paranoid listener, bad recordings


I tend to listen apprehensively for some reason not understanding how durable speakers are at my listening level. So, I hear distortion from time to time coming out of my speakers and freak out thinking i have damaged them. But, I am beginning to think it is on the recordings.

Right now i have a pair of gallo 3.1's in my den that i am wrestling with room position (see other post) because of limited options. I put on some joni mitchell or typically pop recordings, sometimes older jazz, and will hear the distortion. I listen around 75-85db levels.

Am I paranoid, is the distortion in the recordings and should it sound like this on occasion? Is that too loud?
djwilbourn
If you are listening to currently produced CD's, they as well as the MP3 files are victims of the loudness wars going on, and are often very distorted indeed.
Some CDs are just plain junk. Overloud, (clipped), poorly balanced/mixed and can be annoying. I have a Better Midler CD which while I like the music, is nearly unlistenable because of the low level distortion from start to finish.
I think you are putting my mind at ease. It does seem apparent that the older joni mitchell and jazz recordings have these fuzzies on the cd. I have also heard that if the midrange or tweeter was blown then it would be pretty easy to tell and not sporadic like what i am dealing with. Does the distortion on the recording pose any threat to the speaker?
Listening at the volume (75-80 dB) you originally indicated it would be almost impossible for a speaker to suffer damage.

The distortion would have to be so high (i.e, equivalent to square waves with a lot of high frequency content) that the recording would be completely unlistenable.

My recommendation is to stop worrying about it.
I sold my gallo 3.1's cause they had a harsh sound. I had 2 pair and THEY WERE BROKE IN.

I'm now in Magnepan heaven!