Is it normal for brand new drivers to distort?

nspindel
nspindel Posts: 5,343
edited October 2012 in Vintage Speakers
Had a problem with one of the 6511's in the new 4.1TL's, so I ordered a new replacement from Polk and just installed it. It sounds very distorted. Is it normal that a brand new driver will sound very distorted while it's breaking in. It has a very "buzzy" sound in the bass. To be expected? Or is something wrong with the driver?
Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
Post edited by nspindel on
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,029
    edited October 2012
    It sounds like something is wrong with the driver, nspindel. Is that all you swapped out? If the new driver has the same issue as the old driver, you may have an issue upstream.

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Yup.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,603
    edited October 2012
    Yup as in that is all you swapped out or as in same issue as the old driver? Have you checked to see if the spider may have come loose from the cone?
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    All I swapped out was the driver. This is a brand new replacement driver straight from Polk, so it would have 0 hours on it. Haven't checked anything yet. My plan is to first just give it some hours and see if it settles in on it's own. Next up I'd swap it to the other speaker to see if the distortion changes sides. If it does then I know it's the driver and nothing else. If not, then I've got something else wrong.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • PolkieMan
    PolkieMan Posts: 2,446
    edited October 2012
    The speaker can be hooked up direct as long as you don't get crazy with it.
    POLK SDA 2.3 TLS BOUGHT NEW IN 1990, Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-198
    POLK CSI-A6 POLK MONITOR 70'S ONKYO TX NR-808 SONY CDP-333ES
    PIONEER PL-510A SONY BDP S5100
    POLK SDA 1C BOUGHT USED 2011,Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-194
    ONKYO HT RC-360 SONY BDP S590 TECHNICS SL BD-1
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Huh?
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,603
    edited October 2012
    He is talking about bypassing the XO to ensure its the driver and not something wrong with the XO.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Bad driver. It's sticking when I press it in, magnet must have shifted in shipping. I'll call Helen tomorrow.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited October 2012
    nspindel wrote: »
    Bad driver. It's sticking when I press it in, magnet must have shifted in shipping. I'll call Helen tomorrow.

    I thought they fixed that on new drivers. :question:

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • PolkieMan
    PolkieMan Posts: 2,446
    edited October 2012
    Yea hook it up direct, wire to source.:biggrin:

    They sent me a MM6510 instead of a MW6510. Mistakes happen.

    nspindel wrote: »
    Bad driver. It's sticking when I press it in, magnet must have shifted in shipping. I'll call Helen tomorrow.
    POLK SDA 2.3 TLS BOUGHT NEW IN 1990, Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-198
    POLK CSI-A6 POLK MONITOR 70'S ONKYO TX NR-808 SONY CDP-333ES
    PIONEER PL-510A SONY BDP S5100
    POLK SDA 1C BOUGHT USED 2011,Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-194
    ONKYO HT RC-360 SONY BDP S590 TECHNICS SL BD-1
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Mystery wrote: »
    I thought they fixed that on new drivers. :question:

    Maybe it didn't shift during shipping, maybe it's just a bad unit. But it's definitely rubbing substantially when you hand-move the driver.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited October 2012
    nspindel wrote: »
    Maybe it didn't shift during shipping, maybe it's just a bad unit. But it's definitely rubbing substantially when you hand-move the driver.
    Maybe it's defective unit but just be careful on hand-move test.
    Even perfect drivers rub when pressing with hand due to not being straight down.

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Nah, this one's definitely bad.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited October 2012
    Back to post #1 (assuming upstream is known-good), my opinion is that if a new driver anywhere, anytime, any brand ever distorts, it's a bad driver.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,101
    edited October 2012
    inspiredsports wrote: »
    Back to post #1 (assuming upstream is known-good), my opinion is that if a new driver anywhere, anytime, any brand ever distorts, it's a bad driver.
    ...provided it's not being over-driven, or driven beyond it's frequency limits.
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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,375
    edited October 2012
    Sounds like a bad driver. It happens to the best of companies. As an old Japanese friend told me, "Sometime monkey fall out of tree."
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited October 2012
    skrol wrote: »
    Sounds like a bad driver. It happens to the best of companies. As an old Japanese friend told me, "Sometime monkey fall out of tree."
    LOL too funny
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • drgalexo
    drgalexo Posts: 159
    edited October 2012
    Lol, that is funny skrol. Nspindel if you just switch the driver with one that is working properly you will be able to determine if the problem is more than the driver, but I'll bet it's a bad unit. There shouldn't be any break in period.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    No doubt about it. Monkey fell out of tree. Bad driver!
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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