Black rubber surrounds have carbon black in their chemical mixture which should block UV from penetrating though? It would increase the absorption of the IR in the sunlight which could be the culprit? There was a video from Dynaudio which argued it was the IR radiation in sunlight which causes the damage to black surrounds by cooking them.
https://dynaudio.com/magazine/2025/february/sunlight-damage-ask-the-expert
You think programming a high pass filter as a rumble filter would be a good idea to extend the surround lifespan?
We manufacture the most powerful high-energy products utilizing UV and infrared radiation, and we supply them to industries worldwide—including for applications such as aging and material testing. So, I certainly know what I’m talking about.
Infrared radiation merely heats up the rubber; it leads only to thermal aging—much in the same way that excessive ambient temperatures do. As a general rule, one should protect many materials and devices from this. I have personally seen CDs, CD cases, and sunglasses that have melted while sitting on dashboards.
UV radiation, on the other hand, directly attacks the rubber. Of course, carbon black, pigments, and other fillers serve as a protective barrier; however, one cannot incorporate these in very high proportions, as doing so would significantly degrade the material's physical properties. Furthermore, the outermost surface—the part exposed to the elements—is, first and foremost, composed of rubber.
As a general principle, one should not subject UV-sensitive materials or surfaces to years of continuous UV radiation exposure.
Just as a side note: car tires contain a much higher proportion of carbon black (approximately 30%). Have you ever seen what rubber looks like after being subjected to a simulated 10 years of UV radiation? You certainly wouldn't want to drive on it.
This has nothing to do with surround sound.
In fact, it makes sense to apply a subsonic filter—or, better yet, a custom-tailored high-pass filter—to every loudspeaker, thereby relieving it of the frequencies it is unable to reproduce anyway.
Every loudspeaker benefits from this acoustically as well.
However, the only truly effective way to achieve this is through a DSP.
Even worse is the use of a subwoofer without simultaneously relieving the main loudspeakers via a high-pass filter. For one thing, this results in very poor sound quality and wastes a great deal of potential; furthermore—and this is a particularly common pitfall—owners often fail to notice when their standard loudspeakers are being overloaded.
