DrWho Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 At work yesterday, we were testing a new brand of loudspeaker that this one company wanted us to start using (can't remember the name cuz they're crap). We considered the idea because these things were supposed to be able to compete with the JBL Control Monitor series and they cost around $30 (versus the $90 or so we get from JBL). Anyways, we bust out the RTA and connect the speaker to a QSC power amp (rated around 200watts I think, im not sure) and then we started playing a test cd. So we listen to male vocals and female vocals and blah blah blah lots more sounds...and they all sound like total crap. For the record, the cabinet is the same material that horn lenses are made out of...that rigid plastic stuff. Anyways, we get to the pink noise test, but it sounded like white noise. It was so wierd. Anyways, we decide it's time to test the SPL capabilities of this speaker and so we crank the mixer till the yellow lights are solid and then crank the amp till the yellow lights are solid and then like 3 seconds later the tweeter just stops. No sound or anything, just stops. The RTA told us that the sound pressure was only at 81dB at 1m. talk about a crappy speaker. Then we turn it off and check to make sure that the tweeter was actually blown...yep, smoke coming out of that driver. Here's the funny part, when we pulled the tweeter out, they were using horn lense adapter things that you can actually buy at partsexpress.com! we just about died laughing. Anyways, we put the speaker back and ventured to blow the woofer. We did the same thing and we were at 85dB for about 10 seconds and then the woofer started distorting badly. It was a really cool sound, if we ever do it again I want to try to record it. It was distorting, but it didn't sound the same...almost like the sound when you rub your fingernail along the teeth of a comb, but just a few octaves lower in pitch. So about 20 seconds later there was mostly silence and that woofer blew at 86dB at 1 meter. Here's the really odd thing, the speaker was still playing sound, but very quiet (like 40 dB0. We opened the speaker up and lots of smoke came out and we disconnected the woofer and the tweeter...the sound was still there. We poked around a bit and noticed that the crossover itself was producing sound. I don't know if this always happens or was a result of blasting the crap out of it, but that crossover was putting out a good 40dB of sound. Anyways, that's my speaker blowing story, hope y'all enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Thanks for the post. Good story. And interesting, too... didn't know sound was possible out of a crossover. so, are you guys going to add the speaker to your inventory as an alternative to JBL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 I am surprised I don't blow up speakers at work, I have had a few 'close calls' All I can say is Klipsch, JBL, etc, and the good brands (soon to be Vienna and Martin Logan, no kidding) are VERY durable. I have gotten speakers at home (cheap ones I play with) to 'smell' hot from use, but thats about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 11, 2004 Author Share Posted August 11, 2004 ---------------- On 8/11/2004 1:38:03 PM Daddy Dee wrote: Thanks for the post. Good story. And interesting, too... didn't know sound was possible out of a crossover. so, are you guys going to add the speaker to your inventory as an alternative to JBL? ---------------- To be honest, if the crap brand had some form of protection circuit built in, the upper management was going to think about it and do a few test installs!!! Also, I didn't know crossovers could make sounds as well...it was probably a bi-product of melting it However, in the past when i've tried building my own drivers and stuff, if you wrap a thick insulated cable around a bolt and then put a piece of metal sandwiched between two nuts, that piece of metal will make sound as well...something about the magnetic field that is generated causes the bolt to vibrate...very wierd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 I wish I could have fun like that at work! Great story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 ---------------- On 8/11/2004 3:42:59 PM thebes wrote: I wish I could have fun like that at work! Great story. ---------------- I bet Trey gets to blow up speakers all day long, and get paid to do so!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 ---------------- On 8/11/2004 4:01:10 PM kenratboy wrote: ---------------- On 8/11/2004 3:42:59 PM thebes wrote: I wish I could have fun like that at work! Great story. ---------------- I bet Trey gets to blow up speakers all day long, and get paid to do so!!! ---------------- I'd still would love to plug a Bose cube directly into the wall socket and see what happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Steve: Better yet, just run it full range and see what happens. They can only go down to 220 Hz. IIRC!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Ken: Martin Logan will soon be available at Best Buy? No kidding?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 The last time I saw something like this the last piece of electronics was saying, "Calling Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard." Smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 ---------------- On 8/11/2004 7:50:36 PM picky wrote: Ken: Martin Logan will soon be available at Best Buy? No kidding?? ---------------- Magnolia Hi-Fi, yes, if you are in Reno around or after October 15, come stop by. Construction starts in 3 days and I am very excited!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Great story DrWho. I love that bit about the crossover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 I know folks who have fed power from a 110 outlet through a stepdown transformer and onto a track in a recording studio. They would step it down to a couple of volts. They wanted the steady 60 Hz from the utility to use to lock up two tape machines. (Back in the day don't ya know). Power companies are very particular about frequency, even if the voltage goes up and down. Play it back through a large power amp that is connected to the capstan motor on another deck and the speeds are locked together. THe hard part is syncing them up. Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtkinney Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 I seem to remember a Cerwin Vega ad from the 70's or 80's where they plugged one into the wall to show how robust they were. At 8 ohms, that's only 1800 watts to handle. I don't remember if they said how long they were plugged in! That could still make a lot of smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted August 14, 2004 Share Posted August 14, 2004 One of the ads for the cerwin-vega stroker car subwoofer boasted of it's ability to live, being plugged in to a wall socket. Funny thing is that the center channel of the yamaha mini-system I have ( Gx-70 ) also managed to live for about a minute, plugged into 110 volts. It took 3 tries to smoke it completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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