Diagnose computer speakers or replace them?

June 23, 2004 5:55 AM

When I got home from work yesterday, my computer speakers were making an incredibly horrible noise. When I unplugged them, the transformer was hot to the touch. There were storms in the area yesterday, although the surge protector plugged into the same outlet wasn't tripped and nothing else in the house seems to have been damaged. (The speakers were plugged directly into the wall, not the surge protector, because I had run out of room.)

So my question: would it be dangerous to plug them back in tonight and see if they're a lost cause? Should I just buy some new speakers and be done with it? (The speakers were expensive, but about 6 years old.)
posted by JoanArkham to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

It's possible the transformer's just old and needs to be replaced. The speakers should be fine.

Power "bricks" are cheaply made, and will malfunction after a few years. In some cases, the plastic covering will melt, or even catch fire. Take note of the power rating before purchasing a substitute from any electronics store/department.
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:04 AM on June 23, 2004

Buy new. They get better and cheaper over time so you're likely to get better sound for the same money.

Also, you should check your sound card before you buy speakers to make sure it hasn't also been damaged. Headphones are fine for this. I had a similar incident to you and only after I bought new speakers did I discover the additional damage.
posted by tommasz at 7:44 AM on June 23, 2004

Good speakers+low quality sound card= Low sound quality. If you want good sound, try plugging a 24bit sound card into your home stereo. It sounds like overkill but is in fact easy to do, not to mention the sound difference is worth it.
posted by Keyser Soze at 7:55 AM on June 23, 2004

So, did you try them, and if so, what happened?
posted by Goofyy at 11:25 PM on June 23, 2004