Are Old Speakers Worth Keeping? (Give it a second thought)

Homelytainment earn commissions (at no additional cost to you) if you purchase products from retailers after clicking on a link from our site.

If you are still having the old speakers with you. Then congratulations you are a person that has a good taste for sound and our environment. But the question is. Are old speakers worth keeping?

At A Glance: The old speakers are worth it if they have more than two drivers and are bigger but if they have just two drivers and are smaller then they should be replaced by modern technology speakers.

Keep reading as I will be explaining my point of view that when and when the old speakers are worth it. If you still want to keep it then I am showing you a few alternatives to use the speakers and still make them pay for their price. Don’t forget to read the poll stats at the bottom of this article. You will know what type of speakers others have.

When and when not the old speakers are worth it in the home theater?

Condition #1. They are worth it.  If the old speakers you are having have multiple drivers like 3 to 4 or above. These drivers work in harmony to hit those low, mid, and higher frequencies. These old speakers usually have bigger cabinets and more space for their drivers’ movement.

These speakers’ drivers have enough space for them to go back and forth and comfortably hit all the frequencies for which they are designed.

When comparing these old speakers which are having more than two drivers with modern speakers with two drivers and smaller cabinets. These old speakers will always win and they are worth it to actively work in your home theater.

But make sure they are from reputable brands. After that, I can comment on their engineering and build quality. My comments will be proven true when they are built by a good brand with the best measures of engineering.

Know how often to upgrade home theater speakers. I have talked in-depth in this guide.

I hope you got my point here. Let’s jump to the next condition.

Condition #2. They are not worth it. If you are having old speakers that have small cabinets and have just drivers then they need to be replaced by modern speakers. Modern speakers with two drivers and small cabinet-like bookshelf speakers.

These modern bookshelf speakers will blow the old small cabinet speakers out of the water.

Modern bookshelf speakers have modern technology that can disperse the sound better with better throwing capabilities. 

These modern bookshelf speakers can disperse the sound in a lesser time and the dispersion starts from a lesser distance as soon as the sound comes out of the driver. This means they can fill the room better and the sound travels more than the old small cabinet speakers that have just two drivers.

In (condition #1) The speakers have more than two drivers where the drivers complete each other’s strength and boost the sound altogether. That’s why they can perform better than modern bookshelf speakers that have just two drivers.

Don’t worry. But if you want to keep the old two-driver speakers then I have a few alternative options for you. You can still use them and they will still work great for you in alternative locations.

What can you do with old speakers? (Alternatives to home theater option)

If you want to keep the old speakers with yourself then I must say it is a wise thing to do. Because the speakers get less innovation in them. That’s why 10 years old speakers will still sound great.

All other components such as TV/projector and AV receivers. They change a lot and you need to upgrade them quite often. But you can still use 10 or 15 years old speakers today.

So here are the alternatives for the old speakers. If you want to retire them from your home theater. Here are the areas where you can use them. 

Use them as a second-zone audio

Many modern AVRs provide second-zone audio. If your AVR has this feature. Well! You are in luck. Use the old speakers as second-zone audio. You can use these speakers in the kitchen or some other room. 

They will play the same audio that the home theater content has. Play music in your home theater and enjoy the music in the kitchen too.

Many AVRs have 3rd zone audio features too. You can create an audio ambiance in your home with these old speakers.

Read this article to increase the clarity of speakers. You can boost the quality of the old speakers. I have provided the best tips in this guide.

Arrange another stereo setup

Retire the old speaker from your home theater and buy a good affordable stereo amplifier for them and set up a nice stereo system. 

Start enjoying your favorite music in your spare time. You can tune the radio or stream music from your phone to the stereo system. 

Considering condition one. These speakers will work amazingly well in the stereo setup.

Or set up this stereo system for your Dad as a cool Christmas gift. I gifted my old AVR to my Dad and he set up a nice stereo system in his man cave.

Know is a home theater or stereo good for music. I have compared them in this guide.

Use them for Atmos or in-ceiling for music

If your speakers have just two drivers such as bookshelf speakers. You can use them as Atmos speakers. Mount them high and a little closer to the ceilings. But point them at you for the optimal experience.

You can use them as ceiling speakers for music or Atmos. But make sure they are installed very well in the ceiling. But for ceiling speakers. I recommend that the speaker should have an adjustable tweeter. But you can use your old speakers in the ceiling. This is one option though.

But don’t use old speakers in the wall. Because this violates the second condition that I have explained above. Because in home theater the modern in-wall speakers are the best. But you can use old speakers as in-wall speakers in the second or third zone audio. It is up to you how to use them.

How Old are your home theater speakers? FB Poll

Poll OptionsStats
1 Month to 1 year Old13%
1 year to 3 years Old22%
3 years to 10 years Old32%
10+ years Old22%
20+ years Old11%
There were 110 participants in this poll. Many people are using old speakers happily. They are loving their old speakers and are not keen to upgrade them.

This poll was created to learn from the experiences of others. So, you can take a wise decision.

FAQs

Can you sell old speakers?

You can sell old speakers to companies that recycle old products and they sell them out. It is a very environmental thing to do. You can directly sell your used products to them or social media users in Facebook groups.

I will recommend selling the old speakers to recycling companies like Greenbuyback, Gizmogo, or BestBuy recycling service.

Are used speakers a good idea?

It is absolutely a great idea. If you consider buying old speakers, you will help to reduce e-waste and you can save money. Because you can buy used refurbished speakers cheaper than new speakers.

The e-waste is increasing day by day. This e-waste is shipped to 3rd world countries. Where they burn it to extract precious metal from it and the rest ends up in landfills. You can reduce e-waste by buying used products.

Are 20-year-old speakers still good?

The 20 years or more years old speakers are still good. Because speakers don’t innovate that much and their connectivity methods. That’s why they sound the same today. But in a few ways, they can sound better than modern speakers.

My friend has 25 years old speakers and they still sound great. That’s why you can use 20-year-old speakers and you will still enjoy them.

Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More

  1. I have talked about this in detail in this guide. How to update an old home theater system? (Resource for the first answer)
  2. Know how to buy used speakers from this WhatHifi Blog. (Resource for the second answer)
  3. Know more about it from this AVsforum Thread. (Resource for the third answer)

Watch To Learn More

This article was first posted on Homelytainment.com.
Ayaan Khan
Ayaan Khan

I'm Ayaan khan, a freelancer and a Computer Science degree holder from P.E.S. College. After my degree, I started an internship with my father in his home theater showroom. After working for a month I realized that this is the best job in the world for me and it could be turned into a passion. Fast forward to when my internship ended, I joined my father as a full-time home theater equipment tester. I test new equipment and approve it before it can be installed in the customer's house. I love to test equipment and sometimes love to install it by myself in the customer's theater room. I have the right experience and knowledge to learn from my articles. In my Free time I write & answer questions here on AVSFORUM. Every Article on Homelytainment is curated according to Homelytainment's Editorial Policy and Sponsorship Policy. If you have any questions for me. Reach out to my email (Support(AT)homelytainment.com)

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

four × 2 =

HomelyTainment
Logo