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Seeking help/opinion/cautionary tales re: cooked bass drivers & melted capacitors

74.68.112.2
Posted on November 3, 2009 at 13:55:02
mail@artbaseinc.com
Audiophile

Posts: 10
Location: nyc
Joined: March 12, 2003
 Behind blown woofers (i.e., voice coil heated/scorched/fused), found blown caps (i.e., melted/scorched).

Both speakers showed identical kind of damage, to an identical degree.

Each speaker is powered by its own monoblocked McIntosh 7100 (600wpc).

It appears I just allowed the drivers to cook themselves (too much volume for too long a time, with too little ventilation).

I am going to replace the caps and drivers (I already have the drivers). Anybody want to tell me what the likely outcome will be?

Am I missing something? Is there something else on the xover that would/should also be toast, but without showing damage?

Should I add fuses?

Any and all help greatly appreciated!

RE: Seeking help/opinion/cautionary tales re: cooked bass drivers & melted capacitors, posted on November 4, 2009 at 07:07:45
mail@artbaseinc.com
Audiophile

Posts: 10
Location: nyc
Joined: March 12, 2003
 Blowing the roof off the party with an old-fashioned stereo hi-fi is hard work in a 2000 sq-ft room (x10 ft ceilings). Especially for a system whose day job is maintaining a detailed sound stage for the endless repetition of a handful of BWV numbers, some Philip Glass chamber music, and The Ramones' back catalog -- all at very restrained levels.

The world's least efficient speakers (Cello Strad Premieres) with earnest and ample power (Mac 600w monoblks) has been getting the job done for close to a decade. If only I'd dusted the vents once, I might not be in this pickle.

What I really need is a listening room, but I can't seem to sit still.

RE: Seeking help/opinion/cautionary tales re: cooked bass drivers & melted capacitors, posted on November 5, 2009 at 00:25:21
djk
Manufacturer

Posts: 3887
Joined: June 17, 2000
 The Dynaudio 30W-100XL woofer is only rated at 130 'power program watts'.

30W-100XL 300mm woofer 100mm voice coil
4 / 8
22
.41
248
130
89dB
$349.00

Speakers, posted on November 4, 2009 at 00:12:08
djk
Manufacturer

Posts: 3887
Joined: June 17, 2000
 It's time to sell the speakers and get something more efficient.

I've slagged networks without harming the drivers. Usually it's the resistors and inductors that burn up, not the capacitors (unless they're cheap electrolytics).

The best time to sell them is just after a complete re-build (before you slag them again).

TURN IT DOWN!!!, posted on November 3, 2009 at 20:09:04
caspian@peak.org
Audiophile

Posts: 389
Location: Oregon
Joined: January 12, 2008
 Bang Bang BANG!!! COPS at the door!!! NOISE ordinance violation!!!

Replace all the crossover caps, and the resistors too for good measure. Use higher power rated parts than the originals.

Add fuses to your EARS, before you damage them permanently.

Turn it DOWN!!!

How about more details?....., posted on November 3, 2009 at 14:49:04
doodlebug
Audiophile

Posts: 1741
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Joined: July 27, 2006
 as in what was happening as these drivers were cooked. With the failure of the components mentioned, I'd suggest this was not a quiet exercise......

Certainly, you should consider _not_ doing whatever was being done prior.

Cheers,

David

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