Speaker Blown???

**3onDubs** · 03-08-2006, 01:56 PM

I was initially running my CDT EF-61's on my jl 300/4 in four channel mode using an active crossover.

I recently bridged the amp to two channels and threw in my passive crossover so that i can get 150 watts per speaker instead of 75 watts. After that, i adjusted the gains and everything was fine for a day.

The next day, im driving and i notice that the driver side speaker isn't working...so i switch the balance over and my speaker sounds like it's blown...there's little murmurs comming through and some crackling at high notes.

I go into the trunk and see that the amp has an orange light on where it says "low ohmage"....the manual says that this could be a short in speaker wire or a blown speaker. I swithed the connections from left to right and right to left to see if it was the amp or the speaker, and all of the channels on the amp work perfectly fine.....so i know it's the speaker (i also took out the crossovers to eliminate them from the list of possible culprits, and the speaker still sounds blown).

I took off my door panel and checked my speaker...when i push in on the cone, it won't give....it feels firm as if the mechanical part is stuck. If i push in even harder, it barely compresses and as it slides back i can briefly hear music.

Is it blown? If it is, then that sucks cuz it's practically brand new and i don't think that i was even pushing it that hard...the only other thing i did prior to bridging the channels was set the lpf on the midranges to 3Khz.

**3onDubs** · 03-08-2006, 07:02 PM

I figured i wouldn't get any replies from my long @ss post...so i'm adding a summary:

Problem: My speaker no working...making funny sound...me thinking is blown, so me pushes on cone and it doesn't give like normal cones give...it's more sturdy as if there's something blocking it.

Solution: I just bought a set of OZ Audio Matrix Elite's.....i'm thining about getting the Nine.4 and running it bridged (150 X 2 @ 4 ohms)...this will match my Nine.1 and provide ample power for the OZ's.

Does anybody have experience with the Elite's or the Nine.4?

**canadapettit** · 03-08-2006, 08:10 PM

sounds like the voice coil is burnt up. Smell it and see if it smells burnt.

**Greeney** · 03-08-2006, 09:09 PM

take a AA battery and put positives together and negatives (speaker wire) and if ur sub isnt blown it will move in and out

**RedGTiVR6** · 03-09-2006, 08:15 AM

ditto on the smell

sounds like the coil has locked up

any particular reason you wanted to double the power to the speakers?

**3onDubs** · 03-09-2006, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Red GTi VR6

ditto on the smell

sounds like the coil has locked up

any particular reason you wanted to double the power to the speakers?

There's two reasons why i wanted to do that. First, I was talking to someone that has my same setup on a different forum...300/4 with the CDT EF's...and he said that the speakers sound good with 75 watts, but they sound excellent with 150 watts...much louder and cleaner. The second reason is because im an idiot and im never satisfied. I honestly think they sound better without the crossovers...but that's probably because i don't have the upgraded crossovers that should've come with my speakers. I've heard good things about the matrix elite's, so hopefully their crossovers are much better.

Will the smell still be there if it has been three days? Can i smell it from the front, or should i take off the door panel to get behind the speaker?

**RedGTiVR6** · 03-09-2006, 11:31 AM

hehe - are we EVER satisfied?

I've been told that my set-up would win world finals again without a problem....but I'm still looking for ways to make it better....lol

the crossover will make a HUGE difference

it will smell for a while....that and/ or take a multimeter to it, or do the battery thing

**3onDubs** · 03-09-2006, 11:49 AM

Thanks Red...

...off to go stick my nose next to my speaker...lol.

**RedGTiVR6** · 03-09-2006, 11:53 AM

hehe - take a big strong whiff....it's intoxicating!

on a semi serious note - at finals, I launched my focal 15" durring my spl run....or so we thought - I had everything pegged and cranked it - after all - this was THE show where it mattered, and with the Focal reps there watching, I knew they would offer me a replacement if I launched it...

it smelled like crazy, no smoke. Everyone who sniffed it thought it was toast, even those walking by thought so too...

but it turned out to be just fine....plays fine, etc. Both voice coils appear to be fine....

long story short - just because it smells doesn't mean it's burnt, but it's a darn good indication - IF it does smell, then you will know where to go - check the impedence...if not...well...might have another issue

**3onDubs** · 03-09-2006, 12:02 PM

Finals?? That must have been pretty scary.

Hopefully my speaker isn't blown....it's such a waste of a good speaker. Hopefully the Matrix Elite's sound better. I was gonna get those originally, but I chose the CDT's because they were comparable at half the price.

On a less serious note...when you have the music up and you smell something...why is it that you always instinctively turn the music down to see if you can smell it better? I always do that, but never understood why.