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RF7 Tweeters crackling


Mike in MN

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What kind of tweeters?

 

I've always wondered whether tweeters are "all or none," or can, sometimes, just show a little distortion when damaged.  The one I blew years ago (a K77, blown by a test signal turned up more than I thought it was) just immediately stopped making sound, period.  Sometimes a tweeter sounds distorted on some program material, and not on other recordings.  Try a wide variety of recordings.  Can someone who knows about these things answer?  Thanks.

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16 hours ago, garyrc said:

Sometimes a tweeter sounds distorted on some program material, and not on other recordings.  Try a wide variety of recordings.

+1

If they're still crackling no matter what material is played, try a different preamp, receiver, or amp. Hopefully you can narrow it down.

What else are you using with the Adcom GFA-5500?

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Mike,

 

It is possible that your tweeters were damaged from voltage leakage from your GFA-5500.  Adcom amps from that era are prone to capacitor leakage that can lead to all sorts of problems and collateral damage.

 

I had an Adcom GFA-585 Limited Edition (250 WPC) that nearly destroyed the woofers in my PSB Stratus Gold i speakers from over-excursion during powering up and powering down.  The leaky capacitors can cause massive voltage leakage which destroys voice coils.  Depending on the layout of your Adcom's circuit boards, the fluid from the original capacitors is especially corrosive and can etch the boards, destroying conductive paths or creating shorts.

 

You can normally tell that the capacitors are leaking if you hear your speakers pop when turning the amp on or off.  Also, when Adcom capacitor fluid leaks onto circuit boards it has the distinct smell of rotting fish.  You will want to Re-Cap before it is too late and the circuit boards are damaged irreparably.  There are a few shops that specialize in Re-Capping and Refurbishing Adcom amps, but the cost can run from $300 to $500 depending on the amp model and the amount of damage.

 

Hopefully this helps you to diagnose your problem and spare you from further expensive damage.

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2 hours ago, moray james said:

The OP can determine if his electronics are to fault by simply swapping the speaker wires from the left speaker to the right speaker. If the noise moves from the original loudspeaker to the other loudspeaker then the problem is not the speakers it is the electronics.

That's a good idea Moray, but he said 'tweeter horns sound crackly' meaning they both have the issue. I suggest trying a completely different speaker from the pair he is using. If the crackling exists in the completely different speaker, then it's something in the signal chain. 

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thanks I did not catch the fact that it was both tweeters. Not likely then that the electronics are the problem. I would expect damage to the speakers playing way too loud. Operator damage. we all learn especially when the mistakes are expensive ones. Time to search for new diaphragms. Would also be a good idea to check the networks to heat damage.

   good luck and this might be a good time to look for a used pair of LaScala and a sub or two.

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