Does low quality audio damages Hi-end speakers?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

..I took the 10 db as a conservative example...

...And what you read by the way is rubbish when it comes to digital clipping already in the source material...

I think we can all agree that all clipping (digital & analog) is BAD. We can also agree that digital clipping can be even worse than analog clipping. No argument here.

So the "10dB" is your guess, not measured. There is no way to know for sure.

And are you stating that even at 1W low volume, "digital" clipping will damage the driver?

03dB increase = 2W
06dB increase = 4W
09dB increase = 8W
12dB increase = 16W

If the driver has been TESTED to handle long-term 50W of power, how will this SMALL amount of power damage the driver?

Or are you saying that clipping in itself, regardless of POWER, will damage the driver?

 

[TLS Guy]

So the "10dB" is your guess, not measured.

And are you stating that even at 1W low volume, "digital" clipping will damage the driver?

03dB increase = 2W
06dB increase = 4W
09dB increase = 8W
12dB increase = 16W

If the driver has been TESTED to handle long-term 50W of power, how will this LITTLE amount of power damage the driver?

Or are you saying that clipping in itself, regardless of POWER, will damage the driver?

I have measured worse, but it gets to the point where even pop music is unlistenable.

I'm really making two points.

1. Distortion in the source is not limited by the inability of power to be increased. In other words amp distortion is voltage limited by the output stage rail voltage and the current it can deliver. Source distortion is not.

2. As distortion increases the power delivered to the tweeter increases and so speaker damage occurs at lower and lower average spls as source distortion increases.

Those are the only points I'm making.

 

[Tao1]

Here in Brazil, I heard some Hi-end AV distributors saying that low quality (such as Youtube or Mp3) can damage your Hi-end Speakers (especially your tweeter).

Actually, i don't buy it. Does it make sense to anyone?

It depends. If someone rips some audio into an mp3 or other digital media and increases the overall volume to the point where you have digital clipping it may cause damage. At least I hear that digital clipping can cause damage, but I defer to the experts here. You would be able to hear this though, and it wouldn't be very pleasant.

Ironically too high of a quality recording technically could damage your speakers as well. If you have a recording at a sample rate of 96khz or higher, it can capture inaudible higher frequencies which your tweeters will have a hard time reproducing. It takes a perfect storm of circumstances for that to happen though.

 

[slipperybidness]

It depends. If someone rips some audio into an mp3 or other digital media and increases the overall volume to the point where you have digital clipping it may cause damage. At least I hear that digital clipping can cause damage, but I defer to the experts here. You would be able to hear this though, and it wouldn't be very pleasant.

Ironically too high of a quality recording technically could damage your speakers as well. If you have a recording at a sample rate of 96khz or higher, it can capture inaudible higher frequencies which your tweeters will have a hard time reproducing. It takes a perfect storm of circumstances for that to happen though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_frequency