blown speakers

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

4Dblu... the sub simply cannot handle the lower hertz drops. Don't ask it to. Expensive subs will handle the 18 to 20 hz much better. All sub's will handle 25 and up no problem. The better the sub's amplifer and the bigger the driver's magnet, the better, really. Also, subwoofer specs are never at RMS anymore. In other words, when you see a sub's specs say, 'handles 800 watts'... that's not really true. That's peak - but nothing runs consistantly at peak. That 800 watt sub is more like 100 watts at constant (RMS). That's why you never see RMS after the wattage on subs anymore. It's very misleading.

How do you have the sub not run lower frequencies?

[DavePS3]

Adjust the crossover on the sub closer to the 1o'clock position. Take your LFE level on the receiver down to 0 and your subwoofer level (on the receiver) up full. Play something bass heavy. If it distorts, lower the subwoofer level on the receiver. The volume on your subwoofer shouldn't be any higher than half way, especially on less-expensive subs. The amplifers inside distort easier once you get past half volume. Try that anyway. I've worked with and sold subwoofers from Velodyne, JM Labs, Mirage, Energy, Sunfire, Definitive Technology, Boston etc... this plan pretty much works with them all.

[DavePS3]

However... if you've damaged the voice coil on the driver, you're screwed. Best way to test it? Push down (or in) equally of both sides of the driver close to the dustcap. If you feel and hear scraping even pushing in an inch, the voice coil is shot and will keep distorting at higher volumes for sure.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

Adjust the crossover on the sub closer to the 1o'clock position. Take your LFE level on the receiver down to 0 and your subwoofer level (on the receiver) up full. Play something bass heavy. If it distorts, lower the subwoofer level on the receiver. The volume on your subwoofer shouldn't be any higher than half way, especially on less-expensive subs. The amplifers inside distort easier once you get past half volume. Try that anyway. I've worked with and sold subwoofers from Velodyne, JM Labs, Mirage, Energy, Sunfire, Definitive Technology, Boston etc... this plan pretty much works with them all.

who is this for?

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

By the way... I dunno who told you that under-powering speakers can damage them but go back over there and give that person a slap for me. If that was true, playing speakers at low volumes for background music would be killing speakers left and right.

Underpowering your speaker can damage your speakers. If you give 5 watts to a 200 watt or higher speaker and crank it, you're going to have problems. Playing at low volumes isn't underpowering.

[allstar780]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

Underpowering your speaker can damage your speakers. If you give 5 watts to a 200 watt or higher speaker and crank it, you're going to have problems. Playing at low volumes isn't underpowering.

+1

http://www.klipsch.com/how-to-buy-au...nvestment.aspx

[DavePS3]

No. Again, it's distortion that kills. 5 watts into a 200 watt speaker is fine. Cranking it will hurt the speaker if the distortion is coming from the amp no matter WHAT the amps wattage is. I've heard a 16 WPC amp make deafening levels of clean sound come from a pair of Tannoy Churchill's so... come on, man! Wattage is subjective to be sure. It's all in the cleanliness of the power.

[Driver_King]

.

Invest in Enough Power

While Klipsch speakers are highly efficient and don't need a whole lot of power to drive them, you still need to purchase an amplifier/receiver that's relevant to the system you choose. After all, one of the most common causes of speaker damage is not having the right electronics to support it.


Be sure to buy at least as much power as your
speakers are rated to handle.


One of the most common causes of speaker
damage is not having the right electronics.

A good rule of thumb when trying to pair your speakers up with the right amplifier is to buy at least as much power as your speakers are rated to handle. For example, if a speaker is rated at 75 watts maximum power, then you should buy an amplifier that can deliver at least 75 watts per channel. However, you don't need to limit yourself. You can buy a 100-watt per channel amplifier for a 75-watt speaker because more speaker failure occurs from being under powered rather than over powered. It is safer to go slightly higher with your amplifier wattage because you'll never be in danger of clipping.

When an amplifier is expected to deliver more current to a speaker than it's capable of doing, clipping occurs. When an amplifier clips, it literally cuts off the tops and bottoms of the sound waveforms that it's trying to produce. This, in turn, sends a lot of distortion into your speakers, which is bad. Distortion puts a lot of stress on your speakers, typically the tweeter, and will eventually cause them to fail. In fact, your speakers will fail before your amplifier does.

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

No. Again, it's distortion that kills. 5 watts into a 200 watt speaker is fine. Cranking it will hurt the speaker if the distortion is coming from the amp no matter WHAT the amps wattage is. I've heard a 16 WPC amp make deafening levels of clean sound come from a pair of Tannoy Churchill's so... come on, man! Wattage is subjective to be sure. It's all in the cleanliness of the power.

I didn't dispute that. It's just underpowering speakers, in most cases, results in clipping (distortion).

[DavePS3]

We should be talking about matching impedance as well, really.

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

We should be talking about matching impedance as well, really.

That's important as well.

[DavePS3]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

That's important as well.

Hoo-Yeah. Seen way too many messes from that mis-knowledgement.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

4Dblu... the sub simply cannot handle the lower hertz drops. Don't ask it to. Expensive subs will handle the 18 to 20 hz much better. All sub's will handle 25 and up no problem. The better the sub's amplifer and the bigger the driver's magnet, the better, really. Also, subwoofer specs are never at RMS anymore. In other words, when you see a sub's specs say, 'handles 800 watts'... that's not really true. That's peak - but nothing runs consistantly at peak. That 800 watt sub is more like 100 watts at constant (RMS). That's why you never see RMS after the wattage on subs anymore. It's very misleading.

I still dont understand how one can have the sub not play lower hz frequencys...

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

I still dont understand how one can have the sub not play lower hz frequencys...

There are limitations to a subwoofer. It may play the lower frequencies, but it may be inaudible or completely distorted. Some subwoofers have built in cutoffs or filters that prevent too low of a frequency to pass through it making it pass it's excursion or power limit.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

There are limitations to a subwoofer. It may play the lower frequencies, but it may be inaudible or completely distorted. Some subwoofers have built in cutoffs or filters that prevent too low of a frequency to pass through it making it pass it's excursion or power limit.

Ok thats more of what i thought. but there is not way for the user to stop lower frequencys from being passed, correct?

[Driver_King]

As far as I know, yes.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

As far as I know, yes.

Thanks, was just curious maybe there was something about this i didnt know yet..

[4Dblu]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

Adjust the crossover on the sub closer to the 1o'clock position. Take your LFE level on the receiver down to 0 and your subwoofer level (on the receiver) up full. Play something bass heavy. If it distorts, lower the subwoofer level on the receiver. The volume on your subwoofer shouldn't be any higher than half way, especially on less-expensive subs. The amplifers inside distort easier once you get past half volume. Try that anyway. I've worked with and sold subwoofers from Velodyne, JM Labs, Mirage, Energy, Sunfire, Definitive Technology, Boston etc... this plan pretty much works with them all.

i'll try that and see what happens. this is funny b/c i have a smaller cerwin vega 5.1 in my bedroom and that system rocks. like i said after that movie "the haunting" the problem started....

[4Dblu]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

However... if you've damaged the voice coil on the driver, you're screwed. Best way to test it? Push down (or in) equally of both sides of the driver close to the dustcap. If you feel and hear scraping even pushing in an inch, the voice coil is shot and will keep distorting at higher volumes for sure.

ok, i tried that, no different, still the same thing. it's even distorted at low volume u can really hear it. it's a crackling sound. i pushed lightly on the edge of the woofer cone no noise around the cone. but that crackling sound makes me want to throw that sub out the door. any other ideals..

[krazeyeyez]

crackling lol, now your using my kind of tech jargon

thanks guys, and thanks for clearing up the underpowered thing, i have heard that from a few folks and internet sources but i never knew WHY. and thanks for also explaining what clipping is because i did try to find that out before and didn't understand, maybe you can explain just what the "anti-clipping" feature on my ultra cube actually does for me lol.