Investigating a Loudspeaker Problem

X-acto Razor Saw

I cut the front panel off of my computer speaker, fairly successfully I might say. There was a groove running around the circumference of the speaker box and I was able to make my cut using this groove as a guide. I used an old razor saw (possibly X-acto, probably some off brand) that I've had lying around for a zillion years. At one time I aspired to build models of cars and airplanes and rockets and such, but I never got a round toit. I still have the tools I acquired back then, so I pulled it out. 

4" Vise Grips

I think I have a red plastic X-acto handle somewhere, but right close at hand I had a small pair of Vise Grip pliers and they worked just fine as a handle.

Bose Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers

My kids got me these Bose speakers a couple of years ago for my birthday a couple of years ago and they worked fine right up until a couple of week ago when they didn't. The best feature is that they have a volume knob. YouTube and Linux both have on-screen volume controls, but they are kind of problematic. If either one is turned up all the way, then the other one does not provide fine enough control. Maybe if have exceptional mouse skills you might be able to get what you want, but I don't have the patience to fool with them. However, I can handle a rotary knob just fine.

You can pop off the speaker grill and take out the four screws holding in the speaker, and that allows you to see that there is a circuit board inside, but you can't really get to it, hence the saw. And yes, I checked that the power supply (the wall-wart) was delivering power. These speakers should not have quit. Now that I have board out maybe I will be able to locate the problem.

Now all I have to do is find my VOM.