Midwest Speaker Repair | Home Audio & Used Speakers

Here are some of the more common questions we get about woofers : Which woofer will sound the loudest? Are you looking for a subwoofer that will play the loudest? Then you’ll need to consider the woofer’s sensitivity, type of enclosure and the power it has available. Begin with a high efficiency rated woofer and power that with an amplifier that fits the recommended range of power. What difference do cone materials make? They’re made of treated paper, synthetics or composites, and respond quicker than other materials. If I put my woofer box in the trunk, will I hear the bass? Yes, and the only time you might not is if your trunk is sealed and soundproofed. Midwest Speaker Repair is a Minneapolis woofers company. Contact them today by visiting www.MidwestSpeaker.com . 

When looking for portable audio , most people end up thinking about a headset. There are several different kinds with different pros and cons. Lets take a look at the various types and highlight their differences. The most pervasive type are earphones or ear-buds. These have been made iconic with Apple's ads featuring white silhouette dancers against colorful backgrounds with white earphones wires. Of course, there are many manufacturers of ear-buds. The biggest benefit of ear-buds are the price. They frequently come free with MP3 players and extras can be purchased for as little as a few dollars. They are also very portable and can be easily kept in one's pocket. The down side is sound quality. Although the sound quality varies greatly from the cheapest models to the more expensive models, ear-buds are lacking as compared to full size headphones. This is true particularly in the lower frequencies. Ear-buds can also cause discomfort as they generall...

Designing and building a speaker box or enclosure is usually not a consideration of the average individual. Unfortunately this means that the majority of music listeners are settling for sub par quality audio. Surprisingly, building a speaker enclosure is not really at all difficult. Most households will have the basic tools to construct a great quality speaker box . Those individuals who have a modicum of skill with power tools will be able to complete a project such as this in half the time of a novice. The key is to take time to measure and make the necessary cuts of the wood. There is a recommended order to building any audio speaker. The first step is to purchase the audio driver, or speaker, itself. Without the speaker , one will not know how large the speaker enclosure or speaker hole should be in order to obtain optimum sound. There are several different varieties of speakers and the materials from which each speaker is made. An example would be whether to ...

Most of us have heard about the dreaded " Blown Speaker " where the music is played to loud and damages the speaker so that in only plays distorted sounds or goes completely dead. But did you know that there are other ways to blow a speaker beyond just playing music too loud? In fact there are at least four other ways to "blow" your speakers. First, a few thoughts on overpowering your speakers by playing things too loudly. It is best to have an amplifier that is closely matched to your speakers rated power. Having an amplifier that is more powerful than your speaker's rating is okay as long as it is not excessive. Speakers can usually handle a bit more power than their listed rating. Another very common way to blow speakers is counter intuitive - under powering. Under powering occurs when you match an amplifier with a speaker that is power rated much higher than than what the amplifier is able to output. For instance, you might have 300 watt s...

Quality audio equipment is a highly subjective. Many individuals will have an opinion that varies from the next person of where to find good to high quality audio speakers . Some will almost always default to the local brick and mortar electronics super chain. The average consumer may be willing to settle for this solution not knowing the truth. There are many brand names throughout the pro-audio speaker world. Some manufacturers have even attempted to carry over their name to the home audio enthusiast, sometimes without sacrificing good quality. Many times, however, the home audio speakers available at the electronics store are constructed with cheap quality parts. Frequently this allows the retailer to advertise the products as a best buy with deep discounts. There are excellent alternatives to relying on the local retailers. Shopping on the web can yield several advantages. The first step in purchasing an excellent set of audio speakers is to write down the intende...

Repairing an audio speaker may mean any number of things. For most of the common repairs a speaker can be repaired very inexpensively. The only non-repairable damage that a speaker may sustain is if the speaker is dropped onto a hard surface causing the speaker itself to bend or the magnet to break. Some speakers are so inexpensive , however, that it does not make sense to invest time and a small amount of money to repair the speaker. In order to understand what damage is repairable by the average audio listener, a lesson in audio speaker anatomy is needed. With reasonably decent speakers which have a removable face grille, it is simple to identify most of the repairable materials without removing the speaker from the enclosure, or box. Whether the speaker is round or oval the anatomy will still be the same. The majority of speakers on the market have the same basic anatomy. Although the materials may differ from plastic or cork to butyl rubber, the construction should...

It is very easy to spend a lot of money on audio equipment and you will likely want to protect your investment. Part of that investment are your system's speakers . They need a little tender-loving-care to keep them working in tip-top condition. Unfortunately, people don't often consider their specific needs. This handy article should help guide and prevent your speakers from suffering damage from a few common conditions. Fortunately, these steps are easy to implement and won't cause you an undue burden. The first thing to be aware of is heat. Storing or using your speakers in an hot environment will cause their sound quality to degrade over time and shorten their lifespan. Storing them in your garage is generally not going to work. Find a climate controlled environment where they can be stowed safely away. Also, bear in mind that direct sunlight does nothing to help your speakers. Try to keep them away from powerful sunlight. Finally, if you are using the s...

Almost every individual listens to music at some time; some more than others. However, most users of audio equipment have a limited understanding of how audio speakers physically work. When a speaker becomes damaged the majority of people will just assume that the damaged speaker is now a piece of trash and dispose of the unit in favor of spending more money on a new pair of speakers. There is a more inexpensive alternative to throwing away what may be an easily repairable piece of audio equipment. There are several ways a speaker can become damaged. The most frequent damage sustained is what is termed a blown speaker . Symptoms of a blown speaker can be no sound being produced or a clipping type of distortion. The frame, also called the basket of the speaker, can be permanently bent if the speaker has received an impact as from being dropped. The speaker can become fatigued through heavy use. Speaker fatigue will affect the clarity or crispness of the sound. On rare ...

Surround sound is an awesome technology for watching movies. Bullet sounds and special effects in general are just much more enjoyable when they are coming from different directions. These systems are relatively straight forward to set up in theory but there are always special issues to overcome. This article will discuss a few common ones and how to address them. The first issue is physical. How do you get the wires to the rear speakers in a 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 system? In homes where wires were not installed during construction you can be left thinking that there is just no place to run them without crossing walkways or doing major construction to run them in the walls or ceiling. One option is to install special wire under the carpet that is only an eighth of an inch in diameter. Of course, you will need to pull up your carpet and then reset it but this is much easier than ripping drywall. And perhaps it is the perfect excuse to get new carpet for your media roo...

Few things enhance home movie viewing like a new home theater surround sound system. Watching sci-fi and horror movies becomes much more of an experience when you can hear creatures sound like they are sneaking up from behind you or a laser blast zips from one side of the room to the other! But how to do you set up your system to achieve these great effects? It all comes down to speaker placement. Most home theater systems will have five speakers and a sub woofer and many will have seven speakers and a subwoofer. These are a called 5.1 and 7.1 systems respectively. Fortunately, a little bit of information on setup goes a long way. With most systems there will be three speakers at the front near the television or screen. The center channel speaker is situated directly above or below and centered on the screen. The front of the speaker should be flush with the edge of the screen. Be sure the speaker is on top of or very close to the screen otherwise the sound can ap...

Finally! You are in the store buying the sound system of your dreams when the sales guy asks if you want to buy good quality speaker wire to make sure your audio system is performing at peak quality. Well, of course you do! What is the difference between the normal cable and the good stuff? Not much - just 5x's the cost or more! But for the best sound, it makes sense to buy the better product - you get what you pay for right? Well, unfortunately, not necessarily. There is a very lively debate in the audio circles as to the benefit of using high quality cables that have gold/silver components, oxygen free environment, etc. Really the answer comes to "it depends". There are number of commentators out there who state that the expensive speaker cable has zero beneficial effect on the sound. They will point to basic physics and formulas to illustrate that it has no bearing. Next, they will highlight double blind tests where participants have been subjected to mus...

A good quality subwoofer is not cheap. Whether it is for the explosions a home theater surround sound system can provide or for automotive bass thumping, the aficionado can count on investing a pretty penny for good quality. Rather than pay full retail prices for that advertised "best buy", there is a better and more economical alternative. The online world has more resources and options than any brick and mortar electronics store can possibly possess. There is more information online regarding the specifications of any pair of speakers or subwoofer than what the sales people can provide. Of course it is wise to keep one's options open by looking around in the retail stores in order to "test drive" specific speakers with the desired specifications. Once the perfect speaker or speakers are found then comes the fun and exciting part, paying less for an even better quality speaker. Ordering a speaker from an online company which specializes in quality...

The saying, "you get what you pay for" is so very true when shopping for great quality audio electronics and speakers. Even the best quality, though, can sometimes wear out or become damaged through heavy use or abuse. Rather than junk the pair of speakers just to fork over a ton of money for new units, it is a fraction of the cost to get the speakers repaired. Quality speakers are not available from every electronics retailer. Most of the best buys which are advertised are usually are "limited quantities". Although the practice of using bait-and-switch tactics is no longer legal, putting a "limited quantity" disclaimer in an ad helps to protect the retailer from repercussions. Retailers will still attempt to steer the consumer to another comparable unit. Where the retailer will really push is regarding an extended warranty or protection plan. Whatever wording is used, it still comes down to the fact that an extended warranty is usually pure pr...

Thinking about buying new speakers? If you are, it is likely you have done some research on various products and you have come across numerous terms used to compare them. It can be intimidating to confront this technological jargon. Hopefully, I can help! Here is a quick run down of some common terms you are likely to encounter while looking for your perfect set of speakers. Woofer - no, it isn't a vocal dog or somebody who eats quickly. A woofer is the part of the speaker (driver) that handles the mid-range and low frequency bass. Sub-woofer - this driver creates very low frequencies. It provides that thump that you can often feel in your chest! Tweeter - Nope, not an angry bird. A tweeter is a part of the speaker that handles the treble range of sound. Basically, the high pitched sounds. Diaphragm - This is a part of the speaker that vibrates with the voice coil and then causes the air to vibrate, which is what we perceive as sound. It is where the "rubber mee...

The average audio consumer is content to head to the nearest electronics giant super store in an effort to acquire the latest advertised best buy. Most of the time the uninitiated assumes that the selections of speakers put forth are at least good quality. Surprise, surprise! There are many major well known brands whose commercial and pro lines are exceptionally superb. Unfortunately, much of the quality does not always crossover into home audio models. There are two avenues to explore when shopping for the good quality at the best price. Both, however, take a little extra time. If there is a particular brand and model which has peaked one's interest, due research is recommended. The first option is to diligently search audio or speaker forums and reviews of different brands and models. Do not be afraid to join a few and ask other user's opinions on the speakers in question. Reading a few consumer magazines featuring articles about home audio speakers can be a go...

Midwest Speaker Repair is proud to announce their new website release. Midwest Speaker Repair repairs and replaces home and pro audio speakers. We also buy, sell, and trade used speakers, guitar speakers, and wood cone speakers. Visit www.midwestspeakerrepair.com to learn more!