Can *YOU* blow a PC speaker using only a Linux kernel driver?

Post by secnono » Sat, Jun 19, 2021, 1:09 AM UTC

throwaway789657 wrote: post #28

londons_explore wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because knowing exactly how much signal is too much is really hard. When using the speaker, for some purposes you want absolutely max volume - that involves getting the physical parts of the speaker moving fast and far. Yet move them slightly too fast or too far or do that too often and it'll physically break. Odd effects like resonance mean two very similar looking signals can have widely different physical effects.…

In no other high-end consumer product would that unreliability be tolerated. Why would you ever run your speakers at a volume that might blow them out depending on what the next bar of the song sounds like? Are you pre-screening every single bit of audio that will get played over your speakers? Otherwise, you should never run speakers at a borderline volume. This protection should be built in to the speaker. No matte…

Post by londons_explore » Sat, Jun 19, 2021, 7:35 AM UTC

throwaway789657 wrote: post #28

londons_explore wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because knowing exactly how much signal is too much is really hard. When using the speaker, for some purposes you want absolutely max volume - that involves getting the physical parts of the speaker moving fast and far. Yet move them slightly too fast or too far or do that too often and it'll physically break. Odd effects like resonance mean two very similar looking signals can have widely different physical effects.…

In no other high-end consumer product would that unreliability be tolerated. Why would you ever run your speakers at a volume that might blow them out depending on what the next bar of the song sounds like? Are you pre-screening every single bit of audio that will get played over your speakers? Otherwise, you should never run speakers at a borderline volume. This protection should be built in to the speaker. No matte…

Post by throwaway789657 » Sat, Jun 19, 2021, 5:41 PM UTC

secnono wrote: post #41

throwaway789657 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In no other high-end consumer product would that unreliability be tolerated. Why would you ever run your speakers at a volume that might blow them out depending on what the next bar of the song sounds like? Are you pre-screening every single bit of audio that will get played over your speakers? Otherwise, you should never run speakers at a borderline volume. This protection should be built in to the speaker. No matte…

You can absolutely do that but it will make the speaker sound like crap.

Post by unparagoned » Sun, Jun 20, 2021, 4:03 PM UTC

throwaway789657 wrote: post #46

unparagoned wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just the way things are when it comes to speakers. What you are suggesting would be really expensive, unreliable and have all sorts of downsides. It's like asking how comes cars get stuck in traffic, why don't they just make cars fly when the roads are busy...

Do you know where I could learn about the unreliability and downsides of what I'm suggesting? Somehow all of the other electronic gear I own is tolerant of anything short of a lightning strike (and for that, there's surge protectors, which are not that expensive). I'd love to learn more about why speakers aren't the same.