Loudspeaker failure modes and error correction techniques

Abstract

Electronic audio reproduction has undergone significant technological advancements over the past few decades. With the increased quality of the audio reproduction chain for consumer use (from recording up to reproduction) mainly due to the application of digital techniques, the loudspeaker as a final element has become the weakest link in the audio reproduction chain. Digital techniques everywhere improve the handling of audio signals. But at the end of the chain it is an analog system that radiates sound. At low frequencies electrodynamic loudspeakers produce nonlinear distortion that defeats the expectations of high fidelity reproduction. Digital transducers must be developed but at present no alternatives compete successfully with the efficiency, weight and cost of the conventional loudspeakers. In site of its long life and efforts made to improve its performance the loudspeaker does fail in certain cases, which ultimately leads to loudspeaker damage. The most common loudspeaker failure modes, their effects on the physical nature and acoustical output and a few techniques to reduce them are discussed, which enables the user to take care and hence prevent speaker damage at high power inputs.