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Can "Digital" damage my gear?

Faulty (or malicious) CD/CD-R or digital download can contain large levels of high frequencies outside of hearing range - for instance 20kHz. Such frequency at full power will overheat tweeter and most likely damage output Zobel network in my class D amplifier. Stereophile Test CD contains such tracks and warns against playing them at full loudness. My DAC will mute anything other than valid S/PDIF but will play any frequency at any level.

What do you think? Can bad or malicious recording from CD/CD-R or server damage my speakers or amp. Is there a way to prevent it?
128x128kijanki
kijanki's avatar
kijanki OP
4,394 posts
 
Sidssp - 25kHz at full blast will take tweeter fast (minutes) as well as my amp and I won't even hear that - sometimes it is the case when amp's output stage goes to high frequency oscillation (instability). That was main reason, other than clipping, for tweeter fuses that Eldartford mentioned.

Al - Remember what is at stake: my amp and the tweeters.

I do Windows at work (I refuse to put-up with Windows stupidity and clumsiness for free). Windows still have a lot of dangerous services enabled by default like Telenet or Remote Registry Access.

I enjoy my 1 year old MacMini but still remember years of being confused and scorned by Windows. Never again (for free).

Antivirus might be useless with new unknown virus. Mac does it much better than Windows executing applications in "sandboxes" etc. The only viruses I know for Mac are Windows applications' viruses.
mlsstl
1,379 posts
 
Actually, the last high frequency oscillation problem I had involved a Conrad Johnson PV-10A tube preamp several years ago. A power supply cap went bad and it had a high frequency oscillation that I couldn't hear but fortunately my 24 year old son could. (It was up close to 20 KHz.)

Another option to consider for your operating system is Linux. I use that for my music server (Fedora Core 8). There are very few viruses for Linux and none that install at the "user" level. (You have to be "root" or "superuser" mode for a root-kit to install and proper Linux protocol dictates that you do not do day-to-day computing in that mode.)

Oh well, off to hear the Dublin Philharmonic tonight in a live concert. Remember to enjoy your music!
waynefia
156 posts
 
I have had some BIG pops on an LP, that I would worry more about then anything digital ?
kijanki's avatar
kijanki OP
4,394 posts
 
"I have had some BIG pops on an LP, that I would worry more about then anything digital ?"

Can they damage amplifier?
mlsstl
1,379 posts
 
Can LP clicks & pops damage a system?

Very unlikely, but theoretically possible if the volume control were high. Over the years there has been a few times that a damaged record has sent me diving to turn the volume control down.

Once a record is in your collection and you know how it has been treated this would be an exceptionally rare event. But the first time you play a record, especially a used one, it wouldn't hurt to exercise a bit of caution.
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