Fixing speakers

[Li Tan]

I use a basic 2.1 speaker set that I use for playing music off my phone and stuff.

It's got the amp built in, like this kind of thing:

(Audiophiles, don't judge - my hearing is not very good anyway and the subtleties of a fancy, expensive system would be lost. I can't hear 3D either.)

Anyway, the woofer isn't working properly. It's making a low humming noise the moment I switch on the power, but if I turn the volume and bass all the way up, I can faintly make out the sound of the song playing.

Is the woofer totally blown? Am I going to be able to MacGyver it to work again, or should I just buy a new one?
It was cheap, but I just hate to waste something that can be repaired, you know, disposable society, excessive consumerism etc.

 

[Plainview]

Are the speakers using speaker wire?

 

[Larry]

Usually a sub will make a scratching or popping sound at first. You could try pushing it in and out while it's off to listen for a scratching sound.

Are the other 2 speakers playing at normal volume?

 

[Li Tan]

The other two speakers are fine, they have two very thin wires that are wired into the back of them and end in naked wires which fit into the woofer/amp housing with little built in plastic clamps. Not proper speaker wire, but it's the wire that they came with, and it's built in to them permanently, unless I open them up and de-solder them.

More or less like this:

Connecting or disconnecting the 2 speakers doesn't appear to have any effect at all.

When I switch the woofer/amp unit on now, it does make the kind of vinyl record scratching noise it always has, then it makes a low, audible hum and if I run music through it, it's extremely faint and I need to put my ear right up against it to hear anything. The hum doesn't disappear at all unless it's powered off.

 

[Plainview]

All sources the same issue?