I've discussed e-waste and network firewalls, now hemp speakers!

[E-waste]

Hemp speakers!

 

Most speakers of the last 40+ years are made of synthetic polymers.  To our current research, these materials do not properly break down into oil again.

 

If we go back in time though, speakers diaphrams (cones) were made of paper, and other natural materials.  I think between 1960 - 1970 or somewhere around that time Sensui or Sansui, made speaker cones with sisal and hemp-like fibers, all natural.  We can learn this because they published documentations for the speaker models.

 

Well we don't have to buy century old speakers to eliminate plastic in our soeaker cones!  I'd like to promote tone tubby, they make hemp cone speakers, and guitar speakers!  There are other brands out there, but this company seems the most legit.

[kb5zue]

For the curious readers out there, the website is:

 

https://www.tonetubby.com/

 

[Heats with Nvidia]

Paper cones never stopped being made. Many loudspeakers you can buy today have paper cones, but sometimes they have a coating.

Especially in PA loudspeakers the majority of chassis still have paper cones. In the PA world, even paper surrounds are the norm. Sometimes they are made of some kind of cloth. When it comes to that, i would rather focus on their life expectancy with developing wireless standards, built in batteries, right to repair etc... One of my most beloved pair of speakers, i own and use, gets 50 years old next year and i don`t think most modern bluetooth and other active loudspeakers will ever come close to this age.

[Psittac]

That's cool and all, but quality speakers last for decades.  I don't know if it's really much of an e-waste problem and the cones are a very small part of the whole thing.