Trouble with Monitor 70s
mimir
Posts: 4
I setup my Monitor 70s purchased at Circuit City and apparently one of the speakers I got had been blown already. I returned that one to Circuit City and got a replacement speaker but when I go through the Auto Setup in the Denon receiver there is clear sound difference between the two 70s. The replacement speaker is very muted and if I switch the speakers around the muted speaker stays muted so the issue is probably not in the receiver or cabling. Next I took the replacement speaker back to Circuit City and got another replacement and it has the same muted sound. By muted sound I mean the higher frequencies seem missing, it's hard to notice when just playing a movie but using the sound test during Auto Setup the difference is very noticable and I would imagine it would be noticable when playing music as well.
I've read somewhere about breaking in speakers, is that just what I need to do? Or is the speaker damaged in some way? The first speaker was definately damaged because it would make flapping noises, but 3 damaged speakers in a row starts to make me suspicious that maybe I'm doing something wrong or maybe Circuit City just keeps restocking returned damaged speakers.
I'm using a Denon AVR887 and the volume was set to wife approved levels (i.e. low). I'm very happy with my single working Monitor 70 I would just like another working one as well.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
I've read somewhere about breaking in speakers, is that just what I need to do? Or is the speaker damaged in some way? The first speaker was definately damaged because it would make flapping noises, but 3 damaged speakers in a row starts to make me suspicious that maybe I'm doing something wrong or maybe Circuit City just keeps restocking returned damaged speakers.
I'm using a Denon AVR887 and the volume was set to wife approved levels (i.e. low). I'm very happy with my single working Monitor 70 I would just like another working one as well.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Post edited by mimir on
Comments
-
Welcome to the Forum and congrats on your new Polks! The Monitor 70's were my first Polks, as well.
Is there any sound coming from the tweeter at all?I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore -
I notice you say its hard to spot during movies, but during the test its audible. it really might just be a room dynamic. on my system, I run my right channel 1 db hotter than the left because it seems a skosh lower in volume with test tones.
could be a break in issue. check if the tweeter is actually making sound though. are these biamp capable? perhaps the jumper between the lower and upper terminals is missing (if applicable)Living Room 2 Channel -
Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.
Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.
Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites -
Edited: I'm illiterate.
When I first put new tweeters in my RT600s, they were a little muted sounding for movies at first. Now, they are getting noticeable better, so I think the speaker break in phenomenon might actual exist.Stereo Rig: Hales Revelation 3, Musical Fidelity CD-Pre 24, Forte Model 3 amp, Lexicon RT-10 SACD, MMF-5 w/speedbox, Forte Model 2 Phono Pre, Cardas Crosslink, APC H15, URC MX-950, Lovan Stand
Bedroom: Samsung HPR-4252, Toshiba HD-A2, HK 3480, Signal Cable, AQ speaker cable, Totem Dreamcatchers, SVS PB10-NSD, URC MX-850 -
Could it be an issue with your receiver? maybe it has a bad channel that is doing something to crap out your speakers. No way Polk had three bad speakers in a row.
He said he's switched channels and the issue follows the speaker. So it's probably not the receiver.
Keep in mind, the 70's take an eternity to break-in. But in my experience with this model, the difference was night and day after a couple of weeks of heavy use. That being said -- about 90% of the break-in occurred with the woofers. The tweeter seemed pretty straight from the get-go.I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore -
Honestly, I can't read. . .Stereo Rig: Hales Revelation 3, Musical Fidelity CD-Pre 24, Forte Model 3 amp, Lexicon RT-10 SACD, MMF-5 w/speedbox, Forte Model 2 Phono Pre, Cardas Crosslink, APC H15, URC MX-950, Lovan Stand
Bedroom: Samsung HPR-4252, Toshiba HD-A2, HK 3480, Signal Cable, AQ speaker cable, Totem Dreamcatchers, SVS PB10-NSD, URC MX-850 -
And I can't write...
so maybe this relationship wasn't meant to be.I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore -
so maybe this relationship wasn't meant to be.
Say it ain't so, Zombie? We joined PF around the same time, we have taken a very similar path to our current system(s), we're both post hos (even though your post count blows mine away), etc.
We can get through this rough patch. Stay strong.Stereo Rig: Hales Revelation 3, Musical Fidelity CD-Pre 24, Forte Model 3 amp, Lexicon RT-10 SACD, MMF-5 w/speedbox, Forte Model 2 Phono Pre, Cardas Crosslink, APC H15, URC MX-950, Lovan Stand
Bedroom: Samsung HPR-4252, Toshiba HD-A2, HK 3480, Signal Cable, AQ speaker cable, Totem Dreamcatchers, SVS PB10-NSD, URC MX-850 -
Say it ain't so, Zombie? We joined PF around the same time, we have taken a very similar path to our current system(s), we're both post hos (even though your post count blows mine away), etc.
We can get through this rough patch. Stay strong.
Hey! Take this somewhere else! Like here. Goodness.
Sorry to hear about the speaker issues. Hopefully all will get worked out soon.I know just enough to be dangerous, but don't tell my wife, she thinks I'm a genius.
Pioneer VSX-816
Monitor 40's - fronts, bi-amped
Monitor 30's - surrounds
CS1 - center
PSW10 - I'll let you guess
Blue Jeans Cable - speaker cable
Daewoo 27 incher - one step up from a console
Sony Progressive scan DVD
XBOX
SOPA since 2008
Here's my stuff. -
zombie boy 2000 wrote: »Welcome to the Forum and congrats on your new Polks! The Monitor 70's were my first Polks, as well.
Is there any sound coming from the tweeter at all?
Now that I'm back home I was able to check and there doesn't seem to be any sound coming from the tweeter on the bad speaker and I double checked again that the problem isn't cabling by reversing the speakers (moving the left speaker over to the right hand side and vice versa).
I guess I'll take it back one more time and get another replacement. -
I notice you say its hard to spot during movies, but during the test its audible. it really might just be a room dynamic. on my system, I run my right channel 1 db hotter than the left because it seems a skosh lower in volume with test tones.
could be a break in issue. check if the tweeter is actually making sound though. are these biamp capable? perhaps the jumper between the lower and upper terminals is missing (if applicable)
I don't think it's a room dynamic because if I move the bad speaker from the left side to the right side then it still sounds very muted and the good speaker now on the other side of the room sounds crisp. I guess I could try increasing the db on the bad speaker channel but I think I would just get a louder muted sound.
I also double checked the jumper between the lower and upper terminals and reseated them and the result was the same. -
Looks like the forth replacement did the trick. The two 70 monitor speakers now sound great.
-
Congrats on the find and enjoy the music.engtaz
I love how music can brighten up a bad day. -
Congrats mimir and again, Welcome to the Forum!
Feel free to make yourself at home.I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore -
those will be $.99 NR from bargainland next week. dont blame the platypus.
wow, really hard to believe that you got two duds in a row. i think i wouldve been about ready to explode by that point. for me, the ONE saving grace of a big box like CC or BB is their return policy. it might be like pulling teeth to actually TALK to someone who even knows the name of the store they work in, but they *will* exchange product without much protest.
when BB delivered my new tv with a scratch across the front (on the screen, natch), they sent another out nearly right away. i wont mention how many calls i made, to whom (since i may as well have called the grocery store for how knowledgeable some of the reps were about returning a tv), nor how many times their system or an associate hung-up on me, causing an almost endless loop of frustration. i was ready to smack the first person i saw wearing a blue shirt with a yellow logo.
speaker break-in. ill tell you, with especially stiff speakers (i.e. sub designed for ported application), i have continued to notice increased smoothness and low-end extension over literally *months* of use as the suspension softens. at low, wife-friendly levels, you might be in this for the long haul (as far as break-in is concerned), but dont give up on them if you decide that they *dont* actually "now sound great"... if you want to speed the process up, play those suckers while no one is home. like, put on the radio when you leave for work. you wont hurt a thing.
agear list:
1 down, 4 up....
