Can a pressure wave damage a loud speaker ?

[BobB]

About a month or so ago, the block of flats where we live was hit by an unmanned air craft (drone). Whilst close, our actual damage was fairly limited, broken windows and displaced stuff inside; all caused by the initial incoming pressure wave and the reacting outgoing pressure wave (personally felt but though traumatic; no physical injury).

We have a Panasonic mini Hi-Fi system used for TV sound but mainly CD records, 60's 70's 80's pop but also orchestral classics (the favourites, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, of course, etc.).

After spending quite a few weeks away from the flat, we returned recently but I sense that the lower frequency sounds from one speaker (directly in line with the pressure from the drone strike) is somewhat "muffled" or indistinct for orchestral work in the lower frequencies, upper OK and other speaker OK.

I can't see any physical damage. Is it possible that the drone strike also messed up one speaker ?

[zwilnik]

In theory yes. While the physical damage effects are likely to be from the speaker's cone getting blasted hard (it might not be visible but the speaker's electromagnet might have taken a hard knock from that), there's also the effect of the speaker effectively being used as a microphone and converting a wodge of that wave energy into enough electricity to damage its coil or feed back into the hi-fi.

It may be worth swapping the speakers over so you can confirm it's the speaker that's damaged and not that channel on the hi-fi.

Another simpler possible cause is that the blast wave knocked something loose inside the speaker. That might account better for it still working ok for higher frequencies.

[BobB]

Thank you.

[Malc]

The shock wave might have just damaged the suspension. Low frequencies move the cone further so would be effected more than high frequencies. If you determine it is the speakers as Zwilnik suggests, it will require a new speaker.