Monitor 50 Rattling Driving Me Crazy

Sarcasmo

First of all let me say that up until the speaker in question started malfunctioning I have been very pleased with the product.

Let me preface this thread with the fact that I received the Monitor 50 in a box that looked to be in immaculate condition. Only once I started bringing the box upstairs did I hear a something moving around inside the box. I opened the box, took out the speaker, and snaked my hand through the hole in the bottom and pulled out a small triangular piece of wood with adhesive slathered on one end. I am kind of wondering if this is the nature of my problems right here.

I recently finished setting up a 5.1 surround system and once everything was connected and running things were great for a week. Then I noticed a rattle coming from my left front speaker, the Monitor 50. I took off the grille on the front and found that the top woofer was barely vibrating at all. Whenever it did it was making a horrible rattling sound.

I think the front cone on the woofer is pressed against something inside of the woofer itself. The only time the front cone moves is during lower-pitched bass sounds and it proceeds to rattle. For lack of a better example, this problem is especially noticeable during the loading music for the PS3 game Demon's Souls (I have attempted to find a link for it on the internet but have been unable to do so. Should I find it I'll post it).

Interestingly, lightly pushing down and to the left against the front cone of the woofer "unhitches" it from whatever is providing resistance and the woofer functions properly. I'd love it if I could just make some kind of adjustment but I have no clue how. I have read on another thread here about how to remove the woofer. I have yet to do so yet though because I'm concerned with how to affix it back inside. In addition, would it be possible to take the front cone off and tweak something inside to stop this problem?

I'm really hoping this is something I can do myself and that I don't have to ship this thing back to Polk. That would be pretty expensive and it sucks when your sound system is gimped after a week of light use.

superjunior

I'd pull that woofer and see whats going on in there or call polk cs
http://www.polkaudio.com/contactus/index.php
welcome aboard

cnh

+1, open it up! Also that piece of wood sounds like some kind of corner bracing that's come undone...not sure what effect that would have?

cnh

Sarcasmo

I'd be glad to open it up. My only questions would be if it would go back in as securely (this thing is really snug in there, I'd hate to end up with a loose woofer on my hands when I go to put it back in) and if the front cone comes off somehow. I'd be more than happy to call tech support if they were on the line on weekends. I won't be able to reach them during their business hours until Tuesday.

dorokusai

You HAVE to open it up and take a look again.

In the interim, I'd swap the driver with the other loudspeaker just to double check the failure. If it follows the driver, great. You're going to have to remove it anyways so I'd go ahead and go thru the motions. As long as you tighten everything down nicely, don't overdo it, you'll be fine.

I'd suggest calling Polk CS Monday. Explain the issue and work with the best CS team on the planet. I'd also take a picture of the brace and ask about resolution for that as well. They will probably replace the entire loudspeaker.

Sarcasmo

Opened up the speaker. Here are my two woofers sitting on top of the unit (as well as the piece of mystery wood, though now I doubt that has anything to do with my problem as you will soon see):



If you have eagle eyes you might notice that the angle on the woofer on the right (the top woofer in question) is slightly askew. A shot of the sides of the woofers explains why:



The adhesive or whatever material it is on the right woofer has popped and has caused the entire woofer to be tilted upwards on the bottom left corner. A close-up:



I have tried to adjust the position of the cone but everything looks to be held together and I have been unable to change it. Pushing down anywhere on the cone except for the corner where the adhesive has popped off meets resistance (pushing on the upper right will not move the cone at all, it is definitely hitched). I'm still unable to figure out exactly what the cone is rubbing against.



Pushing down where my fingers are meets no resistance, the opposite side won't move, and anywhere else meets resistance.

Looks like the woofer is more or less borked. It works but the position has been thrown out of whack and has rendered it largely useless unless somebody can suggest how to move the position of the cone.

superjunior

polk cs will take care of you as far as the bad woofer, did you figure out where that peice of wood came from?

dorokusai

Call Polk tomorrow, great work.

wesouth

i had a piece of wood just like that loose inside of mine. I just took it out..... no problems to date! I kept it just in case looks to be corner bracing. as for your woofer problem, if you know 100% it is the speaker just contact polk and I am sure they will swap it out for a new one.