About 2 years ago, I was playing a game on the computer. The sound was cranked on my Logitech sound system and a piece of paper fell onto the sub. I went to pick it up. As my hand touched the speaker box, static electricity arced from my finger and into the sub. The sound cut out from the entire system. It was history. On examination, I was suprised to see the sub was in fact a two prong plug without a chassis ground.

This week I orderd a HSU VTF3-HO. I learned it is in fact a two prong outlet. Living in a very dry state, I have to touch a metal screw on a nearby wall switch to ground myself, 90/100 times I get a nice healthy arc that sometimes stings quite a bit.

So I guess I ask, why are subwoofers which are designed to sit on the floor, carpet most of the time, not have 3 prong plugs with a proper chassis ground? The sub isn't even here yet and I am already worrying that one day I will touch it and then kiss my HSU goodbye.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99158.htm

In realty it should be able to with stand that type of static discharge.

We have an ESD simulator at work and every product we produce has to pass basic ESD immunity.

The basic test is 16KV air discharge or 8KV direct contact to any part a user can come in contact with during normal usage.

But I suppose the average consumer goods are not made to any sort of standards. I would suggest you take a few precautions to reduce electro static buildup in your home. Simple things like rasing the humidity can help a lot.