Possible to blow speakers?

[benguin]

I'm wondering, is it possible to play audio loud enough to blow the speakers on a PowerBook (12" and 17" if it matters)? I could imagine that the soundcard being matched with the speakers, and the fact it's digital, would mean they'd make it impossible to blow them. But I could see it not being like that too, anyone know? I'm just wondering because when watching movies and I don't have big speakers, using VLC's fairly extreme audio booster is handy, but I don't know if I should be worried about my speakers.

Anyone know anything about it? Thanks.

 

[flalaw]

i dunno about the audio boost you're talking about, but i play stuff on maximum volume all the time on my MBP and i've never had any problems.

 

[adrianblaine]

I've never heard "blown out" speakers on an Apple computer, but I've heard plenty of other laptops with them and they sound pretty awful. One of my friends had a dell before switching, and he would turn it up really loud to listen on headphones, and he'd forget to turn it down when he restarted into Windows without the headphones plugged in, and it would have the worst rattling and distortion...

 

[orangemacapple]

I've never heard "blown out" speakers on an Apple computer, ...

i blew the speakers on my eMac. not it just sounds like a kazoo.

 

[sycho]

You don't have to worry so much about bass blowing the speaker, but more so the amplifier clipping causing the voice coils in the speakers to be damaged.

 

[Dave the Great]

i dunno about the audio boost you're talking about, but i play stuff on maximum volume all the time on my MBP and i've never had any problems.

My first MBP had blown/distorted speakers, but that might have been because the heat melted something.

 

[benguin]

So I guess.. I probably shouldn't worry too too much, but I also shouldn't just try to make it as loud as possible. Thanks everyone!