Reverse-engineering my speakers' API to get reasonable volume control

Damage speakers? Simply, not an issue unless they're one step removed from rubbish. Also, have you ever heard of output compression and clipping that would protect them? That approach is 101 electronics.

Hearing is not an issue as they're driven by flea power (they're not headphones). Even hearing these pissy little speakers when running flat out is difficult enough. And my hearing is fine.

And where are the regulations that specify a maximum sound level rating for laptops?

By comparison, my 4.5 x 2.5" palm-size Sony transistor radio type ICF-510MK2 (which I'm currently holding in my hand) not only has stacks and stacks of gain on very low level audio (I've never needed to turn the volume up past halfway), and it simply blows my expensive Lenovo laptop away when it comes to maximum output level (I've no trouble hearing it several rooms away). There are no regulations covering how loud it sounds. OK, I've now given everyone a reference device for comparison. I'd put it up against any laptop I've heard in recent times and it'd win hands down every time. BTW, I only paid $9 for it but that was a few years back.

You're right about the bits, it was a throwaway figurative comment to make a point.

I cannot understand why so many people come to the defence of poor ratshit design. My expensive Lenovo laptop, like my Dell laptop, are not fit for purpose when it comes to the audio subsystem. If I can't hear it on a nominal range of audio signals such as those mentioned from Google then, by definition, they're not fit for purpose.

The same nonsense has been wheeled out in recent days in defense of Microsoft's BSOD/crash. As I said on another post that Dark Ages Windows OS ought to be ditched or rewritten (once running, BSODs should never occur unless there's a hardware fault no matter what's loaded into the kernel). If it goes belly-up then it's bad design, QED.

Why defend the indefeasible? That people do and don't complain is why our lives are surrounded by so much shitty partially-functioning tech.

My M1 Air has great sound and a solid max output level.

Recently, I was given an old Sound Pop gen 2. That thing also delivers a lot of sound while also handling low input levels decently.

Apple is now about the richest company in history, so why don't others manufacturers realize this and copy their example?

It doesn't make sense why other manufacturers alienate users over unintelligible sound. The extra cost of getting it correct is negligible. Why can't they see that?

Output clipping actually increases power at high frequencies.

So your 2003-era Japanese radio has better output than a Chinese laptop.

> are not fit for purpose when it comes to the audio subsystem

Consider the possibility that they're fit for a purpose other than yours. Maybe they're not intended to be used for sound reproduction.

> That people do and don't complain is why our lives are surrounded by so much shitty partially-functioning tech.

You're the one who bought the laptops without listening to the speakers first.

I have, and I'm not alone. With the possible exception of Apple, there's ample evidence that for decades many, many laptop owners have complained about the horrible and inadequate sound in laptops. As Apple hardly represents much competition to Windows, manufacturers of Windows PCs don't have enough incentive to fix the problem, if all their offerings are essentially the same then there's obviously no need.

"…a Chinese laptop"

…And a Dell, it's American if you recall (even if made in China it has to be made to Dell's specifications).

"Output clipping actually increases power at high frequencies."

Nitpicking over omissions in HN comments is unbecoming as most posters 'shortcut' comments out of necessity. Had I not limited my reply and I'd expanded it then my comment would have been considerably longer and much more detailed.

I'd have had to make mention that clipping done for the purposes of limiting output power often (but not always) involves 'soft clipping' circuity, as it's purposely designed to limit the energy contained within high frequency components generated by clipping.

Moreover, I could have gone even further and explained that (a) such circuitry is often done before the output stage to protect both it and the load (here, the speaker), (b) in addition I could have provided the Fourier math and related calcs to show the extent and effectiveness of said protection.

Oh, and there's even more: a comprehensive report would also require (c) knowledge of typical (nominal) audio signals inputted into the amplifier, and that would have to take into account distortions including intermodulation products introduced by compression and soft-clipping processes, as they significantly alter the power versus frequency spectrum of the output signal. If of a significant level we'd also have to include distortion products introduced by the output stage into our calculations.

There's even more, (d) we need to know the speaker's maximum power handling capacity (power versus frequency rating) to protect both the speaker, and (e) to determine whether the combined distortion/intermodulation products including those generated by speakers driven at or above their maximum rated output are tolerably acceptable to end users/listeners (listeners usually find HF intermodulation distortion artifacts produced under such conditions highly objectionable).

…And there's even more factors to consider but I'll dispense with them for now.

Having to provide such a detailed response to a general point to deter pointless nitpicking is simply madness, nevertheless it's the logical outcome if it's pursued. A question, have you ever designed and built any such circuits, or do your comments come from purely theoretical understandings?

Perhaps, just possibly, your continued hostility towards acknowledging the existence of a very common problem experienced by many PC users comes from the fact that you might be involved with an organization that—at least in part—is responsible for its creation.

To be clear, I am speaking only in a personal capacity.

"Most laptop sound systems suck and I don't use them." - Marsh Ray