Hey everyone,

Following on from my previous thread regarding what volume to keep speakers at, I've noticed that the distortion in my current pair (which, just to reiterate, are relatively inexpensive) becomes a lot more prevalent when they've been on for a while (say 7-8 hours, but not necessarily playing something during all that time). If I keep them off for a while and then try them again, the distortion is lessened. It seems like something in them overheats or warps when they've been on for a long time, and the sound becomes relatively normal once they've cooled down. What I'd like to know is if this should be expected with decent quality speakers (I'm thinking of getting the Logitech Z-2300's - I don't need the floor-thumping bass at all, but these ones seem to give rather clear sound from the reviews I've read, which is what I'm looking for). Do good quality ones sound bad if they've been on for a long time? Should I turn my speakers off whenever I can?

Replies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

nazgulord.

I only skimmed the other thread, but which speakers are you talking about? Are you able to eliminate the amp as the culprit? I would think it's the amp that's getting hot, especially if no music is playing.

How do I know? I was once young and interested in building 100W amps with no budget and no stores to buy a decent heatsink and fans from...

Neither speaker nor amp should sound bad just because you've kept them on for hours.

Is is possible that you've just listened to music for too long and your ears are sensitive?

These are a simple pair of speakers. They have no amp and are connected directly to my computer. I don't think the cause is that I've been listening to music too much - I'm almost totally sure there is distortion as I've listened to the output of the speakers closely (but not in the geographical sense of the word ).

I don't think you should expect the same behavior out of the Logitech system you are planning to buy. Are your current speakers powered? You say that you leave them "on." That would indicate to me that they are powered in some way. Do you have to plug them into the mains/wall outlet or some other power source?

Sorry I'm being such a sticker on this amp business. It would help if you could isolate the problem. Can you try to leave the speakers on when plugged into a portable player or something of the sort? Can you use a pair of headphones or a different speakers on your computer to see if they distort after a while?

The distortion is coming from somewhere. If it's your computer, that's something look further into. If it's the speakers, that doesn't matter so much because you are replacing them.

Yes, my speakers are powered - I do have to plug them in.

I find it hard to believe that the distortion is coming from somewhere other than the speakers. Otherwise, why would the distortion go away if I turned them off for a while? I didn't shut down my computer. If I'm missing something here, please let me know.

Therefore they have a built-in amp. An overheating amp could be an explanation for problems like that. Speakers themselves (drivers) can deteriorate, but they would not bounce back after they "cooled down".

I see. Do amps overheat after prolonged use in good quality speakers?

Thanks,

nazgulord.

Depends. How hot is your room?

While that is mostly a joke, there is some truth to it. If you have your speakers placed next to a heat-source (or your computer room is in a sauna) even the best would possibly overheat. In general, though, a properly designed amp should not be overheating during normal (or even above normal) use.

The simple answer - No. There are a lot of different powered speakers out there and the quality of the materials used to build them varies a lot. It's also depends on how loud you listen. Some poorly built amps start overheating after prolonged use at loud volumes. I'll predict that your speakers will actually start distorting faster if you listen to them at a loud volume. The louder you listen, the faster they'll distort.

While I don't have any personal experience with Logitech speakers to support this statement, you should not have this type of problem with their speakers. I've used their keyboards, mice, and trackballs and in my experience they make reliable products. I have a Klipsch 2.1 set and have never had problems like you describe. I've also had good experiences with Altec Lansing and Boston Acoustic speakers.

If you are interested in trying to fix your current speakers, that might be possible. There might be a simple problem (accumulation of dust, thermal compound losing its effectiveness) that is easily addressed. Some problems are not worth the time and effort. If you have a digital camera (to post pictures here) and are willing to take the speakers apart, that is something you can do.

This should not happen, but I agree that it's probably the amplifer (the amplifier built into your powered speakers).

When amplifiers are tested properly (i.e. per CEA standards) the amplifier is "stressed" before power & distortion measurements are taken. (High-end power amplifier manufactureres follow these kinds of standards, but I don't know if any manufacturers of "powered computer speakers" follow the standards.)

Ok, thanks for the info, everyone.

I guess it talks an old dinosaur like me to state the obvious. If you weighed my old dinosaur stereo, just the 2 main speakers towers and power amp are pushing 200 lbs. Most of that weight is transformers and magnets. Anything powered by a tiny transformer like all the ones I have seen that drive computer speakers HAVE to be light weight when it comes to power. The speakers never flag they are paper and a magnet but their amps will if pushed. It is like wondering why a 50 HP car doesn’t respond like a car with 500 HP. I have little expectations of my $50 computer speakers.