Crossover Madness!

limashaynut
limashaynut Posts: 152
edited December 2005 in Speakers
:eek:

I am going nuts here trying to get this #!&$*@# thing fixed!

Ok, here is the deal, I have a Polk RTi6 that just went through it's third tweeter, and the speaker is on the way back to Polk. Between my two systems, I have Rti8 (2), RTi6 (4), CSi5 (2), PSW404, PSW505, R15 (2), TC60i (4), so I do have some experience with Polk speakers. I have had trouble with only one of all of these speakers, but it happens like clockwork.

The right front (RTi6) fried the the tweeter right after I got them hooked up, sent back the tweeter and recieved a prompt replacement from Polk. Double checked all of my hookups and settings, installed new tweeter, got rattle/buzz and no high end. I called Polk and talked about amp clipping, speaker settings, etc., the person I spoke with felt it was my amp (Sony 2100ES) clipping and did not think it was a speaker crossover problem.

Polk sent out the second replacement tweeter, and it came FedEx today. Double checked everything once again, installed tweeter, put in CD and started to raise the volume s l o w l y. Before I got to -30 db, the same speaker, same side, had that same old rattle/buzz from the tweeter.

I now do not see any way that this could be the amp clipping, the music volume was quite low. I then pulled the problem speaker, and hooked up an old cheap Sony center speaker. Played fine, cranked it up to 0db with sill no problem. I then bit the bullet and put the bad RTi6 on the left front, and the good one on the right front (the side I had been having problems with), the undamaged RTi6 played just fine at fairly high volumes, and the speaker with the buzzing tweeter continued to do the same thing on the left front.

I am now sending the entire bad speaker back to Polk for them to take a look at, I was told that they were going to replace everthing but the enclosure itself, and I have asked them to give the repaired speaker a good workout.

Any thoughts on this tale of gloom and doom?

What do you guys (ladies as well) think was causing this?

If you think it was a bad crossover in the speaker, how many of you have had the same type of problem with speakers be them Polk or other brands?
Jerry

Denon AVR-3806 7.1
Outlaw Audio M200 (RF,C,LF)
Sony KDFE42A10 LCD
Directv H10-250 DVR
Sony DVP-NS90V
Sony RDR-GX315
JVC Super VHS
Polk RTi8 m
Polk CSi5 c
Polk RTi6 sr
Polk Monitor 30 srb
Polk PSW505 sw (I know, I know, get an SVS!)

PLUCK THE CHICKS!
From A Former Fan
Post edited by limashaynut on

Comments

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,717
    edited December 2005
    Stuff happens, relax they will take care of it.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • limashaynut
    limashaynut Posts: 152
    edited December 2005
    I am very relaxed, sitting on the couch with the laptop, and HD TV on!

    All joking aside, I am not really worked up over this, I have enough Polk products that I know that this is just a quirk (sic?). I also have no doubt that Polk will make it right, the above post was just a bit of humor, albeit a weak one it would seem.

    I guess I am just frustrated at finding out WHAT is causing the problem so that it can be avoided in the future. The why is the problem, not the will it be made right.

    Thanks,

    Jerry
    Jerry

    Denon AVR-3806 7.1
    Outlaw Audio M200 (RF,C,LF)
    Sony KDFE42A10 LCD
    Directv H10-250 DVR
    Sony DVP-NS90V
    Sony RDR-GX315
    JVC Super VHS
    Polk RTi8 m
    Polk CSi5 c
    Polk RTi6 sr
    Polk Monitor 30 srb
    Polk PSW505 sw (I know, I know, get an SVS!)

    PLUCK THE CHICKS!
    From A Former Fan
  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited December 2005
    A short in the crossover that allowed LF tones to get to the tweeter would screw it pretty quickly... best guess I can give without seeing it myself.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
  • jcaut
    jcaut Posts: 1,849
    edited December 2005
    A bad cap on the tweeter network sounds like the most reasonable explanation, based on the info you gave. I would think that something like that would be rather rare. The tweeter should sound bad right from the get-go, if it's played at low volume. Most tweeters will take a low-power, full- range signal for a little while without cooking, though they'll sound nasty doing it.

    I'm sure it's frustrating, but Polk will make it right.
  • limashaynut
    limashaynut Posts: 152
    edited December 2005
    Thanks for the responses, it sounds like it is in fact a bad crossover. While this is on my 'smaller system' in the den, it is still kind of a pain. At least I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...wait that is a train!
    Jerry

    Denon AVR-3806 7.1
    Outlaw Audio M200 (RF,C,LF)
    Sony KDFE42A10 LCD
    Directv H10-250 DVR
    Sony DVP-NS90V
    Sony RDR-GX315
    JVC Super VHS
    Polk RTi8 m
    Polk CSi5 c
    Polk RTi6 sr
    Polk Monitor 30 srb
    Polk PSW505 sw (I know, I know, get an SVS!)

    PLUCK THE CHICKS!
    From A Former Fan
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,717
    edited December 2005
    Yep and Casey Jones is driving.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • limashaynut
    limashaynut Posts: 152
    edited December 2005
    If the Grateful Dead was right, I think he was high on something.
    Jerry

    Denon AVR-3806 7.1
    Outlaw Audio M200 (RF,C,LF)
    Sony KDFE42A10 LCD
    Directv H10-250 DVR
    Sony DVP-NS90V
    Sony RDR-GX315
    JVC Super VHS
    Polk RTi8 m
    Polk CSi5 c
    Polk RTi6 sr
    Polk Monitor 30 srb
    Polk PSW505 sw (I know, I know, get an SVS!)

    PLUCK THE CHICKS!
    From A Former Fan