My speakers have a distorted noise with music?

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
Hi there. I have a problem with my surround sound system that I noticed a few days ago. I have the Sony PlayStation3 160GB Model and the speaker system is a HTIB (Home Theatre in a Box) Panasonic SC-BTT785. I am a big fan of music so this system is a passion to me. I have been listening to a game soundtrack from within the game, God of War 1. It is the music that plays when you reach the Blades Of Hades save point. I keep on repeating this music because I love it. It has a lot of bass and treble. I am telling the PS3 to send Linear PCM 176.4 kHz to the Amp via TOSLINK, and using Dolby Pro Logic 2 in the amp. For the past few days, I have noticed that my surround speakers, the speakers behind me, have a bit of distortion when I play the soundtrack. It is only at a certain part that has a lot of bass and treble. I am not playing it too loud and all my Db setting's are at 0Db for all speakers. Can somebody please tell me what could be causing this distortion. I am worried that my speakers are going to blow and that would be upsetting for me.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Hi there. I have a problem with my surround sound system that I noticed a few days ago. I have the Sony PlayStation3 160GB Model and the speaker system is a HTIB (Home Theatre in a Box) Panasonic SC-BTT785. I am a big fan of music so this system is a passion to me. I have been listening to a game soundtrack from within the game, God of War 1. It is the music that plays when you reach the Blades Of Hades save point. I keep on repeating this music because I love it. It has a lot of bass and treble. I am telling the PS3 to send Linear PCM 176.4 kHz to the Amp via TOSLINK, and using Dolby Pro Logic 2 in the amp. For the past few days, I have noticed that my surround speakers, the speakers behind me, have a bit of distortion when I play the soundtrack. It is only at a certain part that has a lot of bass and treble. I am not playing it too loud and all my Db setting's are at 0Db for all speakers. Can somebody please tell me what could be causing this distortion. I am worried that my speakers are going to blow and that would be upsetting for me.
You need to switch some speakers around, to see if it the speakers or receiver.

HTIBs are not robust or long lived, and you seem to require heavy duty (lots of treble and bass).

Likely you need a better class of system.
 
B

Big Jake

Junior Audioholic
Hi there. I have a problem with my surround sound system that I noticed a few days ago. I have the Sony PlayStation3 160GB Model and the speaker system is a HTIB (Home Theatre in a Box) Panasonic SC-BTT785. I am a big fan of music so this system is a passion to me. I have been listening to a game soundtrack from within the game, God of War 1. It is the music that plays when you reach the Blades Of Hades save point. I keep on repeating this music because I love it. It has a lot of bass and treble. I am telling the PS3 to send Linear PCM 176.4 kHz to the Amp via TOSLINK, and using Dolby Pro Logic 2 in the amp. For the past few days, I have noticed that my surround speakers, the speakers behind me, have a bit of distortion when I play the soundtrack. It is only at a certain part that has a lot of bass and treble. I am not playing it too loud and all my Db setting's are at 0Db for all speakers. Can somebody please tell me what could be causing this distortion. I am worried that my speakers are going to blow and that would be upsetting for me.
My guess is that the level of bass in the soundtrack is just past what your speakers can accurately reproduce.

Do the surrounds distort for any other music?
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
Having seen pictures of your system, my $$ are on it being the speakers as well. It may be time to upgrade to a real system.
 
Last edited:
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I have looked at your system. The speakers are built round 2 3/8" drivers! There are two per speaker. They run full range. There is almost certainly no crossover on the speakers. These tiny full range drivers are topped out with Piezo tweeters. These are advertized for use to avoid the expense of a crossover. However without a network, which I have never seen a commercial speaker provide for these tweeters, I can assure you they distort badly at the lower end of their range. They just don't blow usually.

Those very small cones are not going to provide any reasonable output without distortion. In addition drivers so small in an HT environment will quite quickly deteriorate over time, due to a combination of over excursion and especially over heating of the voice coils.

If you like music gaming and AV, then you need a real system and not a toy, which is what you have now. That pretty much describes all HTIBs and yours would seem to head for one of the lowest rungs on the ladder.
 
Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
My guess is that the level of bass in the soundtrack is just past what your speakers can accurately reproduce.

Do the surrounds distort for any other music?
Yes, I am aware that my system is cheap. I can't yet look at another system because right now my budget wont allow me that. And mysteriously, no. It is only this soundtrack that I notice distortion. The first 3 times I can play it and it will be fine, but from the 4th time onwards there is a specific part with a lot of bass and treble where the surround speakers distort.
 
Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
Having seen pictures of your system, my $$ are on it being the speakers as well. It may be time to upgrade to a real system.
For now, my budget wont allow me to get a new system.
 
Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
I have looked at your system. The speakers are built round 2 3/8" drivers! There are two per speaker. They run full range. There is almost certainly no crossover on the speakers. These tiny full range drivers are topped out with Piezo tweeters. These are advertized for use to avoid the expense of a crossover. However without a network, which I have never seen a commercial speaker provide for these tweeters, I can assure you they distort badly at the lower end of their range. They just don't blow usually.

Those very small cones are not going to provide any reasonable output without distortion. In addition drivers so small in an HT environment will quite quickly deteriorate over time, due to a combination of over excursion and especially over heating of the voice coils.

If you like music gaming and AV, then you need a real system and not a toy, which is what you have now. That pretty much describes all HTIBs and yours would seem to head for one of the lowest rungs on the ladder.
Hmmm... Yes, I am aware that Panasonic are experts at doing cheap stuff. Right now, I have bills, doctor appointments etc so my budget wont yet let me look at new systems :/. I decided to get this Panasonic HTIB because it is more simple to me, rather than buying, for example, a Logitech Amp with Yamaha speakers or something like that. In the future, I will have a peep on the net on new speakers. Do you think I should lower the kHz? I think I might try taking it down from 176.4 kHz to 88.2 kHz. I will see if that distorts.
 
agarwalro

agarwalro

Audioholic Ninja
Sounds like the surround speaker is overheating and that is causing distortion on the 4th play thorough. Try lowing the dB of the surrounds to -3. They will play a little softer, that hopefully will prevent the overheating over time.
 
Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
Sounds like the surround speaker is overheating and that is causing distortion on the 4th play thorough. Try lowing the dB of the surrounds to -3. They will play a little softer, that hopefully will prevent the overheating over time.
Ok, thanks for advice, I will try and let you know how things go.
 
H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
I decided to get this Panasonic HTIB because it is more simple to me, rather than buying, for example, a Logitech Amp with Yamaha speakers or something like that.
When your budget does allow, I suggest you spend some more time here BEFORE spending your money. You may change your opinion of a best-bang-for-your-buck system to shoot for.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
When your budget does allow, I suggest you spend some more time here BEFORE spending your money. You may change your opinion of a best-bang-for-your-buck system to shoot for.
Great advice!

I rarely make a purchase without serious thought, reading reviews, and asking opinions.

By the time I make the purchase, I am almost guaranteed to know that it will be $ well spent.
 
Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
When your budget does allow, I suggest you spend some more time here BEFORE spending your money. You may change your opinion of a best-bang-for-your-buck system to shoot for.
I never thought if that. Thank you for advice.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
I never thought if that. Thank you for advice.
We love to spend other peoples' money! Even small budgets.

When you do want to buy new stuff, come back on here and tell us your thoughts, your needs, and your budget, and you will get good advice.

Sometimes that advice might be "buy only this now and save up for that later", but guaranteed you will have a great system for the $.

You absolutely don't have to spend a fortune to get good sound.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
Hmmm... Yes, I am aware that Panasonic are experts at doing cheap stuff.
Yeah, Pansonic is pretty good at churning out cheap junk.

But, that's not the whole story on Panny, they really make some great products too!

They made some of the best plasma panels ever available. Technics is also a Panasonic brand, the ubiquitous SL1200 Turntable is Technics.

They also make high quality components like capacitors.
 
Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
Sounds like the surround speaker is overheating and that is causing distortion on the 4th play thorough. Try lowing the dB of the surrounds to -3. They will play a little softer, that hopefully will prevent the overheating over time.
Yes, It worked I think. I played the song 20 times and no distortion. I still need to look at a new system though... But thanks!
 
Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Blu-RayDisc+50GB

Junior Audioholic
Yeah, Pansonic is pretty good at churning out cheap junk.

But, that's not the whole story on Panny, they really make some great products too!

They made some of the best plasma panels ever available. Technics is also a Panasonic brand, the ubiquitous SL1200 Turntable is Technics.

They also make high quality components like capacitors.
Oh... Well I only know about this system with Panasonic, which is why I thought they were full of cheap stuff. I never thought of looking at their other equipment.
 
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