Seedhouse on
no magnetic field from even an unshielded speaker will be anything like strong enough to affect a CD in any way.

How strong is strong enough?  Remember, the metal in CDs is typically aluminum or gold.

I am not aware that they are alloyed with ferrous material.



I have access to a 3-Tesla MRI scanner. If I don't forget, and if scanner operators allow me to do so, I can put a CD in the bore, and check later if it still plays ;-)

Unless you allow the CD to remain in there until the point the aluminum warps from the heat (or delaminates from the plastic due to differential expansion) I would expect no harm... and would that even happen if you keep the radio off?
Creature of habit.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: greynol on
Quote from: Ed Seedhouse on
no magnetic field from even an unshielded speaker will be anything like strong enough to affect a CD in any way.

How strong is strong enough?  Remember, the metal in CDs is typically aluminum or gold.



Strong enough to suck steel objects across the room to smash the CD.  That can happen with the MRI scenario.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #13 –
Quote from: pdq on
Quote from: Seeking_Lossless on
Stereophile mag and sites arent reliable?

Is that a question or a statement?

The "?" suggests it was a question. The answer probably is "Yes" with them writing the following about powerline accessories:
Quote
House current can be notoriously dirty. Treat your system by cleaning up your AC.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #14 –
Quote from: Seeking_Lossless on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Quote from: thedisavowed on
In my new apt my CD towers sit right next to my floorstanding Paradigm speakers. Will the speaker magnet damage the CDs?



If you believe too much of what you read in the high end audio press (e.g. Stereophile) then you might think so.

Back in the real world - please see pdq's post.

Stereophile mag and sites arent reliable?


A stopped clock is accurate twice a day...

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
A stopped clock is accurate twice a day...


Not on a moving plane.  Ergo, some audio magazines are only right when the watch and the plane are broken.

But both watches and planes are sensitive to magnetic fields.  Ergo, do not put either next to your speakers.

But CDs will be fine - can't say the same for the brains of some "audiophiles."

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #16 –
If you spun the CD for a sustained period really close to a very powerful magnet the induced eddy currents in the aluminum layer might cause enough heating to damage the disk.

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #17 –
If such a thing existed here, I would nominate odigg's post for "Post of the Week".

Will a speaker magnet damage CDs/DVDs?

Reply #18 –
Quote from: odigg on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
A stopped clock is accurate twice a day...


Not on a moving plane.  Ergo, some audio magazines are only right when the watch and the plane are broken.

But both watches and planes are sensitive to magnetic fields.  Ergo, do not put either next to your speakers.

But CDs will be fine - can't say the same for the brains of some "audiophiles."


This thread was worth it for this post alone. I needed the laugh.

Thanks for the input guys. I didn't think it would be a problem - just wanted to be sure. Unpacked my albums only to discover that I need not one but 2 new 7' towers for the albums I've bought lately.

It's a bad habit. Good to know the discs are safe.