Speakers/Headphones

Speakers and amplifiers go hand in hand. Speakers produce sound, and amplifiers make speakers sound. In short, all speakers depend on amplifiers in order to work. With the craze for acquisition and experimentation of/with new gadgets and devices, some musical enthusiasts have been asking, “Can Headphone amplifiers be used to power speakers?” Headphone amplifiers cannot power speakers. Speakers require a relatively large amount of power to drive them, but … Read more

As an avid member of many audiophiles and general audio forums, one question that I see many newbies ask is, can amplifiers damage headphones? Although I thought this question had an obvious answer, it seems it’s not as obvious as one may think. So I decided to write a full article about it. After a few hours of research, here is what I found. Can amplifiers damage headphones? Amplifiers can … Read more

If you are the frugal type of person, I’m sure this question pops up in your head every now and then. If you also enjoy music as I do, then I’m sure speakers are one of the home devices you use all the time. Most of us even leave them on and never consider turning them off. However, is this bad habit skyrocketing our electricity bills? Do speakers use … Read more

Perhaps you’ve got an eye on a second speaker on sale with a great deal, or you simply want to know if your pair of speakers sound as good as it was when you first bought it. For years, many audiophiles and music lovers have been curious to know if speakers degrade or go bad.  Since I happen to be one of those people, I took it upon myself … Read more

Perhaps you want to store your speakers in an unheated garage, or maybe you don’t want your newly acquired stereo speakers to get damaged in the winter. Whatever the reason, we are all aware of how temperature conditions affect some consumer electronics such as TVs, smartphones, and even speakers.  As I explained in my article on how speakers overheat, heat and hot temperature conditions affect speakers and can damage them. … Read more

Maybe you want to avoid using as much cable as possible in your speaker to amp wiring, or perhaps you want fewer wires cluttered at the back of your A/V. Whatever the reason, whether a set of speakers can share the same common ground has been a question that sparks a lot of conversation in the audio world. So, after hours of researching, here is what I found. Can … Read more

Perhaps, you have noticed your speakers getting warm after extended use. But can speakers overheat? In short, yes. Speakers can overheat. When you play a distorted audio signal at a loud volume through the speakers, it can easily overheat the speaker’s voice coils and potentially damage it. Connecting your speakers to an overpowered amplifier can also cause it to overheat and possibly break it. If you want to dive … Read more

After writing an article on how bass can damage headphones, I received many emails about whether the same phenomenon holds true for speakers. So, I did some research specifically on speakers to find out if bass can damage speakers. And here is what I found. Too much bass can cause the speaker cones to move excessively beyond its limits — a situation known as over excursion. Over time the cones … Read more

Perhaps you love listening to bass-heavy music like trance, or maybe you simply love to boost the bass frequencies with EQ, but you don’t want to risk damaging your expensive headphones. Well, you are not alone. After I noticed an unusual behavior with my studio headphones, I decided to research this topic. Here is what I found? Can bass damage headphones? Bass, at an acceptable volume, will not damage … Read more