How to fix distorted speakers? [Easy Ways 2022]
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You can relax through music. But it is difficult to relax and reconnect yourself if your speakers sound distorted. There could be an incorrect setting or there may be a problem with your speakers.
There are few ways through which you can fix distorted speakers and can enhance your sound experience.
Contents
What is distortion?
The change in the original signal to something else is called distortion. But the word distortion has different meanings depending upon the issue.
We compare sound distortion to audible distortion in the audio coming from the speaker. This distortion is because of the non-linear movement in the driver of the speaker. The sound coming out of the speaker is altered and we have to fix it.
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What are the causes of distortion?
Distortion is the audible detection of clipping. Clipping sometimes occurs when the component doesn’t provide the power to grip the signal and when an amplifier is pushed to produce large power more than its power supply can produce.
It will amplify the signal at maximum capacity and the point comes when the signal cuts and staples.
There are many causes of this issue. It can be on the channel level, mixer level, and amplifier level. The increasing movement can also distort your speakers.
If the components of your speaker are of cheap quality, then the heat can easily damage them and this leads to distortion. It may not seem at low volume but the damage can be noticeable at higher volume.
What are the reasons for distortion?
The distortion in speakers can happen for many reasons:
1. When the sound source is overloaded, it means so much sound is going through your microphone and speaker and they can’t handle the level of audio which leads to distortion of your sound system.
2. When an instrument sends a hot signal into your system. It happens when the bassist on the stage uses a sans amplifier that boosts the signal then the signal staples and causes distortion.
3. When you use faulty equipment. Your equipment can fail in different ways. Like when the distorted sound passed through the processor and it is one of the main reasons for the distortion of your system.
4. When you pushed your speaker beyond its limit and it means it is not made to handle high volume. This happens a lot of times. Pushing your speakers to produce high sound can lead them to distortion.
Types of distortion:
• Linear distortion:
The change in phase or amplitude with no new frequencies added. The distortions may emerge by the change in signal amplitude or signal phase for each component of frequency.
• Nonlinear distortion
When the relationship between the input and output signal is not linear is called non-linear distortion. This type of distortion occurs when the input signal is large and the active device is driven into a non-linear region.
Is distortion bad for your speakers?
Distortion itself is not risky but the elements that cause distortion can damage your speakers. The damage can occur if too much current or voltage is applied to your speaker’s driver.
This damage can melt or burn the voice coil. When the electrical signal passes through the voice coil, its driver starts to produce a corresponding sound. These inadequacies integral to any transducer produce heat in the system.
It is better to turn down the speaker when it is distorting.
Why do speakers distort at high volume?
The main reason for the distortion of the speaker is more with the amplifier and less with speakers falling. This is called amplifier clipping.
Increasing the volume can increase the amount of gain that the amplifier applies to the signal. The amplitude of the output waveform exceeds the current and then the top and bottom of the waveform are clipped.
This is the audible distortion that occurs due to the overloading of the amplifier. But it is also possible to be full rather than the amplifier.
Many speakers have linear range motion. The waveform of the signal produces appropriate audio waves when the output signal is applied to the voice coil of the driver.
The motion can become non-linear if the voice coil travels more due to the higher expected audio signal. At the extreme movement of the driver, the cone can’t push or pull air.
The popping and hitting are the worse and this occurs when the cone due to the motion of the driver smash against the housing of the driver.
When the crossover systems are overloaded the audio potential becomes more harmful.
The frequency bands of the audio signal are split up due to crossover networks and send these bands to speakers who reproduce them in a better way.
How to fix distortion?
Wiring problems, dust jams, and the speakers being pushed more than their limit are the few reasons due to which the speaker starts distortion at high volumes. This distortion may occur in cars, phones, and even laptops.
In this article, we are going to show you how to fix distortion in your speakers.
How to fix distortion in cars
You may face distortion in the sound system of your cars if you play the audio beyond its limit. But the wipers, air conditioners, and signal lights of your cars can also interfere with the audio of your speakers.
To have loud and clear music you have to turn down your speakers to 75% of volume. Ensure that other parts of your car are not meddling with the speakers if the audio is still distorted.
Keep your speaker on and turn off all of the components. Slowly turn on all the components, if the noise has become clear. By doing this you can find the component that is distorting the speaker of your car.
Another way is to dodge bass boosted music. The bass will distort extreme levels if it is unprofessionally added to the music.
Turn down the bass from the settings if you want to avoid distortion and want to play bass boosted music.
One of the main reasons for distortion in your cars is that the cars don’t have the best audibility. There are many parts of the car that restrict the audio heard by you.
The plastic made interior reflects the sound. The carpets and foam pads of the seats can absorb the sound. To have clear sound and to minimize all the factors you should install an equalizer to control the bass of your audio.
How to fix distortion in external speakers
The main purpose of your speakers is to deliver clear sound but it is very irritating when there is audio distortion. There are a few ways and techniques you could try yourself so that you may not need to spend money on professional technicians to take look at them.
The sound will distort if you push the audio beyond the limits of your speaker. Try to switch the limit of your speaker to around 75% of the total sound of the speaker. Check whether the audio system of the speaker is fine or not.
In wired speakers, ensure that the pin is not loose and they are plugged in the system properly. In wireless speakers check that there is no other device and the speaker is connected to your device only.
If the speaker is still producing audio but your connection system is fine this means there is a problem with your sound system. Adjust your speaker on different modes to find the component that produces the least distortion.
If there is any sort of damage to the wires then try to replace the old wires with the new ones. You can find the substitutes in the hardware stores or online.
If all this fails, then bring your external speakers to professionals to take a look at them and to get them fixed.
How to fix distortion in your laptops
The laptop speakers are relatively subject to distortion because of their small size and cheap quality. At high volume, the base produces crack noises. If your laptop starts to produce distorted sound, then low the volume of your laptop.
If this method doesn’t work then there are other ways through which you can fix this issue. Troubleshoot the speakers of your laptops. You can do this by going to the ‘’playing audio option’’ in the troubleshoot settings.
On your taskbar, right-click the ‘’troubleshoot sound problems’’ option and by following these instructions your laptop will find the problem with the speaker.
You can adjust the volume of your laptop speaker to the one at which it produces less distortion
For Mac, go to the Apple menu and click ‘’System Preference’’. Select the equalizer option from the ‘Sound’ option by this and you will see two options through which you can adjust the volume.
For Windows, go to the taskbar and right-click the ‘Speaker’ option, and then select ‘’Open Volume Mixer’’. Now click the ‘Advanced’ option and adjust the format to 16 bit 44100. The sound distortion will low than before.
How to fix distortion in cell phones
There are two reasons for audio distortion in cell phones. These two are software and hardware problems. The hardware problem occurs mainly due to water damage and dust blockage and obstruction.
Water damage occurs when there is humidity or sweat or when you accidentally drop your phone into water. If this happens then turn off your cell phone and bring the battery out of the phone. Dry it by using tissue or dry cloth and you can also place it in the rice to dry your battery.
After drying your cell phone’s battery completely, turn it on and check the sound of the speakers.
Closely examine the net of your speaker to find dust blockage. When you see the blockage use the needle-like thin device to scoop out the dust from the net of the speaker. When you are done play the audio and check if the sound is still distorted or not.
It is a bit complicated to fix the distortion due to software like the meddling of the third-party app. This happens due to the operating systems of Apple and Android because they are different and the fix for one might not work for the other one.
To fix the audio distortion in your Android phones, restart your phone. This method can be applied to many android devices. Press the power button and then select the reboot to ’Safe Mode’.
This method will reboot your phone and there will be no kind of meddling with your phone’s speaker.
If this method doesn’t work then you should do a hard reset. This method removes all the data from your cell phone that’s why you have to do it adequately. It will also clean up the software. Create a backup of your data so that you will not lose it.
Restore your iPhone if there is a problem with the software. It is the same as a hard reset of the Android phones. Before restoring it make a backup of your data.
If the audio of your cell phone is still distorted after trying all these methods then it means that the speakers are damaged beyond your ability and capability and take them to the professionals to get them fixed or replaced.
FAQs
How to fix audio distortion in windows 10?
Click the ‘Control Panel’ and press Win+ X, double click the ‘Sounds’ option. Select the ‘Speakers’ go to ‘Properties’ and then select ‘Enhancement’. By selecting this click on the ‘Disable All Sounds Enhancements’ option. Click ‘Apply and OK’ and the task is complete.
Can distorted audio be fixed?
Yes, with time and careful listening, damaged and distorted audio can be repaired and items will be condensed to inaudibility if you follow the steps.
How to fix distortion in headphones?
Your headphones must be tightly plugged into the headphone jack. If your headphones have a volume control option then adjust the volume to desired listening level.
Why do speakers distort when the bass hits?
The increasing movement produces heat inside your speaker. Heat damage will occur if your speakers are of cheap quality. It then leads your speakers to distortion.
This distortion is not noticeable at low volume but at the higher volume, it becomes more obvious.
What is the best frequency for bass?
The frequencies for bass are from 20 Hz to 160Hz. The best frequency to boost the bass is from 50 Hz to 80 Hz. These frequencies will make the bass sound powerful.
What is the cause of sound distortion in amplifiers?
The audio distortion in the amplifier may occur due to incorrect biasing levels. Amplification may not take place all over the signal cycle.
In this result, the input signal may be too large which can cause the limited supply of voltage and current from amplifiers’ transistors
Final words
It is quite irritating when you are listening to your favorite music or watching your favorite movies and then your speakers started to produce distorted sound.
If your speakers are damaged try to learn the methods through which you can correct the problem yourself then there will be no need to take them to the professionals or electronics technicians.
This is Lucas , Loving Songs 24 X 7, I love to Test New Speakers Everytime Because I love Music and It,s my One Of The Fav Hobbies. I have Created This Website To Review Some Of The Best Sound Quality Speakers.