Can bad sound harm your speakers?

[Uniquely]

One of my local stations has been having problems with their sound lately. I know it's the station and not my sound system because I can hear it on all of my tv's, but only on this one station. It sounds very much like the popping and distortion one might expect from blown speakers. Can playing these sounds damage my speakers?

[SammyG]

Of course, not to be sarcastic. Blaring static through your speakers can't be good!

[Twitch9]

speaker distortion is never good and will fry your speakers. Never turn you receiver dial past halfway, if you do you will only start to distort the sound and this will hurt the speakers, most receivers maximum volume is the halfway point on the dial.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

speaker distortion is never good and will fry your speakers. Never turn you receiver dial past halfway, if you do you will only start to distort the sound and this will hurt the speakers, most receivers maximum volume is the halfway point on the dial.

While i do agree that speaker distortion is bad, i do not agree with the above mention of turning up the receiver no more than half way. i bet you many when watching movies turn it up way past half way. As long as the speakers arent distorting, you will be fine...

[zicmubleu]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

While i do agree that speaker distortion is bad, i do not agree with the above mention of turning up the receiver no more than half way. i bet you many when watching movies turn it up way past half way. As long as the speakers arent distorting, you will be fine...

I thought you could be forcing your amp into clipping even before you could hear it?

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by zicmubleu

I thought you could be forcing your amp into clipping even before you could hear it?

i dont know about all that, but i know that i crank mine when needed and there is no distorting or anything... you'll notice most people probably listen to their system 3/4th of the way up i would figure. i mean, when i watch a DDTrue HD movie, i have my receiver to -5db's...

[richteer]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

One of my local stations has been having problems with their sound lately. I know it's the station and not my sound system because I can hear it on all of my tv's, but only on this one station. It sounds very much like the popping and distortion one might expect from blown speakers. Can playing these sounds damage my speakers?

Assuming you're not playing the sound louder than you would other signals, you'll be fine.

NB to other posters: the OP is talking about distortion in the signal coming from the broadcaster, not distortion from havingn the volume too loud. The latter will definately fry speakers eventually, but the former should be OK.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by richteer

Assuming you're not playing the sound louder than you would other signals, you'll be fine.

NB to other posters: the OP is talking about distortion in the signal coming from the broadcaster, not distortion from havingn the volume too loud. The latter will definately fry speakers eventually, but the former should be OK.

No i know, just got off the topic haha. Ive actually been told before that static is definately bad for speakers. anyone know if this is true? whenever i get it on my speakers i turn it down..

[zicmubleu]

Originally Posted by richteer

Assuming you're not playing the sound louder than you would other signals, you'll be fine.

NB to other posters: the OP is talking about distortion in the signal coming from the broadcaster, not distortion from havingn the volume too loud. The latter will definately fry speakers eventually, but the former should be OK.

Now I am curious what that distortion could be? If it is a digital signal from the source is it the bit stream that has been changed? If it is an analog signal couldn't the received level be spiking to a point that causes clipping in the amplified stages?

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by richteer

Assuming you're not playing the sound louder than you would other signals, you'll be fine.

NB to other posters: the OP is talking about distortion in the signal coming from the broadcaster, not distortion from havingn the volume too loud. The latter will definately fry speakers eventually, but the former should be OK.

Thank you for understanding the question. My speakers themselves are not distorting... they are accurately playing the signal that they are getting... which is distorted.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

Thank you for understanding the question. My speakers themselves are not distorting... they are accurately playing the signal that they are getting... which is distorted.

you should be fine then...... the static though, is likely on both extremes of the frequency scale.... so they CAN damage your speakers, but only likely if you're listening to it at a painfully annoying level...... Chances are, if it sounds that bad, you're not likely to turn up the volume very high

[Footloose301]

Also, make sure it's actually the station's fault. I've been to some houses where there was electricity back-feeding from a customer's equipment and was causing loud pops in ALL of his tv's and some white lines.

[STARSCREAM]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

speaker distortion is never good and will fry your speakers. Never turn you receiver dial past halfway, if you do you will only start to distort the sound and this will hurt the speakers, most receivers maximum volume is the halfway point on the dial.

I don't agree with that. If that were true then how why and how do so many on here and other places watch there movies at reference volume? For those that don't know, reference volume is LOUD!

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by zicmubleu

Now I am curious what that distortion could be? If it is a digital signal from the source is it the bit stream that has been changed? If it is an analog signal couldn't the received level be spiking to a point that causes clipping in the amplified stages?

Originally Posted by Footloose301

Also, make sure it's actually the station's fault. I've been to some houses where there was electricity back-feeding from a customer's equipment and was causing loud pops in ALL of his tv's and some white lines.

I have no idea. I have DirecTV, and the station giving me problems is my local NBC affiliate. All the boxes in my house are HD and are connected to their respective tv's/receivers via HDMI. I do have a SD box in my guest room. I haven't thought to try it in there to see if it has the problem as well. I'm pretty sure that the problem only occurs with stereo tracks, as I don't recall having seen it on any dolby digital tracks; but the problem is definitely with the station because I also hear it on my bedroom tv which I usually only run through the tv speakers. It's not constant but it is frequent enough that I have quit watching that channel unless it's just something that I REALLY want to see. Like Leno... I can't go to sleep without switching back and forth between Leno and AC360

[Twitch9]

Originally Posted by STARSCREAM

I don't agree with that. If that were true then how why and how do so many on here and other places watch there movies at reference volume? For those that don't know, reference volume is LOUD!

If you read your speakers manual or the receiver's manual you know this is true, when turning up the volume typically the receiver is at full volume at the halfway point on the dial maybe a little more, when turning up the volume past this point the volume will get louder but you are now introducing amp distortion into the mix, you might not be able to hear it but your speakers will definitely feel it and over time will damage them.

HT reference volume is around 86db and typical receivers can handle this without any problems, most people listen louder than this thinking it is reference volume. Movie theaters are around 96db for reference volume and this usually is to loud in a small to medium HT and will start to distort the clarity of the movie you are watching.

[Rob J in WNY]

Complex articulation of the speaker driver.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by Rob J in WNY

Complex articulation of the speaker driver.

Care to elaborate?

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

If you read your speakers manual or the receiver's manual you know this is true, when turning up the volume typically the receiver is at full volume at the halfway point on the dial maybe a little more, when turning up the volume past this point the volume will get louder but you are now introducing amp distortion into the mix, you might not be able to hear it but your speakers will definitely feel it and over time will damage them.

HT reference volume is around 86db and typical receivers can handle this without any problems, most people listen louder than this thinking it is reference volume. Movie theaters are around 96db for reference volume and this usually is to loud in a small to medium HT and will start to distort the clarity of the movie you are watching.

This might be true with A receiver , Something I have never seen though !
using A sep. amp there is no way that turning the volume past half introduces distortion to the speakers unless of course you turn it all the way up ! Then that would all depend on how good are you're speakers !!!

[Twitch9]

No an amp should never have this problem.

[Driver_King]

I have no idea what halfway volume is on my receiver but I know that I like to listen to material at reference and often above reference. My speakers do not have an issue keeping up and, before I made my risers, my subwoofers would be the only things I would be worried about (muddy sounding).