Speaker damage?

[jandl100]

Some advice please ...

I've had my Usher X719 speakers in my conservatory for a year or 3 - barely used them.

So I set them up in my main rig today, to test prior to eBay --- and :doh: they sound awful. Hyped up screechy treble and weak bass.
I'm sure they didn't sound like this when I got them!

Could 'cooking' in an often very hot conservatory, in direct sunlight, for a few years have b*ggered some internal components?

[walpurgis]

If they've both started to sound bad simultaneously, I'd say the problem is not the speakers. Maybe amplification, leads, source?

[Reffc]

I doubt it Jerry.

Sure it's not an amp problem?

Could be failure of a crossover component but unlikely if both sound the same. Sounds like either there's an amp issue or a source issue perhaps.

If you want to bundle them into the car and bring them over, I can take a look at them for you.

[Spur07]

if you haven't used them in ages maybe they need a warm up? run them on low volume and gradually eek them up throughout the day until the evening. Let the cones loosen up, that could impair the bass.

[synsei]

if you haven't used them in ages maybe they need a warm up? run them on low volume and gradually eek them up throughout the day until the evening. Let the cones loosen up, that could impair the bass.

Failing that Jerry give 'em a hug, they probably need reassuring since you have been neglecting them :D

[Tarzan]

if you haven't used them in ages maybe they need a warm up? run them on low volume and gradually eek them up throughout the day until the evening. Let the cones loosen up, that could impair the bass.


Jerry,l brought a pair old speakers off that auction site and had clearly not been played in years, firing them up for the first time they sounded like a bag of nails, but once dusted down and played for a while improved by a large degree.



Just my experience.:)

[Rick E]

Give them a good hiding to loosen them up a bit. I've had more than a few that needed a run for a few hours before they work properly again.

[Audio Al]

If they are pisahto'd , I'm your man

Seriously , They are a quality speaker so you should be able with some box swapping be able to trace the problem

Have you tried them with a TT / CDP / Tuner all with the same result if you have maybe try a alternative amp if you have one :)

[DSJR]

I'd be inclined to give them a darned good musical seeing to for an hour or three. Main driver surrounds can be incredibly temperature sensitive (not sure about humidity) so hopefully a day or two of regular use should sort it. I'd also consider taking Paul up on his offer if it's not inconvenient to get them checked against other speakers if nothing else..

I did say before that the Krell does have a lean "detailed" tone to it, but this isn't going to cause the issues you've mentioned I'm sure.. It may just be that your main system has seduced you so much in recent times that a crude passive speaker is going to sound just that - possibly?

I do genuinely hope that it's just a question of acclimatisation and nothing more sinister...

[jandl100]

Thanks folks.

It's not the system/cabling - just substituting for the MBLs by swapping banana plugs over- everything is fine with them.

Yep, OK - I'll let them play a while - not pleasant at the moment, though!

[walpurgis]

I don't want to worry you, but if you have a multimeter handy it may be worth checking the resistances at the speaker terminals. They should be close, maybe reading between 3 to 6 ohms. I'm suggesting this because it's just possibly a bass voice coil problem and if there's a short in one, it will show up as a low reading and If so, your amplifier could be at risk.

[jandl100]

Well, I've given the wee beasties a right good hammering -- and after well over an hour of Meatloaf at 11 on the volume dial the dang things started to loosen up.
After another hour or so and they now sound OK - phew.
In fact, I'll be keeping them for a 2nd system I'll be setting up soon.
:thumbsup: for the advice.

[Reffc]

Well, I've given the wee beasties a right good hammering -- and after well over an hour of Meatloaf at 11 on the volume dial the dang things started to loosen up.
After another hour or so and they now sound OK - phew.
In fact, I'll be keeping them for a 2nd system I'll be setting up soon.
:thumbsup: for the advice.

Hmmm

unlikely that speaker surround or suspension compliance has altered Jerry but it is possible that the crossover caps just needed charging up and a little time to settle down again. You get this sometimes with new crossovers which just need an hour or two before the speakers sound "themselves" again. Whatever the cause, glad to hear they're sounding good again.

[jandl100]

Yes, it's not the outcome I was anticipating - I was quite looking forward to a bit of loudspeaker boxswapping if the Ushers were defunct. :lol:

But solo violin was quite unlistenable on them before, now it's fine. A very substantial change.

[Pete The Cat]

Although it seems not to have been the issue here, the intense heat and light in our conservatory worries me, so when it's not in use I always keep covers over my kit. Looks a mess mind.

Pete

[jandl100]

Yes, it bothers me, too. I do wonder if it was lack of use combined with large and sometimes rapid temperature variations that caused the problem(s).

And of course, direct sunlight can play merry hell by fading exposed surfaces.

[YNWaN]

Electrolytic capacitors age a lot quicker if they are hot - it's worth checking the crossovers to make sure nothing has occurred.

[Reffc]

Electrolytic capacitors age a lot quicker if they are hot - it's worth checking the crossovers to make sure nothing has occurred.

Exactly my thoughts RE capacitor issues although electrolytics aren't usually found in the crossovers. More likely to be polyprops or polystyrenes I'd have thought.

[Clive]

Exactly my thoughts RE capacitor issues although electrolytics aren't usually found in the crossovers. More likely to be polyprops or polystyrenes I'd have thought.

Bi-polar elects are quite common, I'm sure Mark had these in mind.