I just got a new Logitech 2.1 speaker system for my PowerBook (specs in sig) and am noticing distortion in a lot of songs. Is it possible my PowerBook's audio output could be defective or just not up for the job?
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PowerBook audio distortion?
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calebjohnston
macrumors 68000
Try listening with headphones or other speakers, see if you still have the problem.
2.1 speakers should be fine with your powerbook. More than fine.
The speakers could be defective.
2.1 speakers should be fine with your powerbook. More than fine.
The speakers could be defective.
khisayruou
macrumors 6502a
Two possibilities I see, audio on the powerbook is defective or the speakers
are. The powerbook should have no problem using those speakers. My 15" PB is handling 2.1 Klipsch just fine even at high volumes.
Just try to rule out what the problem may be. 🙂
EDIT: caleb beat me to it! 😀
are. The powerbook should have no problem using those speakers. My 15" PB is handling 2.1 Klipsch just fine even at high volumes.
Just try to rule out what the problem may be. 🙂
EDIT: caleb beat me to it! 😀
I tried the same song on my iPod while connected to the speakers, and made sure it was on the EQ Rock (same in iTunes). I couldn't really tell the difference... I'm bad at judging when it comes to this. I'm going to get the original CD and play it back in iTunes to see if it sounds better. The file I'm playing right now is AAC @ 128 kbps. Is that fine?
Edit: Well the same song on the actual CD sounds distorted, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to... it's a guitar part. Ah, I hate this! 🙁
Edit again: I had my dad listen to it with me. He said it sounds fine. The guitar part I was hearing... he said they were using a fuzz box to obtain that effect. We played around with the EQ and it seemed to balance everything out. I guess it's fine now. Also I guess I can't expect the best sound from my PowerBook, correct?
Anyway, thanks for the help! My speaker system should be fine. I'm just being overly paranoid. 😛
Edit: Well the same song on the actual CD sounds distorted, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to... it's a guitar part. Ah, I hate this! 🙁
Edit again: I had my dad listen to it with me. He said it sounds fine. The guitar part I was hearing... he said they were using a fuzz box to obtain that effect. We played around with the EQ and it seemed to balance everything out. I guess it's fine now. Also I guess I can't expect the best sound from my PowerBook, correct?
Anyway, thanks for the help! My speaker system should be fine. I'm just being overly paranoid. 😛
khisayruou
macrumors 6502a
What logitech speakers did you end up getting out of curiosity?
The PBs audio is pretty good when using external speakers.
It can drive my home theater speakers really well and my 2.1 klipsch
sound really good.
Try to listen to something without distortion...maybe somthing acoustic.
Also what song are you listening to...too curious 😀
The PBs audio is pretty good when using external speakers.
It can drive my home theater speakers really well and my 2.1 klipsch
sound really good.
Try to listen to something without distortion...maybe somthing acoustic.
Also what song are you listening to...too curious 😀
I got these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836121122
The song I was playing was Hit the Floor by Linkin Park. The part where I thought it was distorting is 13 seconds into it. I'm beginning to think it's my PowerBook... I disconnected the speakers and listened to the same part through the internal speakers and it sounded really distorted. But again, this may have been intentional of the band. So I was playing Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt and heard some crackling-like distortion in the beginning. I disconnect the speakers again only to hear the same effect on the internal speakers. I checked the bitrate of the song and it's at 320 kbps, which is plenty.
So is it possible it could be my PowerBook? It sure seems that way.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836121122
The song I was playing was Hit the Floor by Linkin Park. The part where I thought it was distorting is 13 seconds into it. I'm beginning to think it's my PowerBook... I disconnected the speakers and listened to the same part through the internal speakers and it sounded really distorted. But again, this may have been intentional of the band. So I was playing Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt and heard some crackling-like distortion in the beginning. I disconnect the speakers again only to hear the same effect on the internal speakers. I checked the bitrate of the song and it's at 320 kbps, which is plenty.
So is it possible it could be my PowerBook? It sure seems that way.
calebjohnston
macrumors 68000
Are you sure it's not the song? If it's doing it with internal and external speakers, it's either something the song is supposed to have in it or the track is messed up. Try re-ripping it.
I'm leaving for class soon so I'll play the CD in my car to see how it sounds. I do love playing it in my car, so maybe I'm just too used to hearing it in there, as opposed to in my room.
I'll get back to you later with the details.
I'll get back to you later with the details.
calebjohnston
macrumors 68000
I'm sure it's not your powerbook, don't worry. If the track has the same problem through any speakers... it's either the song intentionally having it, or the track is messed up (the CD could be scratched).
calebjohnston said:
Well I'm in class right now... I played the track and it sounded fine, but that might be because I have the bass so high and it may be overriding it. I'll play the track again on my way home with the bass set low so I can hear the part I'm talking about. Sorry, I know... this is annoying. 😛
I forgot to lower the bass in my car, but I did try something else. I connected the speakers to my Windows box. The same song in iTunes sounded a little different, but that was to be expected with different speakers. I made sure the EQ was as similar as possible in both iTunes apps. I still don't know... it's hard to tell. However, I did play Half-Life 2 with the speakers and they sounded fantastic, even at half the volume (that's pretty damn loud too).
So then I connected my other speakers (previously on my Windows box, but up for sale on eBay now) to my PowerBook. iTunes sounded similar, but these speakers did sound better in Adium. The sound effects sounded much clearer and not muffled like I explained earlier. I wish there was a treble dial on the speakers' controller, but there isn't. Is there some kind of app for OS X that can increase the treble universally (i.e. for everything within OS X and not only iTunes)?
So I guess I'll be keeping the speakers. I think I'm just being overly paranoid about it. 😛 Thanks for all the help!
So then I connected my other speakers (previously on my Windows box, but up for sale on eBay now) to my PowerBook. iTunes sounded similar, but these speakers did sound better in Adium. The sound effects sounded much clearer and not muffled like I explained earlier. I wish there was a treble dial on the speakers' controller, but there isn't. Is there some kind of app for OS X that can increase the treble universally (i.e. for everything within OS X and not only iTunes)?
So I guess I'll be keeping the speakers. I think I'm just being overly paranoid about it. 😛 Thanks for all the help!