How to check a used speaker?

Tomasito
Tomasito Posts: 142
edited April 2010 in Speakers
Hello,

I am looking to get a used high end speaker.
What do I need to watch out for, aside that it sounds good to my ears.
i.e. check if the change in volume the speaker will crackle?
like things that I need to wtch out for

Thanks
Post edited by Tomasito on
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited April 2010
    Gently push the woofers in and out with your ear up next to it. Listen for scratchiness.

    What speakers? Certain speakers have certain things that you should look out for.


    Crackling when the changing volume would most likely be due to a scratchy potentiometer in the preamp, and wouldn't really be related to the speaker itself most likely.
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  • cnoat
    cnoat Posts: 315
    edited April 2010
    +1,I just picked up a pair of rti12's,the lower midrange did exactly that,had a scratchyness to it.The other was fine.But for 125.00 and a 40.00 driver One heck of a deal.
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  • Tomasito
    Tomasito Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    comfortablycurt wrote: »
    Gently push the woofers in and out with your ear up next to it. Listen for scratchiness.

    What speakers? Certain speakers have certain things that you should look out for.


    Crackling when the changing volume would most likely be due to a scratchy potentiometer in the preamp, and wouldn't really be related to the speaker itself most likely.

    Hello confortablycurt,
    The speakers needs to have power/sound coming out of it?

    I don't have a specific speaker in mind. I want a high end speaker though.
    But I want a monitor not a floor standing speaker.
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  • zarrdoss
    zarrdoss Posts: 2,562
    edited April 2010
    If they have foam surrounds on the woofer-midrange make sure the foam is not rotting or cracking. with no power to them gently push in the woofer and listen for any scratching sounds. If you hear scratching sounds this might be an indicating that the VC has got hot( been driven hard). then really listen to both, turn them up to a decent loud level and listen for any crackling or rattling. put your ear up to each driver and check for uniform output.
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  • Tomasito
    Tomasito Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    what do you mean by VC?
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  • Tomasito
    Tomasito Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    I did this to an LSI9 which I was listening to. I heard scratching sound on both left and right speakers. He proceeded to turn up the volume. I do not hear any crackling or rattling of the speakers

    Does the scratching sound I hear, indicate that the speaker may soon crackle?
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  • jgido759
    jgido759 Posts: 572
    edited April 2010
    Tomasito wrote: »
    what do you mean by VC?

    VC = Voice Coil
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  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited April 2010
    -Take a multi-meter with you; check the spec for the speaker & see if the impedance matches the spec (possible Voice Coil issue).

    -Listen with a known source (i.e., your own amp/cdp, for example).

    -Check for any physical issue with both the speaker surrounds & the cabinet.

    -Switch back & forth between each speaker, listening for sound level/frequency response differences
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  • Knucklehead
    Knucklehead Posts: 3,602
    edited April 2010
    TNRabbit wrote: »
    -Take a multi-meter with you; check the spec for the speaker & see if the impedance matches the spec (possible Voice Coil issue).

    Im no so sure you can do that as you will be measuring not only the speaker but the crossover as well.
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,093
    edited April 2010
    Listening to it is pretty good start.

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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited April 2010
    TroyD wrote: »
    Listening to it is pretty good start.

    BDT

    Milliseconds of genius here.

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  • Tomasito
    Tomasito Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    mmmmm..... alot of information to digest
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited April 2010
    If you have nothing to hook them up to you can use a D or C battery and a short wire. Hook up the wire to the speaker terminals. With the other end use the batery to see if the woofers move. This will not tell you if the tweeter is working.
    Ben
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    Thanks
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,142
    edited April 2010
    ben62670 wrote: »
    If you have nothing to hook them up to you can use a D or C battery and a short wire. Hook up the wire to the speaker terminals. With the other end use the batery to see if the woofers move. This will not tell you if the tweeter is working.
    Ben

    That is a perfect test and all polkies need to know that.:cool:
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  • Tomasito
    Tomasito Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    Zero wrote: »
    I'd start by inspecting it via: black light.



    What is this inspection for?
    what do I need to look for?
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited April 2010
    Tomasito wrote: »
    What is this inspection for?
    what do I need to look for?

    Any strange liquid stains that glow.
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  • Tomasito
    Tomasito Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    why would there be liquid stains on the speakers?
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  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited April 2010
    nguyendot wrote: »
    Any strange liquid stains that glow.
    Tomasito wrote: »
    why would there be liquid stains on the speakers?

    Oh for pete's sake; he's yankin' yer chain.... :confused:

    **** & other body fluids glow under black light~ :p
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  • Tomasito
    Tomasito Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    I was slow in getting that
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  • Krazyz1
    Krazyz1 Posts: 256
    edited April 2010
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  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited April 2010
    Knucklehead wrote: »
    Im no so sure you can do that as you will be measuring not only the speaker but the crossover as well.


    Exactly; you're checking for dropped impedance which would indicate either a crossover or speaker issue.
    TNRabbit
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