Jump to content

Reference series tweeter blown


Recommended Posts

Hello I am brand new to the forum.. And really new to surround sounds in general.. :-) I did LOTS of research and came to the conclusion that Klipsh was the best fit for me.. I come here from time to time to read all the great replies and suggestions that alot of you audiophiles offer.:-) . I adore my system but I recently came home from work and turned on my surround sound and noticed that on my RF 3 towers the voice and higher end isnt coming through.. And a couple of days later my Center chanell did the same thing. Exept there is no sound whatsoever coming from the center. I mainly listen to music on the surround sound. And I am NOTORIOUS for blowing speakers up! :-( So i guess I have a couple questions..Do they make parts to replace the tweeters if they are indeed blown ?? or do i need to replace the whole system. . And secondly If they are blown.. do you know what could be causing them to blow so easily?? tuning ?? amp?? Thanks in Advance..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's nice to see woman interested in music aswell.

How loud are you listening to your music to blow a klipsch tweeter!!!???

I listen loud and for prolonged periods of time with no signs of the horns stressing.

If you are blowing tweeters it's most likely you are overdriving your amplifier/reciever to the point of send a clipped signal to the speakers causing major damage to the tweeters hence the "blowing" of the tweeter. This is why everyone always talks about the need for "headroom" , so your speakers aren't getting a clipped and distorted signal.

Check all your connections aswell as the jumpers(on the back of the speakers) for a secure fit.

If in fact the tweeters are blown call the parts deparment to see if replacements are available, if not keep an eye out on craigslist for a cheap pair of RF3's for parts.

The RF3s are a great speaker and go for 200 to 30 bucks. If you're patient you might find a pair of RF 5s for the same price.

Welecome to the forums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a set of the KL650's from the Ultra2 system. After about 5 months of ownership I noticed a bad sound from the horn of my center channel. It ended up being a blown compression driver on the horn. I don't know for sure, but I think it was due to overdriving the amplifier. It was a mid grade receiver and I was trying to fill 5000cf with reference level sound. Come to find out, they weren't designed for that. Or it could have been manufacturing defect.

In the end, Klipsch covered it under warranty and mailed me a new horn in a few weeks time. It was easy to replace and all has worked fine ever since. I did upgrade amplifiers.

I would think you could replace only the parts needed. Good Luck! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr RF 62

I am using a Sony V333ES..It is Really old and I need to replace it.. It is a amp I got from a friend when my old amp when out.. I dont currently have a surge protector.. Is that like a power strip?? :-)..I also was just curious.. I plug my phone into a rc a jack into the front of the reciever and listen to music downloaded on my phone and on pandora.. The volume level never goes loud even when i turn it really high.. Could this be a factor in why they are blowing?? When I watch movies or listen to a cd the volume is VERY loud. But when I listen to my phone there isnt alot of sound.. Does that make any sense. lol Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks :-)

oh and Thanks for all the nice welcomes!! You guys and gals are life savers really! :-)klipsch_reference.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ Rockon4Klipsch

Thanks. Yes there wouldnt be any joy in life without music.. Unfortuantly I have a terrible habit of blowing up my speakers.. I Love music REALLY LOUD which isnt so good for the speakers .. I bought Klipsch because someone told me that they could withstand my torture. :-) I competed in sound off a couple years ago.. I had twelve 10' subwoofers in a vehicle that I showed.. I guess I feel the need to recreate the sound in my living room. :-) I feel that I probably am overdriving my amplifier .. What is "headroom" ?? Does the Klipsch speakers have a cross over box or does it have a cap built into the tweeter?? Oh and I just googled the RF 5s .. They Look AWESOME. I might need to upgrade.. :-) Btw thanks for the advice. It is greatly appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a feeling your tweeter problems may be connected to your phones compression. I know you'll get a lot of tweeter issues with compressed music, Karaoke, etc.

Maybe some of the more knowledgeable on the phone output may chime in on this one.

I do know there are replacement diaphrams available for the driver assy. (K-103? driver). Just remove the 8 screws holding on the horn lens, remove the wires, and they're accessible by removing the 3 screws holding on the lens. Take notice as to how they are lined up when disassembling them. I use a marker for assembly reference.

I just traded off my RF-3s when I got my RF-5s up and running. I've got 4 extra drivers for the RF-5s and they're beasts. It's hard to think of blowing a diaphram in one of them.

Pics with the horn lens removed showing diaphram, alignment dimples, and the three screw holes.

post-24628-13819600364988_thumb.jpg

post-24628-13819618845646_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a feeling that you may want to upgrade the Amp. A seperate amp would work best but to get the kind of Sound Pressure your looking for, you'll need a high power/current amplifier. That Sony isn't a bad receiver, but the the power output at 110watts would actually be about 50 clean watts of power while above that, your are distorting terribly considering the loudness your looking for. RF3's are looking like they want 150watts, so, your would require at least a 200watt amp(clean power) or 250w to get the "headroom" you would require to get clean output (reduced distortion for the tweeters) for the RF3's. What I think with the phone is you are having to turn the volume up so much that the amp is "clipping" (distorting) and causing your tweeter stress. A preamp for the phone would porlly fix that...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome, I have been here for almost a week now, and no one welcomed me! I think I have a hunch.

Anyway, if you play very compressed music very loudlit may cause a problem, but my guess is your amp is either failing or clipping.

Clipping happens when you overdrive your amp. Its much easier to damage a speaker with an underpowered amp than by using an amp that can deliver more power than your speakers are rated to handle. A simple way to explain headroom is extra power so that when the program contains bursts of loud sound the amp can deliver clean power without overloading. "Clipping" refers to distortion that looks on a scope like the top of the waveform is "clipped" off. It's usually more likely to fry a tweeter, but can damage woofers too.

Check your speaker connections first. If the speaker has biwire connection, make sure the jumpers are making contact. Next step is to switch speaker wires to see if a channel of your amp is out. You might want to use more caution and use a different amp to test the speakers in case your amp has become a speaker killer.

good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guys I REALLY appreciate all the great advice you are giving me.. I was so lost and couldnt find anything that I could understand in other forums. If you dont know about audio reading about it can be like reading chinese. lol .. Thanks for baring with my limited knowlege of audio equipment.. I think like most of you stated i am having the compression issue with my phone.. and also I need a MUCH better Amp . I guess when I was listening threw my mp3 player on my phone I just figured that because the volume coming out of the speakers wasnt loud I could essentially turn the volume down as low as i wanted. [:$] If I bought a docking station would that be the same as a pre amp?? would it raise the lower level output on the phone?? I tried to google the info on my phone but couldnt really find anything. I have a HTC Evo .. While I was looking though i found several people say the same thing. That the volume through the headset was much lower than anticipated.. Also I am kinda clueless on which amp would be able to give my RF3s the power the need?? Can anyone give me a name of a good amp?? that isnt a speaker killer ??I manage to do that all my myself [:S] ???? I plan to go home and take the speaker apart and check on my wiring. It would be great if it were something like that. thanks for all the good tips. .

Oh and Richbot .. Welcome to the forum.. [:D]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MissMiller,

Klipsch speaker use a seperate crossover network "box" instead of soldering components to the drivers.

My suggestion would be to keep your phone away from your home theater system. I have listened to a Logitech squeezebox:

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/speakers-audio/wireless-music-systems/devices/5745

that can play wi/fi/mp3 music through your system from a computer.

Provided you can connect a seperate amp to your Sony A/V receiver, a popular amplifier that has good feedback are the Emotiva amplifiers:

http://emotiva.com/xpa3.shtm

The XPA-3 is a 3 channel amp that will drive two main speakers and the center channel, the XPA-5 is a 5 channel amp both with pleanty of power.

I don't own Emotiva amps but I have listened to them and I am impressed with their sound and build quality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome, I have been here for almost a week now, and no one welcomed me! I think I have a hunch.

Anyway, if you play very compressed music very loudlit may cause a problem, but my guess is your amp is either failing or clipping.

Clipping happens when you overdrive your amp. Its much easier to damage a speaker with an underpowered amp than by using an amp that can deliver more power than your speakers are rated to handle. A simple way to explain headroom is extra power so that when the program contains bursts of loud sound the amp can deliver clean power without overloading. "Clipping" refers to distortion that looks on a scope like the top of the waveform is "clipped" off. It's usually more likely to fry a tweeter, but can damage woofers too.

Check your speaker connections first. If the speaker has biwire connection, make sure the jumpers are making contact. Next step is to switch speaker wires to see if a channel of your amp is out. You might want to use more caution and use a different amp to test the speakers in case your amp has become a speaker killer.

good luck!

Welcome to the Forum.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum MissMiller. Sounds like you may be on the right track with the tweeter issues. When I started out in this hobby I had my RF3's hooked to a Sony receiver. I was not impressed with the Sony. Over the years I have upgraded the receiver several times. Each time I noticed a considerable upgrade. I have stayed in the Denon line with each move. I find I like the Denon/Klipsch combo a lot. My first switch was to a Denon 2805, it was a night and day comparison; even with the mid-level 2805. A few years later I got the upgrade bug again and went with my current Denon 3808. This was a major improvement over the 2805, so I can only imagine how it would have been compared to the Sony that I had. I am constantly tweaking, but that is what makes it fun. Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the kind welcomes~~ :-)

I checked all my connections and went took the horn or tweeter apart and they are indeed blown..This is what my weekend consisted of... :-) I def need a better amp, but I have NO IDEA on which to get!! T Can anyone recommend a amp brand and a specific model that would be a good Match with my RF 3s. KeIa did you say that you had RF3s as well?? and you use a Denon 3808?? I know It is better to have more amp than needed right?? I think know I am running 50 watts per speaker. but I should be running 150?? I think that is what someone recommended.. ?? does that sound accurate ??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think your issue is the amplification as much as your source material. The compressed tunes will eat up diaphrams no matter what you power them with.

Use good 14 ga. or larger quality speaker wire, make sure your connections are clean and tight, and keep the volume control down under "12:00 O'clock".

The Sony ES line is good. 100wpc+ should be fine unless you're trying to blow out the walls.

All this advice is just from a written description you've given us and should all be taken with common sense on your part.

Call Klipsch, order new diaphrams(come with good directions) and enjoy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...