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Speakers eating amps?

tbag
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tbag Enthusiast

tbag

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Hey Guys,

  I have a bit of a problem that I think you guys will know the answer to.

 

Long story short I have had two amps blow up on my stereo in the space of 4 months. 

 

I have the PMC FB1i signatures, which i love to bits. 

 

I had them running off a Yamaha RX V 3900  until new years. Anyway I was drunk and was pumping them really loud. Here in Perth it was 40 something, and well the amp popped. Ok it is really hot and that can sometimes happen I thought so I am organising for that to be fixed. 2 months outside of warranty too ><.  

 

So I get a a Pioneer VSX 521 that I was using in my study as a headphone amp, because I could get it new so cheap. Anyway the speaker terminals haven't ever been used, so I connect them up. 

 

All is well and good, I do the tuning and set to pure direct. Turn it off and check wiring and make sure everything is fine. 

 

Turn it on and everything is going fine. Let it sit on low volume for awhile. Still everything is fine. 

 

Turn it up to a moderate volume, by no means loud but just at the point where u can start to feel bass. Coming out of the right speaker is this very flat sound, as if someone has taken an eq to it and just dropped everything down. I run between the two speakers hearing the difference. The left sounds full, while the right sounds tinny and far away. Then all of a sudden the amp clicks of, and smoke comes out of the amp. 

 

So my question is, could my speakers be shorting my amps, causing them to blow? I hope not cause I can easily replace amps but i love my speakers alot. 

 

Anyone got any tips or ideas as to what could be causing this?

 

For thoroughness the Yamaha still turns on but says wires crossed (which I have checked so many times I have lost count, also got a sparky mate to look over it and it was all good) and the Pioneer just doesn't turn on.

 

I bought the Yamaha amp and speakers from recommendations in this thread and they had been working so well.

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niss_man Mentor

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I'd be checking those speakers. I'd be inclined to remove the drivers and check their dc resistance when disconnected from the crossover. If ok I'd then carefully check out the speaker crossover for bung caps, resistors, or shorts. If speakers are ok then check out the amp. Do not connect them to any more amps until you do so.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

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Art Vandelay Grand Master

Art Vandelay

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  . Anyway I was drunk and was pumping them really loud. Here in Perth it was 40 something, and well the amp popped. Ok it is really hot and that can sometimes happen I thought so I am organising for that to be fixed. 2 months outside of warranty too ><.  So my question is, could my speakers be shorting my amps, causing them to blow?

 

 

Sounds like a case of Bad speakers and a pina colada, my friend. 

 

Time to go:

Stompin' on the avenue by Radio City

With blown transistors and a large sum of money to spend.

 

 

 

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tbag Enthusiast

tbag

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Sounds like a case of Bad speakers and a pina colada, my friend. 

 

Time to go:

Stompin' on the avenue by Radio City

With blown transistors and a large sum of money to spend.

 

 

 

:P more like beer but yes a few were had. They weren't distorting loud, but a loud that they still sounded good.

 

I have no idea what you are talking about with the Radio City comment :P 

 

Get the speakers checked by a professional. It sounds like you have a serious problem with them.

Damn. They have a 20 year warranty on them. Anyone got any idea if PMC have dealers in Perth? Should I contact them directly and see what they say?

 

I'd be checking those speakers. I'd be inclined to remove the drivers and check their dc resistance when disconnected from the crossover. If ok I'd then carefully check out the speaker crossover for bung caps, resistors, or shorts. If speakers are ok then check out the amp. Do not connect them to any more amps until you do so. Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

I'm more than happy to do this, and thanks for your help, but I don't want to void my warranty because it is so long.

 

Really sux this has happened, oh well you get that sometimes. Guess i'll try and find a PMC dude over here.

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tbag Enthusiast

tbag

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2 amps going in succession is too much of a coincidence.  Sounds like a short in the right speaker. I'd take them to a local speaker repair place for checking and repair

Good thinking. I'll do that after I talk to PMC and Carlton Audio and see what they both say.

 

Thanks guys for your help. I'll update this post when I find out the cause in case someone has the same trouble in the future :)

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Jventer Grand Champion

Jventer

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I have a Yamaha RXV 2067 and with kids have had a few times where it was used at stupid volumes.

It has also survived changes of speaker cables and interconnects while on.

It has settings for 8 and 6 ohm speakers and I have 4 ohm speakers.

All that said it is running well.

I agree that you need to arrange  a check of the speakers.

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PonyTail Collaborator

PonyTail

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ZB said: Check your speaker cables, CAREFULLY. Pay particular attention to any fine wires that may be shorting near the speaker connectors at the amplifier and the speaker.

After confirming that there are no shorts at the speaker terminals or along the length of the speaker cables (some pets like to chew) connect both speakers in series to one channel of a power amplifier.

This allows a direct comparison between both speakers without removing drivers or risking the power amplifier if one speaker has a short or faulty crossover.

(assuming you don't introduce a short)

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tbag Enthusiast

tbag

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After confirming that there are no shorts at the speaker terminals or along the length of the speaker cables (some pets like to chew) connect both speakers in series to one channel of a power amplifier.

This allows a direct comparison between both speakers without removing drivers or risking the power amplifier if one speaker has a short or faulty crossover.

(assuming you don't introduce a short)

Thanks for everyones help.

 

It appears the problem is the speakers and the local PMC distributor in WA SnapAV is talking to PMC to get someone to fix my speakers.

 

Already have got my pioneer amp back from warranty which is great although still haven't heard from my more expensive Yamaha amp.

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tbag Enthusiast

tbag

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Hi tbag - off topic a bit - who are you getting to do the repairs on the amps?

 

Pioneer was fixed through warranty with Audio1. They were amazing. Fixed it in 2 days. 

 

Yamaha is through J.W electronics who have a 2 week wait for them be even looked at! which is crazy. http://www.jwelectronics.com.au/

 

And I believe the speakers are going to be fixed through A one audio (lol different mob than Audio1 :P)

 

So i'm listening to music through my tablet (shudder) and PC, which sux a hell of alot,

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tbag Enthusiast

tbag

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Thanks for the feedback. I've got a Classe power amp that needs looking at and I've had bad experiences with the second place you mentioned a while ago when there weren't many other options open in Perth..

Oh really? What happened? Think I should pull my amp out of there and take it somewhere else? Maybe Jason? Wonder if they would charge me.

 

Still no word on the PMCs, the dude hasn't got back to me. I wanna listen to my speakers already :(

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caminperth Veteran

caminperth

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Oh really? What happened? Think I should pull my amp out of there and take it somewhere else? Maybe Jason? Wonder if they would charge me.

 

Still no word on the PMCs, the dude hasn't got back to me. I wanna listen to my speakers already :(

 

I had to wait for around 6 months to get an amp fixed that lasted only 3 weeks - symptom of being too busy I think and to be fair I never took it back for them to look at again, just binned it..

 

 

It was a long time ago, so I'm sure things have changed..
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TP1 Grand Champion

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Pioneer was fixed through warranty with Audio1. They were amazing. Fixed it in 2 days. 

 

Yamaha is through J.W electronics who have a 2 week wait for them be even looked at! which is crazy. http://www.jwelectronics.com.au/

 

And I believe the speakers are going to be fixed through A one audio (lol different mob than Audio1 :P)

 

So i'm listening to music through my tablet (shudder) and PC, which sux a hell of alot,

 

I have had nothing but bad experiences with JW Electronics - longest wait, highest price and worst service.   I would try anyone else - Hills seem to know what they are doing.

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