Distortion, in guitar terms, is an ear-jarring sound effect used for adding impact to rock songs. With the guitar unplugged, if you still hear soft yet jarring noises coming from your speaker, something's wrong. A simple tweaking of the speaker setting may do the trick. Perhaps a visit to the repairman may remove heavy distortion. Whichever the case, you should know how to get rid of speaker distortion. Those irritating sounds are the only things separating you from a pleasant audio experience.

Causes

Speaker distortion comes from various causes, all of them centering on ruptured speaker cones, which produce the treble and the bass. The cones, made from cardboard and plastic, are pretty sensitive. Continuous pressure from loud volumes can stress and eventually break the cones. The breakage, mixed with the presence of air, creates the crackling sounds associated with speaker distortion. To give you a better idea, here are the common causes of speaker distortion:

• Messing up the speaker settings
• Dropping the speaker
• Poor quality of speaker cones
• Misaligned speaker cones
• Playing with a loud volume continuously for long hours
• Feeding to much power to the speakers
• Old speakers get worn out eventually

Speakers are made to last for a long time. However, as each year passes, the speaker cones accumulate stress from wear and tear and frequent playing. When distortion begins to appear, you can have the cones repaired, but you might as well have the entire set replaced. New speakers will give you better quality and stand to last longer than even the best repairs. (In case you want to build your own speaker, then learn how to make speakers)

Solutions

Many ways to get rid of speaker distortion are available. They can be as simple as tuning the speaker properly or as partially complex as disengaging the speaker cones, mending them, then reinstalling them to their designated slots. If you are not adept at handling sensitive electrical equipment or if you don't have the right materials, better let the professionals handle the most serious cases. Your speakers will be restored to their original state for an affordable price.

1. Tweak the Speaker Settings

Like with any minor sound-related concern, tweaking the settings or the equalizer can remedy faint speaker distortion. Turn the bass and treble to find which setting produces clear sounds. The nozzles must be turned carefully, so you can zero in on the best setting for your speakers. If one of your speaker cones is damaged, turn it down then slightly increase the volume of the others. As a result, your speakers will still generate crisp sounds, in spite of the damage.

2. Feed Your Speakers the Right Wattage

Feeding your speakers excess wattage not only produces speaker distortion, it also breaks the speaker cones. Speaker cones are built to handle power slightly lower than their watt ratings. Matching the power or volume with the exact rating results in damaged speakers, especially if they were not built by a reputable manufacturer. Surprisingly, giving your speakers too little power does even more damage. Just give them the right volume and power to maximize the speaker set's useful life.

3. Add an Amp and Possibly More Speakers

Having an amp eases the load off your speakers, much more if you have additional units such as woofers, subwoofers, etc. With the power well distributed among the units, you can loud music for long periods, without stressing your speakers out, completely. The additional units also make the sound fuller, making you hear the faintest sounds blending with the music. The amp and additional speakers are certainly good investments for total music fans.

4. Refit the Faulty Cones

Sometimes crackling speaker noises are merely caused by misaligned cones. The vibrations can shake them out of position, if they are poorly affixed. In this case, you must open the casing and extract the cone. Fix its position then make sure it is firmly secured in its slot. Once done, close the casing. Do the the same procedure to the other cones, if necessary. The distortion should disappear or at least lessen after.

5. Have the Speaker Cones Repaired

Repairing the speaker cones yourself is quite tricky. You should have the right tools, adhesives, and base materials to mend a ruptured cone. Blocking off the breakage with tape partially lessens the distortion, but does not really produce desirable results. Your best bet of repairing your speakers is to bring them to a manufacturer service center, so licensed repairmen can deal with the problem. They have the perfect tools, materials, and skills to restore your speakers, as if they were brand new items.

Removing Speaker Distortion is Easy

Removing speaker distortion is not much of a problem, given the number of options you have. Just apply the first four solutions for minor distortion problems. If they don't work, the fifth solution will certainly solve the problem.