Is this distortion?

[Justinw303 10+ year member]

When I get near max volume, whenever a deep bass line hits or the beat gets crowded, the voices in the song start to crackle and sound muffled. Is this what distortion is? If not, what is?

And how can I stop this? Is it because I'm pushin the speakers too hard (doubt it, weak HU), or do I need Bass Blockers, Dynamat, what?

Click to read more...

 

[jsloan10 10+ year member]

What does your "inner voice" tell you?

 

[jsloan10 10+ year member]

Heres a more comprehensive answer

5.21 What's worse for a speaker, too much or too little power? [iDB]

======================================================================

Problems occur (in everyday operation) when distortion is fed to a

speaker. This occurs MUCH more often when you are dealing with an

underpowered system - typically the owner will turn up the volume too

much or set the amplifier gains too high to try and get more volume

from the system. These introduce distortion to the signal - this will

destroy *any* speaker. ((see Section 5.22).)

When a speaker is overpowered, however, it is not nearly as common to

have these kind of problems, so speakers aren't blown as much. Of

course, it is certainly possible to destroy a speaker (thermally) by

overpowering it, but you'll have a pretty hard time doing this on your

own, especially with standard car audio amplifiers.

5.22 Why is distortion harmful to my speakers? [RK]

=====================================================

Distortion is hard on speakers for two reasons.

Reason 1: Distortion causes the power spectrum to shift upwards in

frequency. A bass note, when distorted, will have lots of high

frequency energy. This will cause mid-ranges and tweeters to fry, if

the amplifier is operating full range. It doesn't harm woofers,

necessarily.

Reason 2: Distortion causes the average power to be much higher.

Typically, a music signal that never clips has an average power level of

1/4 the peak power level for even the most compressed speed metal or

pop. More dynamic music will be 1/8 the peak level or less on average.

When you clip the amp hard, the average output moves up to the

full-rated output of the amp or more. The peak to average ratio can be

less than 2 to 1, with the peaks being at double the rated power of the

amp, and the average being at the rated power of the amp or higher.

Thermally, the speaker can handle the average power being 1/4 the rated

power of the amp (little to no clipping), but it will have a much harder

time with the average power being the amp's rated power or more (massive

clipping). As you might expect, this is pretty hard on the amp, too.

For transients, most speakers can handle a ton of power. But for long

term signals, the power handling is much less.

 

[96pfinderSE 10+ year member]

my friend has that problem to. Figured out it was that his amp was drawin to much power and the head unit was given the speakers and power due to the lack of power (hes got a 60 amp all runnin a 1000 watt amp) He already blue a speaker playin it like that to.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

distortion doesn't kill speakers. Overpowering them does.

 

[Justinw303 10+ year member]

Figured out it was that his amp was drawin to much power and the head unit was given the speakers and power due to the lack of power (hes got a 60 amp all runnin a 1000 watt amp).

What? I don't understand what you're trying to say. Please clarify.

------

So basically, when I upgrade my HU, it will stop?

 

[96pfinderSE 10+ year member]

no upgrade your electrical system. His HU is barely gettin any power to run (completely shuts off when turned up to much) and is underpowering the speakers (clipping)

 

[jsloan10 10+ year member]

5.21 What's worse for a speaker, too much or too little power? [iDB]

======================================================================

Problems occur (in everyday operation) when distortion is fed to a

speaker. This occurs MUCH more often when you are dealing with an

underpowered system - typically the owner will turn up the volume too

much or set the amplifier gains too high to try and get more volume

from the system. These introduce distortion to the signal - this will

destroy *any* speaker. ((see Section 5.22).)

When a speaker is overpowered, however, it is not nearly as common to

have these kind of problems, so speakers aren't blown as much. Of

course, it is certainly possible to destroy a speaker (thermally) by

overpowering it, but you'll have a pretty hard time doing this on your

own, especially with standard car audio amplifiers.

Get an amp, your deck power is not enough.

 

[Justinw303 10+ year member]

Ok, I hate to be like this when you guys are trying to help, but your suggestions don't make any sense.

pfinder, why would I need to upgrade my electrical system? It's not like I have a 2000 watt amp that I'm trying to push. Unless you're talking about something else...

and jsloan, the speakers are 40 watt rms. I'm not going to get amp just for 2 coaxial speakers. When I upgrade my HU from the P.O.S. I have now, I'll have more power going to them.

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

Why spend money on speakers when they sound not much better than stock. You can spend money on a 1000 set of components, but off HU power they will sound like trash, unless they were designed for it. All a speaker can do is replicate the electrical signal sent to it, the the signal sucks, then so will the sound.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Problems occur (in everyday operation) when distortion is fed to aspeaker. This occurs MUCH more often when you are dealing with an

underpowered system - typically the owner will turn up the volume too

much or set the amplifier gains too high to try and get more volume

from the system. These introduce distortion to the signal - this will

destroy *any* speaker. ((see Section 5.22).)

Distortion will not kill speakers if you know what you're doing. I have run, and will be running, amps with 5% THD in normal, everyday operation - and haven't blown a single speaker doing it. Anytime someone says distortion or low power will kill speakers, I really have to //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

The biggest problem you get with an internal amp on a deck is not so much clipping, but dynamic range issues - it simply can't provide the power for dynamic peaks in the material. Get a small external amplifier; your ears and your speakers will thank you for it.

 

[SmokeAlot 10+ year member]

dude....do you have stock speakers...or a new component system?....if you have stock speakers...change em becuase there a piece of crap.......if you get new speakers without a amp and it still make lil distortion noises..then you have to setup your h/u better.....

if you have a compoenent system with a amp and you turn the amp down and it still distorts then you have to set up your h/u again, because its sending a bad signal to ur speakers...after u set it up right...you should be able to turn up ur amp without it distortin...

 

[Justinw303 10+ year member]

dude....do you have stock speakers...or a new component system?....if you have stock speakers...change em becuase there a piece of crap.......if you get new speakers without a amp and it still make lil distortion noises..then you have to setup your h/u better.....if you have a compoenent system with a amp and you turn the amp down and it still distorts then you have to set up your h/u again, because its sending a bad signal to ur speakers...after u set it up right...you should be able to turn up ur amp without it distortin...

The speakers aren't stock, but their not components. Coaxials.

Like I said, I'll be upping the power to the speakers in a couple of weeks when I upgrade the HU, and if it's still distorting, I'll get an amp.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

Distortion will not kill speakers if you know what you're doing. I have run, and will be running, amps with 5% THD in normal, everyday operation - and haven't blown a single speaker doing it. Anytime someone says distortion or low power will kill speakers, I really have to //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif
The biggest problem you get with an internal amp on a deck is not so much clipping, but dynamic range issues - it simply can't provide the power for dynamic peaks in the material. Get a small external amplifier; your ears and your speakers will thank you for it.

BINGO!!!