“To keep the plastic on or not” Physical protection of HiFi equipment (not electrical protection)

Rega Amplifiers
Analogous

Analogous

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In a thread on showcasing new gear the issue of protection of equipment from scratches, dust and other physical damage was discussed.
This included a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of leaving the protective plastic covering from the factory in place (never to be removed).

Surprised by the number of responses on this issue I searched for previous gyan on this topic on this forum and found several threads on protection from electrical damage, one on protection from inquisitive children (Thread 'child proofing speakers: https://www.hifivision.com/threads/child-proofing-speakers.3736/), but little or nothing on protection from physical damage.

I have a obsessive need to remove these plastic coverings on new and specially old devices. It is so bad that I have even asked check in counter staff at airports why they had not removed the plastic cover on the bezels of TVs displaying flight info (the looks I received probably indicated something uncomplimentary). I have removed such coverings in my close friends and relatives houses where I felt I would not be abused for doing this. When I see a car which is a few years old with plastic covering the headrests and sunshades at a traffic stop I can barely control the urge to beseech them to remove these…..Yes, I have a problem.
I don’t want to draw parallels with protection of smart phones as they are handled differently.

So posting this question here: What are the best ways to protect our precious audio equipment from dust, scratches and other physical damage?

Please share your thoughts, experience and elegant suggestions.
 
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You are not alone @Analogous .I too get irritated when I see people driving a car with seats covered in plastic and the ribbon on the hood. First thing I did was to remove the ribbon when I got the car.
I hate to see the sticker on TVs and the plastic sheets on the devices, which is meant for shipping protection. But....
-I do fix tempered glass and back cover on my phone. In fact that has protected my phone several times from getting damaged.
-I do keep remote covers on them . Lol
- Washing machine is covered when not in operation to protect from dust and sun rays.

In my opinion, unnecessary plastic and stickers to be removed. Extra layer of plastic on the devices will increase the temperature inside and reduce the life.
Some of the plastic covers used for packaging actually blocks the vent. Definitely a reason for early failure of the devices.
The plastic left on the new devices, becomes dirty and catches more dust and becomes sticky over time. It in fact spoils the look.
But there are people who like to keep it like that.
At Airport and public places, it's left by the installer and they won't remove it or it could be marketing strategy to keep the stickers intact to talk about the features.
 
I remove all factory installed plastic from equipment after it is hosted at home.
I do keep remotes in their plastic though.

Dust and scratches can only be minimized.
To clean and protect AV equipment I use the following items/methods:
1. Brush off dust with an ostrich feather duster (the inherent static in them picks up dust rather than move it around)
2. Wipe the equipment metal parts with a slightly damp soft cloth once in a while
3. Wipe TV screen and glossy surfaces with microfiber or spectacle cleaning cloth
4. Use IPA to remove any stubborn spots
5. Cover AV equipment when not in use (I use synthetic curtain material, blouse piece material and kitchen liners)
6. Once a year I open the top cover and blow out the dust with a hair dryer on cool setting, wipe down connectors with IPA

With 2 drooling dogs at home, it sometimes is a challenge :D

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Analogous said:
That’s neat! Where can I get some of these caps?
Click to expand...
You can also DIY from a plastic tube by heat sealing one end. Just use a pencil inserted a little more than half-way to ensure you get the shape while sealing.
The caps of some toothpaste and ointments or beauty products will also fit well. ;)
 
You guys actually spend money to cover up RCA jacks??? o_O
Where is your imagination, guys? Use small balloons for RCA dust caps. Buy one packet and you're set for life.
Psst! I have some audiophile one's to sell. Hot air is charged extra!

Kannan said:
The following solution will also protect the sockets and bring the musicians into the room.:p

Termino from Audiophile Rocks!!!!
https://audiophile.rocks/termino.html
Click to expand...
Thanks for the laugh!!!! It's been too long since I heard such BS! - "When plugging the Termino into the RCA, the noise is naturally drawn into the Abysscurum Crystal Formula inside the Termino where it's cleaned. The Termino is like a vacuum cleaner that sucks out the noise from the audio system. After plugging in the Termino it will take a minute until you hear cleaner sound, because the Termino needs time to clean the noise."
 
keith_correa said:
You guys actually spend money to cover up RCA jacks??? o_O
Where is your imagination, guys? Use small balloons for RCA dust caps. Buy one packet and you're set for life.
Psst! I have some audiophile one's to sell. Hot air is charged extra!


Thanks for the laugh!!!! It's been too long since I heard such BS! - "When plugging the Termino into the RCA, the noise is naturally drawn into the Abysscurum Crystal Formula inside the Termino where it's cleaned. The Termino is like a vacuum cleaner that sucks out the noise from the audio system. After plugging in the Termino it will take a minute until you hear cleaner sound, because the Termino needs time to clean the noise."
Click to expand...
@keith_correa it’s all about protection !!! I love your suggestion of using condoms, oops, sorry balloons.

When our baby was a toddler many moons ago, I had bought 3 pin plugs to put into electric sockets around the house to prevent accidental electrocution. Given there is no possibility of electrocution from RCA sockets the only other motive is to keep the jewellery shiny? Just like keeping plastik covers on. Not sure if both work though.

I sometimes worry about TOSlink cables. Those tiny plastic covers supplied disappear fast. Thankfully this anxiety is fleeting and I move on to a new worry.
 
keith_correa said:
You guys actually spend money to cover up RCA jacks??? o_O
Where is your imagination, guys? Use small balloons for RCA dust caps. Buy one packet and you're set for life.
Psst! I have some audiophile one's to sell. Hot air is charged extra!


Thanks for the laugh!!!! It's been too long since I heard such BS! - "When plugging the Termino into the RCA, the noise is naturally drawn into the Abysscurum Crystal Formula inside the Termino where it's cleaned. The Termino is like a vacuum cleaner that sucks out the noise from the audio system. After plugging in the Termino it will take a minute until you hear cleaner sound, because the Termino needs time to clean the noise."
Click to expand...

I do like the idea of balloons to slap on to the unused RCA ports but I don't quite think I would like the sight of hanging deflated balloons on the backside of my amplifiers. Then again I don't really see the rear of the amps much unless I'm fiddling about with my connections.

I don't know, I think the caps are just neater and look more pro. :)
 
Analogous said:
In a thread on showcasing new gear the issue of protection of equipment from scratches, dust and other physical damage was discussed.
This included a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of leaving the protective plastic covering from the factory in place (never to be removed).

Surprised by the number of responses on this issue I searched for previous gyan on this topic on this forum and found several threads on protection from electrical damage, one on protection from inquisitive children (Thread 'child proofing speakers: https://www.hifivision.com/threads/child-proofing-speakers.3736/), but little or nothing on protection from physical damage.

I have a obsessive need to remove these plastic coverings on new and specially old devices. It is so bad that I have even asked check in counter staff at airports why they had not removed the plastic cover on the bezels of TVs displaying flight info (the looks I received probably indicated something uncomplimentary). I have removed such coverings in my close friends and relatives houses where I felt I would not be abused for doing this. When I see a car which is a few years old with plastic covering the headrests and sunshades at a traffic stop I can barely control the urge to beseech them to remove these…..Yes, I have a problem.
I don’t want to draw parallels with protection of smart phones as they are handled differently.

So posting this question here: What are the best ways to protect our precious audio equipment from dust, scratches and other physical damage?

Please share your thoughts, experience and elegant suggestions.
Click to expand...
I too remove all traces of plastic coverings as soon ans as fast as I can. You can cover the equipment with breathable cotton clothes when not in use.
 
I dont know why but i get immense satisfaction from peeling off the plastic film and sheets from brand new unboxed items. It cant be beat.
 
Last edited:
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