What is the cause of poor audio quality in Dongguan?

Sound is a simplified daily term, serving as an abbreviation for audio systems. It refers to a complete set of equipment capable of reproducing audio signals. So, the editor of Tianmiao Audio-Visual will explain that there are various reasons for the poor auditory experience of Dongguan's sound systems, mainly including the following points:

I. Equipment-related factors

1. Speaker Quality Issue

Diaphragm Material and Performance: The material of the speaker diaphragm significantly affects sound quality. If the diaphragm material is subpar, such as using low-quality plastic or paper materials, its rigidity and damping properties may be poor. Insufficient rigidity can lead to irregular deformation of the diaphragm during vibration, reducing the fidelity of sound reproduction and causing distortion. Poor damping properties fail to effectively suppress the unnecessary vibration of the diaphragm, potentially causing sound tailing or resonance, affecting the clarity of high frequencies and the tightness of low frequencies. For example, paper diaphragms can easily overvibrate when playing low frequencies at high volumes, resulting in a muddy sound.

Vortex and Magnetic Circuit System Defects: The coil is a driving component of the speaker. If the winding process of the coil is rough, the wire diameter is unreasonable, or the accuracy of its fit with the magnetic circuit system is not precise, it will affect the efficiency of electromagnetic force conversion. This can lead to the coil moving unevenly in the magnetic field, slowing down the response speed of the speaker and preventing it from accurately following the changes in the audio signal. For instance, when playing fast-paced music, the coil's response is not timely, resulting in the loss of sound details, such as the transient performance of percussion instruments not being crisp enough. If the magnetic circuit system has an uneven magnetic field, it can also cause the speaker to have inconsistent driving force at different positions, leading to sound distortion and unevenness.

2. Poor amplifier performance

Power Mismatch: Inadequate or excessive power output is a common issue. If the power amplifier's output is too low, it cannot provide sufficient power to drive the speakers during the playback of music with a wide dynamic range, resulting in a weak and lackluster sound, devoid of power and dynamics. Particularly when reproducing music with a high proportion of low-frequency components, insufficient power leads to hollow and unsatisfactory bass. Conversely, if the power amplifier's output is too high, it may overload the speakers, causing clipping distortion. The clipped audio signal generates a large number of harmonics, making the sound sharp and piercing, severely compromising sound quality.

Distortion Issue: The distortion inherent in an amplifier can directly affect sound quality. Nonlinear components within the amplifier circuit (such as transistors, tubes, etc.) can introduce harmonic distortion and crossover distortion during signal amplification. Harmonic distortion can introduce frequencies not originally present in the sound, altering its timbre; crossover distortion primarily occurs around the zero-crossing point of the audio signal, leading to discontinuous sounds at low volumes, thereby破坏ing the smoothness and continuity of the sound.

3. Audio Decoder Flaw

Insufficient Decoding Accuracy: In digital audio systems, an audio decoder with insufficient decoding accuracy can result in inaccurate reconstruction of audio signals. For example, with high-resolution audio formats, the decoder may fail to fully reproduce the rich audio details, leading to diminished sense of depth and spatial perception in sound. Some low-quality decoders, when dealing with complex audio encoding algorithms, might encounter decoding errors, resulting in noise or interruptions in the audio.

Sample Rate and Bit Depth Limitations: The sampling rate and bit depth supported by audio decoders also affect sound quality. A lower sampling rate may not accurately capture high-frequency signals, resulting in the loss of audio information in the high-frequency range. Bit depth determines the quantization precision of the audio signal; decoders with low bit depth are limited in dynamic range when processing audio signals, resulting in insufficient detail and finesse, and a tendency to produce quantization noise.

Acoustic Environmental Factors

Room Acoustic Characteristics

Reflections and Reverb: Room walls, floors, and ceilings reflect sound, and excessive reflections can make the sound unclear. When reflected sounds mix with direct sounds and the delay is too long, reverb occurs. If a room has an overly long reverb time, playing music or speech will elongate each note or syllable, affecting the clarity and rhythm of the sound. For instance, in an empty large room without any sound-absorbing materials, sounds will continuously reflect, creating a noticeable reverb, akin to the "ethereal" effect of singing in a bathroom, which is不利于 accurately reproducing sound.

Resonance and Standing Waves: A room's dimensions and shape can lead to resonance and standing wave phenomena at certain frequencies. Standing waves form when the wavelength of the sound is an integer multiple of the room's length, width, or height. This creates areas within the room where the sound intensity is significantly enhanced, while other locations are weakened, resulting in uneven distribution of sound in the space. For instance, in a rectangular room, low-frequency sounds tend to form standing waves at wall corners and other locations, causing the bass to sound too heavy in those areas, while the bass might be insufficient in other parts of the room.

2. External Noise Interference

Environmental Noise Sources: Surrounding noise around audio equipment can mask music or other sound signals, diminishing auditory quality. For instance, rooms near streets may be disturbed by traffic noise, and areas near factories might have the din of machinery. This noise can blend into the audio produced by the equipment, reducing the signal-to-noise ratio, making it difficult to achieve a pure auditory experience, even with high-quality audio equipment.

Insufficient soundproofing measures: Poor soundproofing in a room allows external noise to easily seep in. Similarly, sound from audio equipment may leak outside, causing disturbance to neighbors while also deteriorating the acoustic environment indoors. For instance, inadequate sealing of doors and windows, insufficient soundproofing materials in walls, and other factors can affect the room's soundproofing performance.

III. Audio Sources and Connection Issues

1. Poor audio file quality

Lossy Compression: If an audio file is highly compressed (such as a low-bitrate MP3), a significant amount of audio information is lost during the compression process. This loss is primarily evident in the high-frequency range and sound details, resulting in a sound that appears more blurred and dry. For instance, low-quality MP3 files obtained from some free music download websites have明显 worse sound quality compared to lossless formats (such as FLAC, WAV).

Poor Recording Quality: The original recording quality of audio files can also affect the auditory experience. If a low-quality microphone is used during recording, there is interference from environmental noise, or the recording device settings are incorrect, the audio itself will have defects. For instance, voice or music recorded on a phone in a noisy environment will have background noise and the clarity and richness of the sound will be poor.

2. Connectivity lines and interface issues

Poor Signal Cable Quality: Low-quality signal cables, such as audio and speaker cables, between audio equipment can affect sound transmission. Poor cables may be susceptible to electromagnetic interference, introducing noise. For instance, audio cables without shielding layers can easily pick up external electromagnetic signals when near power lines or other electrical devices, causing the audio system to emit a "humming" electrical noise. Additionally, the core material and purity of the signal cable can impact the quality of signal transmission; copper cores with low purity have higher resistance, leading to signal attenuation.

Loose Connections or Poor Contact: If the interfaces of audio equipment (such as audio input/output interfaces, power interfaces, etc.) are loose or have poor contact, it can lead to interrupted or unstable signal transmission. For example, if the earphone plug does not make good contact with the earphone jack of the audio device, the sound may be intermittent; a loose connection between the amplifier and the speaker may cause the sound to be intermittent or produce noise.