[SOLVED] Old faulty subwoofer damaged my computer, What part is damaged?

[N.kelly3613]

So I am at a complete loss here, I have just installed a brand new power supply out of the box, I know it's the correct rating for this machine but I'm still in the same situation. My SSDs are certainly not the problem as they are relatively new and the problems have been happening before I had them. I believe that the only things to blame now are my CPU, RAM, GPU or the Motherboard.
I have tried everything on the software side, I have reinstalled windows, Updated drivers, Downgraded drivers and completely uninstalled them and not a single difference (and yes I do get them from the reccomended websites). It's not effected by what I'm doing (Not more likely to bluescreen if I'm playing a game or if i'm just on desktop). It just happens and it blames random drivers. I have been looking for solutions for over a year and never seen anyone else have this issue. I also know that it was that specific subwoofer that damages things because everything that got plugged into the subwoofer malfunctions after a few days. And the longer it's plugged in the worse the problem gets. (The problem stays even whennit's unplugged) Obviously I haven't got it plugged in now, Replaced by a new one that works fine (Yes I have tried using no speakers and still the same result). I have checked my motherboard's voltage monitor and all voltages are within the tolerances. So now it's either the Motherboard, RAM, CPU or GPU. Really hoping it's not all of them because I will need to use this computer for my education soon and I cannot afford to loose a computer that I have spent over £1000 on. Also something interesting is that my old computer that had that subwoofer plugged into it had the exact same problem until it completely died so I don't think specs effect how it damages things. So to clarify, I want to know what is damaged because I have no idea where the current "went".

Specs for those who are interested:
STORAGE: Crucial ct1000mx500ssd1 (1tb ssd)
WD blue 250GB 3D NAND SSD
MEMORY: 3200mhz 16gb ddr3 ram (2x 8gb)
CPU: AMD FX 8300 8 (8 CORE 3.3ghz) (yes im getting a better cpu)
GPU: Nvidia Gtx 1060 6gb
PSU: Corsair CV650
MOTHERBOARD: biostar a960d+v2

TLDR: It's not drivers or software, not the power supply or SSD going wrong, the subwoofer is definitely what screwed my machine up, It's either the RAM, CPU, GPU or motherboard.

Please help !!! (Getting really desperate!!)
And thank you for reading/helping!

 

[jay32267]

If the subwoofer damaged your system....I think most likely it would damage the motherboard...as I think that's what you probably had it connected to.

I'm thinking the impedance of the subwoofer was maybe too low....and too much current flowed through the amplifier circuit on the motherboard.

Although I'm not sure why that would cause blue screens...but lots of motherboard problems cause blue screens.

 

[Ralston18]

The subwoofer may simply have some fault or failure that allows electrical flow to go back "into" the host device via the audio connections/connectors.

Could be over or under voltage, could exceed rated/expected current (amps). Any electrical measurement being out of spec for the computer's design limits.

As to where that current went - who knows?

Electricity follows the path of least resistance. But that does not exclude multiple paths: motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, etc. as the current heads to ground (earth). The initial path may become blocked - current melts a wire and ends that path. So the current looks for and finds another route. Instantly.

Much like lightning branching in the sky.

Any or all components may have been damaged.

All you can do is to test each component individually in known working computers.

And do not use that subwoofer again until someone measures the outputs for voltages, amperage, grounding, etc..

I would also be wary of any outlets, power strips, surge protectors that may be serving the subwoofer and your computer.

 

[N.kelly3613]

If the subwoofer damaged your system....I think most likely it would damage the motherboard...as I think that's what you probably had it connected to.

I'm thinking the impedance of the subwoofer was maybe too low....and too much current flowed through the amplifier circuit on the motherboard.

Although I'm not sure why that would cause blue screens...but lots of motherboard problems cause blue screens.

Thanks you for your reply, I also believe the motherboard is damaged. I don't know whats causing bliescreens, but I'm imagining something is almost shorted and its micro arcing or something but thats just my thoughts.
I will consider the motherboard replacement.

 

[N.kelly3613]

The subwoofer may simply have some fault or failure that allows electrical flow to go back "into" the host device via the audio connections/connectors.

Could be over or under voltage, could exceed rated/expected current (amps). Any electrical measurement being out of spec for the computer's design limits.

As to where that current went - who knows?

Electricity follows the path of least resistance. But that does not exclude multiple paths: motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, etc. as the current heads to ground (earth). The initial path may become blocked - current melts a wire and ends that path. So the current looks for and finds another route. Instantly.

Much like lightning branching in the sky.

Any or all components may have been damaged.

All you can do is to test each component individually in known working computers.

And do not use that subwoofer again until someone measures the outputs for voltages, amperage, grounding, etc..

I would also be wary of any outlets, power strips, surge protectors that may be serving the subwoofer and your computer.

Thanks for your reply, I don't have a computer avalable to swap parts with anymore but personally believe and hope that the motherboard is what is damaged as it's the first thing the port is connected to. I think that the issue with that subwoofer is it is outputting a current too high for anything to safely manage. I certainely will not trust that subwoofer and I personally believe the best end for that subwoofer is to break it up and tip it so that no chance of it's curse living on is present. I thimk it's transformer has worn down and is outputting too much into the subwoofer and that extra power goes straight out of the headphone port. I dont have a multimeter or anything I could test that with but thats what I'm thinking.

 

[hang-the-9]

I read through the post but I can't find a single thing about what the actual issue is or why you think it's your speakers that caused or are causing the issue. You installed a new power supply, but it's a lower quality one, and your CPU is also older so the platform in general can be an issue. Just having the speakers plugged in when whatever is happening has happened does not mean it's the speakers, it may be that the computer is bad, and you happen to be using those speakers with it. Now if you had 5 computers that worked fine, and you connected those speakers to them and within a minute of that they all started to do the same thing, then yes it could be the speaker.

Start from the beginning, what is happening, when did it start happening, and why you think it's the speakers causing it? From your thinking about "extra power coming out of the headphone port" it is such a small chance of anything like that being possible with a fault in the speakers that I would have to replace the whole computer before I blamed the speakers, unless every system they were connected to blew up the same way. The speakers would stop working or have some serious sound quality issues like popping or crackling in the power section, or distortion in the cones.

 

[N.kelly3613]

I read through the post but I can't find a single thing about what the actual issue is or why you think it's your speakers that caused or are causing the issue. You installed a new power supply, but it's a lower quality one, and your CPU is also older so the platform in general can be an issue. Just having the speakers plugged in when whatever is happening has happened does not mean it's the speakers, it may be that the computer is bad, and you happen to be using those speakers with it. Now if you had 5 computers that worked fine, and you connected those speakers to them and within a minute of that they all started to do the same thing, then yes it could be the speaker.

Start from the beginning, what is happening, when did it start happening, and why you think it's the speakers causing it? From your thinking about "extra power coming out of the headphone port" it is such a small chance of anything like that being possible with a fault in the speakers that I would have to replace the whole computer before I blamed the speakers, unless every system they were connected to blew up the same way. The speakers would stop working or have some serious sound quality issues like popping or crackling in the power section, or distortion in the cones.

When I confidently said in the post that I know it is the speaker, I have a reason for that. If I wasn't 100% certain then I would have said "I think it was a subwoofer". That subwoofer has killed a computer completely. My previous computer was connected to it and after a couple years of it being connected, there was a snap sound that came from the cpc tower and the image of the screen went all aberated and after a few seconds it went off and never ran properley again, I would be lucky to get a bios display but most of the time it will just switch on, do a beep pattern and thats it. Now I dont want this to happen to my current pc as it costed over a grand. And if I still don't sound certain enough, that subwoofer when plugged into the wall makes onstant popping sounds and makes its own little beat tunes wheather anythings plugged into it or not (obviously not plugging anything into it anymore).

 

[Nemesia]

"My previous computer was connected to it and after a couple years of it being connected, there was a snap sound that came from the cpc tower and the image of the screen went all aberated and after a few seconds it went off and never ran properley again"

Sounds like your PSU blew up. That snap sound was your PSU dying. The cause of your PSU dying is not necessarily your speaker. Low quality PSU can blow up like that at any time. People buy 80+ gold/platinum 7-10 years warranty PSU for a reason.

 

[hang-the-9]

When I confidently said in the post that I know it is the speaker, I have a reason for that. If I wasn't 100% certain then I would have said "I think it was a subwoofer". That subwoofer has killed a computer completely. My previous computer was connected to it and after a couple years of it being connected, there was a snap sound that came from the cpc tower and the image of the screen went all aberated and after a few seconds it went off and never ran properley again, I would be lucky to get a bios display but most of the time it will just switch on, do a beep pattern and thats it. Now I dont want this to happen to my current pc as it costed over a grand. And if I still don't sound certain enough, that subwoofer when plugged into the wall makes onstant popping sounds and makes its own little beat tunes wheather anythings plugged into it or not (obviously not plugging anything into it anymore).

The computer dying years after you owned it with the speakers attached would not cause people to think it was the speaker's fault. It would be like if you let a friend in your car and the car died, then saying your friend caused the car to fail and not allowing him in your next car. However the sub making noises when it's plugged in would be an issue, but you did not mention anything about this in your other posts.

You still did not really explain your issue fully here, so your original system died, then what?

 

[N.kelly3613]

The computer dying years after you owned it with the speakers attached would not cause people to think it was the speaker's fault. It would be like if you let a friend in your car and the car died, then saying your friend caused the car to fail and not allowing him in your next car. However the sub making noises when it's plugged in would be an issue, but you did not mention anything about this in your other posts.

You still did not really explain your issue fully here, so your original system died, then what?

I'm not sure if your trying to me me look stupid or something or if your just bored looking for someome to wind up, I didn't make this post on the website just to argue with a moderator about what caused the problem with my computer because if I didn't know it was that speaker I wouldn't have said it was. All I wanted to know is if a current was sent in or drawn from the headphone port on the back of a computer's motherboard then what would be the most likely damaged component/part. If you refuse to accept what I know as the issue then feel free to help someome else. jay32267, Ralston18 and Nemesia all read my post and answered my question as best as they could which I am thankful for. When you claim to have read the entire post, I dont think you quite understood all of it.

 

[N.kelly3613]

"My previous computer was connected to it and after a couple years of it being connected, there was a snap sound that came from the cpc tower and the image of the screen went all aberated and after a few seconds it went off and never ran properley again"

Sounds like your PSU blew up. That snap sound was your PSU dying. The cause of your PSU dying is not necessarily your speaker. Low quality PSU can blow up like that at any time. People buy 80+ gold/platinum 7-10 years warranty PSU for a reason.

Thank you for your reply, you are correct in saying that the power supply was damaged however the computer wouldnt even run correctly after I replaced the power supply. When I switch it on it will either bluescreen, do nothing, do a radom beep code or freeze completely meaning something is still very much wrong with it, would this be signs of motherboard damage because whatever is damaged on this computer is likely damaged on my present computer which I have allready got a new power supply for and is still malfunctioning in the same way my old computer did before it went snap. Also in my present computer, the power supply I was using was not a cheap one, it was the same one that I replaced it with and yes it was damaged. That speaker is defintiely damaged as it makes popping sounds and hums even when nothing's connected to it. It destroys everything that's connected to it. It has destroyed a phone, a computer and a ps4 but we had no idea it was the subwoofer until it started messing with my present computer that had never had an issue. Nothing bad happened with my new computer until that subwoofer was connected to it. It has probably been connected to it for a couple weeks altogether and even though the last time it was connected to my computer was about a year ago, its curse still lives on after a new power supply and ssds 😂. I am very convinced that the motherboard is damaged, would you agree?