1. Do speakers ever become worn-out? I mean, like a TV as they age they start to loose color and brightness and so on. Does the same apply to speakers?

2. With my EP500 sub, im using the rubber feet instead of the spikes. Now the sub is in my living room on top of carpet. The reason im not using spikes is because my girlfriend dosent like the "sound" it makes when the spikes rip threw the carpet. lol. Am I loosing anything by using the ruber feet on top of carpet instead of the spikes?

Thanks and sorry for the dumb*ss questions.

1. As long as the internal and external components hold up there should not be any sound degradation due to normal use.

2. Smart girl, I wouldn't like the sound of ripping carpet under my speakers either. And once again I don't think it matters either way, rubber or spikes...er um, regarding the speakers that is.


Edit: I've always been told and believe that the only dumb question is the question not asked!

I spikes are mainly used to decouple the speaker (in this case subwoofer) from the floor. Some people believe it helps in getting a better sound since you reduce the resonance from the floor boards etc. Some people say it helps if you live in an apartment since bass traveling through the floor to the apartment below yours is reduced. IMHO, your floors/ walls will resonate irrespective of spikes or rubber pads, that is why it is called resonance freq. If you hit high enough SPL it will travel through any acoustically untreated structure (dry wall, floors etc).

If this is the case, I've had it backwards: I thought the spikes were to couple, not decouple the speaker to the floor.

I've never heard a difference and use whatever is appropriate to protect the floor (or help the speaker from falling over), but I did think the point was the opposite of what you listed.