Subwoofer making a pop sound when cranked

[SellmeyourDVD]

The sub started doing this about a month ago. When I crank it up to 50-55 the sub starts making a popping noise once in a while. It gets kind of annoying and i'd like to get it to stop but I have no clue as to where to start trouble shooting. I've done some research online and really couldn't find anything to help, i'm hoping someone here might be of some assistance.

BTW the sub is the only speaker that pops, and it only pops when I turn op the volume. I have the sub turned up 3/4 when it does this.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by SellmeyourDVD

The sub started doing this about a month ago. When I crank it up to 50-55 the sub starts making a popping noise once in a while. It gets kind of annoying and i'd like to get it to stop but I have no clue as to where to start trouble shooting. I've done some research online and really couldn't find anything to help, i'm hoping someone here might be of some assistance.

BTW the sub is the only speaker that pops, and it only pops when I turn op the volume. I have the sub turned up 3/4 when it does this.

This is a stab in the dark, but did you check the sub's audio cable and see if it is free from rubbing against any other cables around it? If you shake the cable a little, do you sometimes here the sound you are describing?

[MacDaddyOJack]

That is most likely your voice coil slamming into the back of your magnet - otherwise known as "bottoming out". It means you are driving your sub waaaay to hard and it has reached it's excursion limits. You can easily do permanent damage if you keep your settings the way they are.

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

That is most likely your voice coil slamming into the back of your magnet - otherwise known as "bottoming out". It means you are driving your sub waaaay to hard and it has reached it's excursion limits. You can easily do permanent damage if you keep your settings the way they are.

That is what I was thinking. I just got a little to excited when I moved into my house and I could actually turn it up a "little."

I'll be more cautious.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

That is most likely your voice coil slamming into the back of your magnet - otherwise known as "bottoming out". It means you are driving your sub waaaay to hard and it has reached it's excursion limits. You can easily do permanent damage if you keep your settings the way they are.

I'll remember this point MacDaddy for my own future reference. Thanks for the post! I guess I underestimated how loud you were actually pushing the sub.....

[benny z]

a sub upgrade is undoubtably in your future.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

That is most likely your voice coil slamming into the back of your magnet - otherwise known as "bottoming out". It means you are driving your sub waaaay to hard and it has reached it's excursion limits. You can easily do permanent damage if you keep your settings the way they are.

+1. I'm just amazed you're doing that to the a2-300... my god man, how loud are you cranking it?!

[squirrel101]

this reminds me of when i first had my JBL l-8400p hooked up in my liv. room my home is wired with 2 prong outlets and i was using an adapter and my sub would flutter/pop at high volume levels and i didn't have this problem when it was put in my old theater room bcause it had a properly grounded/dedicated outlet going to the Monster power center; then after building my new theater it went back to the liv. room only this time it is connected to an APC h-15 which has voltage regulation(still using a 2-prong adapter ) but i can crank it with no poppping or any problems which shows the effectiveness of the VR ability of the H-15.

[MacDaddyOJack]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

I'll remember this point MacDaddy for my own future reference. Thanks for the post! I guess I underestimated how loud you were actually pushing the sub.....

Yeah, when you see a feature called a "bumped back plate" on a sub, it means that the magnet cap is a little deeper (bumped out) right around where the voice coil travels in order to prevent it from bottoming out. That way the coil will hopefully avoid slamming into the back plate. But, you can still hit the excursion limits! In the case of a bumped back plate, the sub's surround or suspension is more likely to go before you hear any bottoming out. That doesn't mean you won't bottom out if you drive it too hard, it just means that you may have already destoyed something else if you hear it!

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

Yeah, when you see a feature called a "bumped back plate" on a sub, it means that the magnet cap is a little deeper (bumped out) right around where the voice coil travels in order to prevent it from bottoming out. That way the coil will hopefully avoid slamming into the back plate. But, you can still hit the excursion limits! In the case of a bumped back plate, the sub's surround or suspension is more likely to go before you hear any bottoming out. That doesn't mean you won't bottom out if you drive it too hard, it just means that you may have already destoyed something else if you hear it!

I learn something new every day here. Thats a really good post MacDaddy, thanks again!

[Twitch9]

I have had this same problem with subs in the past, if it makes a higher pitched popping sound it's not bottoming out it has been overloaded and shutting down the amp for a second, this can be caused by playing it too load, most of the time the results are a blown speaker or your subs amp has clipped and might need to be replaced. I'm getting mine fixed for this very reason as we speak. The other caused of this is when watching a source like TV where the sound mix is inconstant and a spike from your cable company comes through your speakers this is what caused my troubles, typically Blu-rays, dvd's or music will not cause this it's almost always your cable providers signal. I cable or satellite company's audio signal is never consistent, spikes can happen from static in the line or even a computer using the internet on the same feed, this is why i usually turn my sub off when watching my cable TV unfortunately i was watching TDK on the HD channel and had to have some bass.

[Sponge-worthy]

"Living in Clip"

[liquidice]

that's a quote from Ani Defranco.

[Sponge-worthy]

Originally Posted by liquidice

that's a quote from Ani Defranco.

Her sound engineer on that tour, actually.

[McGarnigal]

So with my I have sub behind my couch and i got a monster 2 outlet sub surge protector. I have a window fan in the other outlet, sometimes turning off that fan makes the sub pop since they share the power strip....

im just bringing it up.. nothing to do with the OP's problem tho..

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by aramis109

+1. I'm just amazed you're doing that to the a2-300... my god man, how loud are you cranking it?!

I have it loud, very loud

I forsee a sub upgrade this Christmas

[Audiophile_At_Birth]

This is the exact reason why I am upgrading to the A5-350 very very soon. Within the next week actually! I get paid thursday!!

[Dase]

Mr. Obvious says turn it down, your bottoming out

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by Audiophile_At_Birth

This is the exact reason why I am upgrading to the A5-350 very very soon. Within the next week actually! I get paid thursday!!

I hate you! lol, I've been thinking of doing this recently, not sure about it though. I would move the A2-300 right next to my couches, and the beast up front.

To OP, try building a riser, you will 100% notice a difference in how much better your sub will sound. There's a thread on building subs here by Big Daddy, check it out. EVERY single person that decided to build a sub in this forum has said that it sounds way louder and the bass it more tight and precise. This will allow you to turn your system up even louder without bottoming out. Just don't push it too much you crazy bastard!

[Audiophile_At_Birth]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

I hate you! lol, I've been thinking of doing this recently, not sure about it though. I would move the A2-300 right next to my couches, and the beast up front.

To OP, try building a riser, you will 100% notice a difference in how much better your sub will sound. There's a thread on building subs here by Big Daddy, check it out. EVERY single person that decided to build a sub in this forum has said that it sounds way louder and the bass it more tight and precise. This will allow you to turn your system up even louder without bottoming out. Just don't push it too much you crazy bastard!

tbizzle: It's either the A5 or the A7S. Can't decide yet.