AGB-001 - How to test for speaker problems if you don't have a spare speaker?

[actualkoifish]

I have a GBA with sound issues. The speaker doesn't work, but when headphones are plugged in, the headphone works perfectly and there is no loudness problem. I would think the. that the speaker is bad, but I don't know how to test as I don't have a spare speaker around, and I'd rather not open up a working GBA to get one.
Is there another way that I can check the speaker to see if it's the problem? Alternatively, what else might cause this sound problem?

 

[Ryccardo]

Oscilloscope across the speaker wires
Voltmeter in AC volts may be a passable surrogate if it's a "premium" True RMS model or you can find a sound that's as much as possible a sine wave

After removing the speaker:
- measure its resistance (though you'd need to know the original value, maybe someone else already posted it somewhere)
- connect it to a small battery (like an AA), it should pop in or out as long as it's connected (be fairly quick), flip it around, it should too, disconnect it again, it should return to the neutral position (3rd and 4th hand recommended)

 

[actualkoifish]

Oscilloscope across the speaker wires
Voltmeter in AC volts may be a passable surrogate if it's a "premium" True RMS model or you can find a sound that's as much as possible a sine wave

After removing the speaker:
- measure its resistance (though you'd need to know the original value, maybe someone else already posted it somewhere)
- connect it to a small battery (like an AA), it should pop in or out as long as it's connected (be fairly quick), flip it around, it should too, disconnect it again, it should return to the neutral position (3rd and 4th hand recommended)

That's some great info, thanks! A high end multimeter or oscilloscope looks like it is more than I want to spend, but I have a second working GBA that I could check the resistance on for that speaker. So I would want both speakers to read out as having the same resistance across the contacts?

 

[skawo]

Honestly, I'd just order a new speaker, they're really cheap. If you have a spare DS/Lite/3DS/whatever board, or an old pair of headphones, you can use one of those speakers too.

I would, first and foremost, check the headphone jack, though. There is a connection that disconnects when the jack is plugged in and that very often corrodes such that it no longer makes that connection.

 

[actualkoifish]

Honestly, I'd just order a new speaker, they're really cheap. If you have a spare DS/Lite/3DS/whatever board, or an old pair of headphones, you can use one of those speakers too.

I would, first and foremost, check the headphone jack, though. There is a connection that disconnects when the jack is plugged in and that very often corrodes such that it no longer makes that connection.

there's a good chance that i do; I just want to test before i do and without waiting a few days for shipping.

 

[tech3475]

Also check the volume control, I saw a video once where this was actually someone’s problem and not the speaker.

IIRC they just cleaned it.

 

[actualkoifish]

Also check the volume control, I saw a video once where this was actually someone’s problem and not the speaker.

IIRC they just cleaned it.

Is that the case even if the headphones work normally, volume control included?

 

[SaulFabre]

Some videos of people fixing GBA sound issues:

GBA AGB-001 (English, by Odd Tinkering):


GBA SP AGS-001 (Spanish, with English subtitles avaliable, by CIRUGÍA RETRO):

 

[actualkoifish]

Turned out it was in fact just dirty. I cleaned up everything and it works now. Ha ha, sorry to draw so much attention to it. Thanks for all of your help.

 

[wangwaffle]

Turned out it was in fact just dirty. I cleaned up everything and it works now. Ha ha, sorry to draw so much attention to it. Thanks for all of your help.

I'm curious which part was dirty that solved your issue. I'm having the same problems currently and trying to troubleshoot.