Speakers are fragile devices that can easily become damaged from too loud music or distortion; other factors can also threaten to compromise their integrity and damage speakers.
All speakers have power ratings that should not be exceeded. Exceeding these thresholds may cause both electrical and mechanical damage to both components of your speaker system.
Speakers can break or be damaged if played at very high volumes that exceed their maximum power handling capacity.
Overheating
Loud audio can cause speaker systems to overheat, leading to internal damage that affects sound quality. Overheating may result in voice coils becoming deformed or detached altogether, cone fabrics rattling uncontrollably or torn suspensions being damaged as a result.
Voice coils in speakers use a conductive coil that passes audio signals through an ever-shifting magnetic field, transmitting sound waves in real time. However, when playing loud music this coil can overheat and eventually burn out.
So it is essential not to exceed the power rating of speakers and headphones in order to prevent voice coils from burning out and destroying them. Furthermore, keeping volume levels reasonable will extend their lifespan, so you can continue enjoying music for as long as possible! In case a set of blown speakers needs replacing it may be more economical to buy new ones than attempt repair work on them.
Mechanical Damage
Under extreme power levels, speakers may sustain mechanical damage. This may take the form of physical tears in their surround or voice coil deformation. While less common than overheating or distortion, mechanical issues still pose major problems to music lovers everywhere.
Voice coils in speakers are suspended within a magnetic field and respond to changes in audio signal voltage by moving with audio waves. As it moves around, heat builds up inside its coil, potentially reaching beyond an acceptable threshold and leading to its eventual combustion.
Voice coil movement also has mechanical thresholds that must be met, including maximum linear motion and mechanical movement limits. Exceeding these limits may cause physical damage to spider, cone and magnet components of a speaker and even need replacement; for musicians, bassists, DJs or any music enthusiasts this can be extremely distressful and upsetting.
Distortion
Many people mistakenly assume that speakers that distort are receiving too much power; however, this may not always be the case; speakers which distort at higher volumes may actually be receiving insufficient watts!
Distorted speakers indicate the voice coil is reaching its limit, potentially leading to overheating and physical breakdown – potentially costly repairs that must be addressed immediately.
Distortion refers to any change that alters something unintentionally. Distortion may be used intentionally in music styles like rock and punk to achieve desired effects, while cartography uses Mercator projection maps which magnify areas at higher latitudes resulting in visible distortion.
Be wary of leaving your sound system within reach of small children or animals; they might be tempted to put their fingers into the speaker assemblies, damaging or interfering with sound quality. Dust or debris might get in through speaker grilles and cause further interference with audio quality.
Electrical Damage
Any time a speaker is turned up too loudly it creates heat within it which, if mismanaged incorrectly, could damage its internal components and compromise their functionality.
Dust accumulation on speakers or headphones may lead to them breaking, leading to distortion or even complete failure. Therefore, it is vital that they are regularly maintained in an airy space to protect from dust particles.
Too loud music can also damage speakers with electrical damage caused by too much power being fed to them; too much power may damage components like voice coils and internal components of speakers, leading to burnt voice coils or worse. For optimal results it is always important to use high quality amplifiers that match well with the speakers that you own.
As with speakers in general, it’s crucial not to exceed either its peak or RMS power handling rating as this could damage it by subjecting its coil to too high an electrical current for too long.