What do damaged speakers sound like

If you see that the cone is ripped or that it has separated from the foam around its outer diameter, then you don't need to test anything. That foam naturally disintegrates over time with use and is often the culprit if you don't abuse your sound system. You may simply have an old sound system that has left this earth due to natural causes old age. If that's the case, then I'd replace them all anyways. Fixing one just means you're waiting on the next to croak.

And they all probably have spiders living in their assemblies and bug carcasses and even a lizard skeleton in there. Back to the discussion on purposeful distortion. It's currently achieved through pushing too hot of a signal through the speaker digitally or analog like at the vacuum tube, if you have one.

This could be, hopefully, what is happening to you which is a problem of gain staging. If the music you're playing isn't from the official source, like a blu-ray disc, a music CD, or an officially downloaded audio file, then run this test again with one that you know for sure hasn't been altered by someone.

The gain could be too hot in the version you have. Otherwise, if you hear distortion at moderate volumes in any of the cones or tweeters, you have a problem. Listen closely to each individual woofer to determine which one is toast. If you find even one, then read below for my guidance on what to do next.

You'll have to listen closely to determine if there's a problem. It is possible to play a perfect sine wave through the speakers and record it with an impeccable microphone, but this also requires what is essentially an anechoic chamber or at least a really nice recording studio with a lot of acoustic treatment.

Obviously this isn't feasible for If you're in a professional recording or listening environment then this may be possible and you know what to do without further explanation. Any alteration in the original sound being played means your speakers aren't faithfully reproducing it.

Of course, the first question is always " can you fix a blown speaker? DIY speaker fixing is usually quick and dirty and only done on speakers you don't really care about having perfect quality, such as in your 20 year old car. If your cone has ripped or separated from the fabric surrounding it, you can use silicon rubber gel to glue it back together. It's important to use silicon because it's flexible, otherwise you'll just cause another tear. This gel comes in tubes like a caulk and can be found at Walmart, Home Depot, or any other hardware store.

Some people will even go as far as to bust out a needle and thread to sew the ripped cone and then reinforce it with normal general purpose glue. I'm sure you can understand already why that's a bad idea. If you're not getting any sound out of just one speaker, then trace the wiring all the way back to the amplifier and see if any have wiggled loose.

If none of that solves it, then you probably have a problem with the coils. Unless you're a decent electrician, I wouldn't bother with trying to fix it. If we're talking about an extremely expensive sound system like monitors in a church, auditorium, or your best recording studio monitors , then I'd have a professional repairman come out and fix them. If we're talking about computer or car speakers, they're cheap enough to warrant simply replacing them altogether. You have two choices: repair or replace.

I provided guidance in the section above about when I'd attempt to repair them either myself or hiring a professional to do it. Most of the time you're going to want to replace the whole set. The reason is, the speakers need to be expensive enough to warrant a repair, and that means re-coning. Re-coning means not only replacing the cone but the entire assembly including the voice coil.

The first thing you will notice if one of your speakers is blown is the noticeable change in sound quality. The first thing to check is that you connected it up properly. If everything is ok with connections, then you perhaps need to consider that the speaker is damaged in some way? Blown speakers in church PA systems , or auditorium sound systems usually have been ruined by an extreme amount of power, driven through the speakers. Identifying blown or partially blown speakers is very simple.

Listen to your speakers. A faulty speaker will create static buzz, fuzzy sound at loud levels if partially blown, and distortion at all levels or no sound at all if completely blown. A common problem of speakers, especially old or low-end speakers, is those made with paper cones.

With too much power applied, or with too much treble or bass, the paper cone can be ripped quite easy. Many of them can be blown also if they are played too loudly, especially with strong bass and high treble. You can also indicate whether your speakers are blown or not by pressing it. If your speaker cone is working properly its suspension will allow movement. If you press gently on the speaker cone and if it is stuck in place, you have a faulty speaker. Even if you can move the speaker cone, you should listen for noises and check for loose movements of it.

Those can also be indications of bad suspension. In these cases, you can do two things, the first is to take it to an audio technician to have it repaired, and the second is to replace the entire broken speaker. Once you have ruled out other possible causes, you can then evaluate what is the best action. If you are wondering if you might have a partially blown speaker, there are some things you can check for.

They will sound relatively OK at a lower volume, however, if you turn your volume knob up, it will be distorted. The cause of a partially blown speaker is very often when the midrange or tweeter drivers have malfunctioned.

Damage to the cone will prevent it from reproducing your signal properly, and will often result in ugly distortion. Physically inspect the speaker. A blown speaker can have damage that can be heard with some mechanical movement.

If you gently tap on the cone of the speaker it should have a firm drum like sound. If you hear a rattling sound like a loose snare drum , this is an indicator of a bad speaker. Also, if you gently exercise the speaker cone by pushing on it being careful not to puncture the cone with your finger or push it much further than 5 millimeters , you should hear almost nothing.

Blown speakers will make a scraping or crunching sound with any movement. This is an indicator of a bad voice coil and it will most definitely need replacing. Luckily most speakers are not too expensive, and blowing them is somewhat rare. We recommend replacing the speaker. If you have an expensive speaker, such as something that might be made by JBL or a vintage Jensen, it may be worthwhile to repair the speaker, but keep in mind that if you are enlisting the services of an experienced tech you will be paying for both the part and their time.

If you plan to replace your speaker make sure it is the correct impedance for the amplifier and is rated at or above the wattage of the amplifier. A 30 watt amplifier may come with 50 or higher wattage speaker in order to be sure that it can handle the power that the amp is sending through it. A replacement is almost always a good idea, and you can hang on to your original until you decide to fix it or not. Skip to main content. Tech Talk. Breaking Down Blown Speakers It's a bummer, but here's what to do if you happen to blow a speaker in your amplifier.

By Jeff Owens. What does a blown speaker sound like, and how do I know if I have one?