Krunko Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 My sub isn’t working, or at least working correctly. I have it connected to my receiver via the LFE using an rca cable. My sub will get power, and the light will turn green recognizing a 5.1 signal. The problem is, I don’t get anything out of it except an occasional hard pop/thump. The speaker isn’t blown either. When I turn the volume up and down, I will usually get a loud bass pop from it. It almost seems as if as soon as it gets a signal and makes some sound, it just cuts off. I checked the fuse, and it’s fine. My receiver is definitely outputting enough signal/volume to the sub. If I touch the subwoofer speaker I can feel very very very low intensity vibrations coming out of it. I’m guessing it’s reacting to unamplified signal it’s receiving. You can’t really hard it, or if you can it’s hard to hear. I turn the volume up and it doesn’t get louder, except I still get that loud pop here and there. I hope someone can help me I bought it a couple years ago and I think for the past year or so it’s been like this, but Ididn’t investigate until recently. I’m guessing there is something wrong with the built in amplifier. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me. -Chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest srobak Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 sounds like it is just crossed over too low. Set it for 80 Hz and start from there. Also make sure the gain is up sufficiently, but not too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale A B Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Sounds like of the common problems with many klipsch subs that go south - amplifier problems. Can you give it a few light whacks with a rubber hammer? NP - The Cult - Electric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krunko Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 I could. Does this actually sometimes work? I contacted someone at Klipsch and they said I can get it serviced for $60. Doesnt' seem like a bad deal if they actually fix the problem. Oh, and it's not the crossover. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl b Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Hey out there...I am having this same exact problem. I have it going through a yamaha hpt-5490. I have tried every setting and even reset it to the factory settings and started over....No Dice...problem remains...please let me know if you find a possible solution... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I know I am bumping up a really old thread, but my KSW-12 is reacting the same way. At times it will rock the house and at other times it is very anemic or it just doesn't do anything. I've tested the sub on material that I know will have strong bass, and it's just not responsive anymore on that material. I take it that the amp in the unit is failing? I know my unit is old, but any help would be greatly appreciated. I've used the sub on two different recievers. In the beginning of the problems, it seemed like the sub needed to warm up a little before the hard bass kicked in, now it's pretty much a paperweight with a red light, with a barely responsive woofer.HELP!!! Do I need to buy a new subwoofer? DRC72 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 You've tried 2 different receivers. Have you tried 2 different cables? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Good point, no not yet, but I will give that a try,. But from what I am reading on here it looks others have experienced the same issue with the amp failing. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 UPDATE: Alright I tried replacing the wire and I got the same result last night, so I can rule that out..... Anyways I checked it again this morning using my satelite reciever which outputs Dolby Digital in a lot of their channels. As usual the bass was anemic to none, so I popped in a blu-ray that I know has a strong LFE track and as usual the bass was anemic. So I fast forwarded to a part of the movie that has the strongest bass output(the LFE track on this movie is very strong), and a huge pop comes on and the bass is roaring again. Now the funny part is I returned back to satellite, and continued watching the same broadcast earlier. Guess what? The sub decides to continue to output strong bass on satellite. It's almost like you have to work it hard to actually come alive. Now the funny part is it might decide to work the next few days, and then it will get anemic at some point again. It's mind boggling. I love the klipsch sound, but I don't think I'll ever buy a subwoofer from them again. It's to flaky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 It wouldn't hurt to pull the amp and driver to check and see if you have a loose connection somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 It wouldn't hurt to pull the amp and driver to check and see if you have a loose connection somewhere. +1. It could even be a loose speaker wire. (Might be something on the board loose; check with a strong flashlight). Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Are these boxes easy to get into? And when you mean driver, do you mean the woofer itself?Thanks for help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 The driver is the woofer, yes. The amp and driver should be held in with screws. DISCONNECT THE POWER BEFORE TINKERING. The driver will be heavy and the driver and amp may stick a little when coming out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 UPDATE: Well it might be a wire issue after all, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Anyways the first wire I purchased was not for subwoofers(clueless sales rep BB), so I returned that. Now I picked up the Monster ultra 600 THX subwoofer cable, and so far the subwoofer has been coming alive each time I turn it on. I don't even have to wait for it to come alive any more. Granted I am not 100% convinced, and the sub could decide to stop working again, but I am keeping my fingers crossed. Have you guys ever seen SW wires go bad? One more thing, I'm also using a Y connecter that came with my monster cable. It's connected to the L and R RCA jacks of my sub. I'm not sure exactly how much of a difference it is making. I'll keep you guys posted. thanks for the help. DRC72 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Well so far so good! Looks like my previous wire was bad. I'm 99% convinced, but there's 1% that I still worry about. Regardless I'm glad it's working, because this bad boy pumps out deep bass, and I would hate to lose it lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Glad your sub is working...... It could be the wire was bad; or perhaps the female jack on the sub or receiver is slightly flaky. My rule; if it isn't broken; do not fix it...... (I would not mess with it unless further issues arise). Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Well comparing the new cable with the old cable, I could see a big difference in build quality. The monster cable was much more beefier, plus I would bet it was shielded better as well. Regardless I'm keeping my eye on the sub for the next few months just to be 100%, but I think i will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Well it's a short lived celebration.....[] It started actually last week, when the bass suddenly became anemic, but it then came back strong, and now as of today it's acting weird. In the beginnining it was anemic, but now it kind works sporadically and it sounds crappy when it does. Odds are it will start working properly again, but by that time I will have thrown it out the window. I'll probably pop it open like you guys suggested, and see if there is any loose connections, but I'm at the point of being tired of this piece s h i t, sorry had to rant. Are the new Klipsh subs a lot more reliable? If I can't get this fixed, I'll probably buy a new one, but I am not sure if I am gonna get klipsh again. What do you guys think of the klipsh SW-450 subwoofer? Anybody have any experience with it? Thanks DRC72 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 That sucks.... I quietly hoped it would last at least a few more months....... As for Klipsch subs; I ony had one; a SW10. I never had issues with it except it was not accurate. (Very boomy and muddy). If you are buying new; decide on a budget....... You could go used; but that is somewhat of a risk also........ I just picked up a 12" 500w Infinity Interlude 120s. I paid $120.... Overall, my Emo is better, but I like sealed versus ported. The IL can go head to head with SPLs and may actually be a bit better with HT....... Epik, Hsu, SVS, Emotiva, Velodyne, Elemental Designs are all top quality reputible brands that most would recommend. Decisions.... Decisions...... Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC72 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 So did I....... But after reading several threads and the many subwoofer issues people are having, especially with the amps, I'm a little hestitant to try klipsch again. Also I've already read a complaint about the SW-450 on here, so I don't know about that one. I don't think I will go used, especially with Klipsch. I love the smell and taste of new lol. i'm gonna give Klipsch a call and see about maybe getting a replacement amp, that's if they still make it for that model. Maybe I could use a different amp, if klipsch can't provide me the same one? Aftermarket possibly? Appreciate all the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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