A technician is replacing the speaker on a customer's laptop. After reassembly, the customer reports that the sound is distorted and there's a noticeable buzzing noise when the volume is raised. The technician confirms that the sound issue was not present before the speaker replacement. What is the MOST likely cause of this new sound issue?
There is electromagnetic interference from other internal components affecting speaker performance.
The speaker housing does not have a proper seal, causing air to escape and create distortion.
The speaker has not been properly seated or the connectors are not fully attached.
The replacement speaker has a different impedance rating, incompatible with the laptop's design.
Buzzing or crackling that begins immediately after a speaker replacement almost always points to a bad physical connection: the small speaker cable or the driver itself is not fully seated, so the signal intermittently opens or shorts and the cone can vibrate against the chassis. Reseating the cable and mounting the speaker correctly normally restores clear audio. A leaky speaker enclosure can affect frequency response but rarely creates an electrical buzz, electromagnetic interference is typically heard as faint hiss or clicks, and an impedance mismatch can indeed cause distortion-but technicians usually install the manufacturer-specified part, so a loose connection is by far the more likely cause.
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What is impedance and why is it important for speakers?
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What does it mean for a speaker to be 'properly seated'?
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What is electromagnetic interference (EMI) and how can it affect speakers?