Would this be dangerous?

[adamdpayne]

I've looking for ways to have some type of lighting that pulsates in sync with my speakers and came across this little DIY project:

http://lifehacker.com/5933555/build...kers-from-clear-pvc-and-cheap-speaker-drivers

It seems like it is nothing more than a few LEDs put between the positive terminal on the receiver and the positive terminal on the speaker. My question is simply, would this be safe for real speakers, not DIY drivers mounted into PVC piping? Is there any reason to think that this may cause stress on either the receiver or the speakers? I saw custom length rope lights here that is pretty cheap:

http://www.partylights.com/Strings-Bulbs/Custom-Rope-Lights/Rope-light-Blue

Thanks!

 

[amey01]

I've looking for ways to have some type of lighting that pulsates in sync with my speakers and came across this little DIY project:

http://lifehacker.com/5933555/build...kers-from-clear-pvc-and-cheap-speaker-drivers

It seems like it is nothing more than a few LEDs put between the positive terminal on the receiver and the positive terminal on the speaker. My question is simply, would this be safe for real speakers, not DIY drivers mounted into PVC piping? Is there any reason to think that this may cause stress on either the receiver or the speakers? I saw custom length rope lights here that is pretty cheap:

http://www.partylights.com/Strings-Bulbs/Custom-Rope-Lights/Rope-light-Blue

Thanks!

I wouldn't put this anywhere near a high-end amp.

If you've got a crappy old receiver or integrated lying around, try connecting it via a pair of spare preamp outputs and connect it up that way. Then it is mostly isolated from your system.

 

[adamdpayne]

Why? What about wiring in some small lights in series with speakers could cause damage?

 

[amey01]

Why? What about wiring in some small lights in series with speakers could cause damage?

Screw up your sound more likely.

 

[adamdpayne]

That I'm ok with. I'm just wanting to have the option for the novelty of it.

 

[amey01]

That I'm ok with. I'm just wanting to have the option for the novelty of it.

Multi-thousand dollar high-end hi-fi and "novelty valve" are mutually exclusive terms in my book.

 

[adamdpayne]

That doesn't answer the question.

I don't have any real electrical background but wouldn't this just slightly increase the impedance?

 

[amey01]

That doesn't answer the question.

I don't have any real electrical background but wouldn't this just slightly increase the impedance?

You still don't get it so I'll spell it out:

If you're concerned about electrical safety, the consult a qualified electrical engineer - obtaining electrical safety information from the internet (an audio forum no less!) is not an erudite course of action.

If you're concerned about audio (this forum) then my advice would be to leave your high end kit well enough alone - use it only for the purpose for which it was designed!

If you're still want the novelty value, I've given you a workable solution, where you connect another cheapo amp to a spare set of preamp outputs. That way, you can "have your cake and eat it too".

I (and I guess "we" also) can't give a more comprehensive response than that.

 

[amey01]

That doesn't answer the question.

I don't have any real electrical background but wouldn't this just slightly increase the impedance?

You still don't get it so I'll spell it out:

If you're concerned about electrical safety, the consult a qualified electrical engineer - obtaining electrical safety information from the internet (an audio forum no less!) is not an erudite course of action.

If you're concerned about audio (this forum) then my advice would be to leave your high end kit well enough alone - use it only for the purpose for which it was designed!

If you're still want the novelty value, I've given you a workable solution, where you connect another cheapo amp to a spare set of preamp outputs. That way, you can "have your cake and eat it too".

I (and I guess "we" also) can't give a more comprehensive response than that.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Adam,

I have to agree with Adam (amey01).

The product leaves me somewhat speechless.

If you are OK with installing something that, by your own admission, may "screw up the sound", you might want to consult another website that has a different perspective on why one owns audio gear.

GG

 

[Rich]

Looks perfectly safe to me. Why don't you try it and report back to us how it went? [/end sarcasm]




(P.S. - this forum has a lot of serious audiophile members. People who have tens of thousands of dollars invested in their audio equipment and who are generally more interested in sonic fidelity than novelty. Probably not the best place to bring this sort of question. Hence the limited and negative responses you are getting.)

 

[Peter_Klim]

I don't see anything wrong with OP asking these questions.

Sure, most of us do not care about adding a novelty device to our systems because SQ is our #1 priority. But not everyone's "book" is the same. And if we really did feel that way anyway, we'd probably all have acoustic treatment hanging on our walls, but many of us compromised so that our living space looks more pleasing to the eye...or the Misses. Jokingly I will say we compromised the SQ of our systems by not removing the Misses (or rather ignoring the WAF)

Poor OP is a new member with only a few posts. Just saying...

 

[amey01]

I don't see anything wrong with OP asking these questions.

There is nothing wrong at all with the OP asking those questions.

But he kept asking, demanding a predetermined answer that obviously nobody here was prepared to give.

That's when things went awry.

 

[Rich]

I don't see anything wrong with OP asking these questions.

It wasn't my intent to tell him it was wrong to ask this. My post was simply an effort to try to explain to him why he was getting limited and negative responses to his question. There are other forums where this sort of question will engender much more helpful responses. I just don't think this forum is the place where he is going to get that. I could be wrong, of course. Maybe retiredelectrician will jump on here and give him a helpful response.

 

[adamdpayne]

I also have well over 10k in audio equipment, does that necessarily mean I can't find some enjoyment from lighting that fluctuates in sync with my music? I never demanded any answer but was looking for an answer that was based in fact. Has anyone stated any facts yet either for or against the lights? If you don't know, that's fine. But saying that you wouldn't do it because your equipment is expensive isn't exactly helpful.

 

[Bernard]

A LED is a diode, so it does not conduct until you get to the forward voltage across it required to light it. Imagine a simple sine wave applied to a LED in series with a speaker. Until you get to that voltage across the LED you will hear nothing from the speaker. And it does not conduct during the negative half of the sine wave. So you are in effect chopping off more than half the signal applied to it.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Adam,

Google "vibration led lights". Could be the solution without any risks.

GG

 

[adamdpayne]

A LED is a diode, so it does not conduct until you get to the forward voltage across it required to light it. Imagine a simple sine wave applied to a LED in series with a speaker. Until you get to that voltage across the LED you will hear nothing from the speaker. And it does not conduct during the negative half of the sine wave. So you are in effect chopping off more than half the signal applied to it.

Thanks for the info. I certainly do not want to miss out on mover half the signal. I found some simple sound activated led lights for $12 that I'm going to try out and see how well they work.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Good idea.